Violoncello

Violoncello

A text-based web browser!

12 ratings
7 reviews

Archived App (Last seen on 22 Feb 2026)

This is an archived listing of the app previously available on the App Store.

Although the app is no longer distributed by Apple, you can still view its description, screenshots, version history, ratings, and metadata for reference.

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • June 12, 2021
  • January 22, 2025

Features

Violoncello screenshot #1 for iPhone
Violoncello screenshot #2 for iPhone
Violoncello screenshot #3 for iPhone
Violoncello screenshot #4 for iPhone
Violoncello screenshot #5 for iPhone
Violoncello screenshot #6 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
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About

Experience the web without visual clutter. This browser strips away videos and ads, focusing solely on text content. It's ideal for reading articles and enjoying a distraction-free online experience.

Text-only web browsing
Removes videos and ads
Distraction-free reading
Simple user interface
Customization options
Premium upgrade available
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What's New in Violoncello

1.6.0

January 22, 2025

Switched default search engine to DuckDuckGo following Google's requirement for JavaScript support.

1

In-App Purchases

$0.99

Violoncello Premium

Violoncello Premium

User reviews

Excellent text browser

I'm very happy with this as it makes the web less fluorescent and trying when surfing news websites, etc. My only question is whether the browser disables cookies or still stores cookies? If the latter, is there a way to 'clear cache'?

It technically works…

I got this because I’m looking for an alternative to “Text Browser” app, which hasn’t been working well lately. However, this doesn’t seem like a good alternative.

Just installed, and tried doing basic tasks like web search and browsing wikipedia. It seems to handle table formatting very badly, so what types of text actually scale with text size setting is pretty random. This can make some webpages dizzying to try to read. Similarly, some text areas wrap at different widths (corresponding with size), so zooming out to see the entire page width leaves some content tiny and unreadable.

Other people have already mentioned the pop-up annoyance with opening links. That’s not great.

Also, I find myself missing features from “Text Browser”, like the ability to use search boxes. If you want to use a different search engine than in the settings menu, or if you want to use the search function on a website, then this browser doesn’t work for you. I also miss being able to see the website as more than a dizzying page of text, and instead seeing it with some html formatting or style sheets.

I certainly wouldn’t call it a “powerful” text-based browser.
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good text browser but please remove the pop-ups!

I love a text based browser. I spent the buck upgrade to allow light theming. This is the only text browser on the app store I can find. It would be perfection if the developer would remove the annoying pop-up links that happen anytime you navigate anywhere. It frustrates me to no end (difficult to always have to use a second hand to navigate). Easily would be a perfect app if that was fixed but developer does not appear to want to since it’s been over a year. If the developer loves it so much , at least add a checkbox to turn it off to the settings menu. PLEASE.
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A good alternative for Lynx

I was looking for a iOS version of lynx and this is a good alternative. Please add an option to disable alert that pops up with every link, it gets annoying. Then it would be 5 stars.

Text based web browser

I like that you can surf the web without any graphics (occasionally I am trying to reduce my consumption of cellular data and this helps). The developer was quick to respond to bug and feature requests!

Response from developer

Thank you so much for updating your review! I appreciate the feedback, and I’m glad you like Violoncello. :)

Developer apps

FAQ

What is Violoncello?

Violoncello is a text-based web browser designed to remove visual distractions like videos and ads. It focuses on displaying only the text content of websites, making it ideal for reading articles and blog posts.

Does Violoncello have ads?

No, Violoncello is ad-free. Its core functionality is to strip away advertisements from websites, providing a cleaner browsing experience.

What devices does Violoncello support?

Violoncello is available for iPhone and iPad devices. It is designed to run on iOS.

How often is Violoncello updated?

The latest version, 1.6.0, was released on January 22, 2025. Updates are released periodically to improve functionality and add features.

Can I customize Violoncello?

Yes, Violoncello offers customization options. You can tweak many aspects of the browser for free, with additional customization like changing colors and fonts available in the premium version.

What is the age rating for Violoncello?

Violoncello has an age rating of 17+. This is based on its content and features.

What is the user sentiment for Violoncello?

Violoncello has a rating of 4.0 stars from 12 ratings, indicating generally positive user feedback on its text-based browsing experience.

Is there a premium version of Violoncello?

Yes, there is a premium version of Violoncello that unlocks more customization options. This includes the ability to change the browser's colors and font.