Waterfox private browsing install#
Waterfox private browsing windows#

You’re still tracked in incognito mode, and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will still have a good idea of what you did online. Checking a hotel for a surprise getaway? Researching a controversial or sensitive topic? Incognito is great for those use cases. To be clear, incognito mode has its place. With incognito, the “privacy” is limited. This means somebody else in your house wouldn’t be able to see what you browse Big Tech certainly still can. Instead, it only hides your browsing history from other users on that particular machine. The truth is, incognito mode doesn’t hide your actions from online third-parties. And most people assume their browsing activity is hidden when they use an incognito tab. Incognito mode: not-so-private browsingĪlmost every browser has a native version of Chrome’s well-known incognito (or “private”) mode. Unfortunately, these both fall short of expectations. Instead of using a truly private browser, many users turn to easy alternatives like their browser’s incognito (or “private”) mode, or by installing privacy extensions.

Not surprisingly, the Chrome (Google) and Edge (Microsoft) browsers directly capture information about your browsing and search activity, and “send” that data back to their servers. Most browsers are built by companies that earn huge profits from advertising Google and Microsoft are two prime examples. The second thing to consider is what the browser itself does with your data. These third-party tools allow ad-tech companies to build a profile on you, and “personalize” their ads so they’re more likely to catch your attention. While the content on the page is likely first-party, the ads come from someplace else. “Third-party” simply means a company, a piece of code, or something else that’s not hosted directly on the website you’re viewing. Specifically, the third-party cookies and trackers that power targeted ads. The first is how well your browser protects you from third-parties. In general, there are two main things to consider when picking a browser. That makes privacy-first browsers one of the most effective ways of blocking Big Tech’s online surveillance. Most often, you access websites through a web browser (mobile apps being one notable exception). In this article, we’ll answer that question. But there are so many options to choose from… What’s the best private browser? Today, more and more people are turning to private browsers to block this annoying-and invasive-fact of the modern Web. If that makes you uncomfortable, you’re not alone.

Waterfox private browsing install#

When you install a new extension, you will see a prompt asking if you would like this extension to run in private windows.Ever been browsing the Internet, seen some random ad, then had ads for that same thing follow you to other sites? Of course you have-the Big Tech economy is based on watching and tracking your browsing habits so it can sell highly targeted ad space. If you do not give an extension permission to run in private browsing, it should still work normally in non-private browsing, unless the extension explicitly uses features that require private browsing access (like opening new tabs in a private window). You must grant it permission, either during installation or later through the extension's settings. Additionally, an extension is not enabled for private browsing by default. Firefox lets you decide which extensions are allowed to run in private windows.

Waterfox private browsing windows#

4 Enabling or disabling extensions in private windowsĪn extension that runs in private browsing windows could be problematic if it has access to information you would rather keep private.3 Enabling or disabling extensions in private windows.