The release of Google’s ASUS manufactured affordable quad-core Nexus 7 tablet running Jelly Bean Android 4.1 saw an important change – Google has decided to use their Chrome browser as the default browser on the device, and hence the stock Android browser is missing from the device. While Chrome is quite a good browser, it unfortunately doesn’t support Flash (and never will) and is also currently under development.

Those who want the stock Android browser on their Nexus 7, be it for any reason – Flash support, stability, or just the option to have it on their device – can now do so thanks to a nifty hack posted by XDA Senior Member Censura_Umbra.

So, read on to find out you can install the stock AOSP Android browser on your Nexus 7.

How to Install AOSP Browser on Nexus 7

  1. Download the AOSP Browser’s APK file.
    Download Link  |  Filename: Browser.apk
  2. Copy the Browser.apk file to the SD card on your Nexus 7.
  3. Install ES File Explorer File Manager on your tablet from the Play Store.
  4. Open ES Explorer. Then, click the menu button on your device and click Settings. Here, tick the “Up to Root” option. Then go down and tick the “Root Explorer” option, then press Allow/Grant button when prompted to grant it root access. Then, tick the “Mount File System Option” as well. Once all three options are selected, press back to exit the settings.
  5. Browse to where you copied the Browser.apk file, long-press on it, select Copy. Then press the Up button on top till you reach the outermost folder (till it says / at the top).
  6. Then, go into /system/app folder, then press the “Paste” button on top to copy the Browser.apk file here. Important: If you see two files named browser provider.apk and browser provider.odex in /system/app, rename these files to anything else, otherwise the AOSP Browser will not work.
  7. Then, long-press on the newly copied Browser.apk file in /system/app, and click on the Properties button. Then, click on the Change button in the Properties under the Permissions section. Here, tick the Read box in front of both Group and Other. Make no other changes. The final Properties screen should look like this:
  8. Then press the OK button to change permissions, then quit ES Explorer.
  9. Then, reboot your tablet, after which you can use the stock Android browser on your Nexus 7.

The stock AOSP Android browser is now installed on your Nexus 7! Enjoy!