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Boost Your Privacy on Firefox: 7 Essential Settings Tweaks

5 min. readlast update: 10.01.2024

We all love browsing the web, but let’s be honest—no one likes the idea of being tracked by ads or websites that know way too much about our online activity. Luckily, Firefox is one of the best browsers when it comes to privacy and security—especially if you take the time to tweak a few settings. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds! In this guide, I’ll walk you through the essential Firefox privacy settings to keep those prying eyes away from your browsing habits. Let’s dive in!

1. Change Your Default Search Engine

Why: Many search engines (hello, Google!) track your searches and use that data to target you with ads. Switching to a private search engine like DuckDuckGo is one of the easiest ways to boost your online anonymity.

How to do it:

  1. Click the three-line menu (top-right of the screen) and select Settings.
  2. Go to Search on the left-hand side.
  3. In the “Default Search Engine” dropdown, choose DuckDuckGo (or another private engine you prefer).

This simple change keeps your search queries private and free from tracking.

2. Set Up Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP)

Why: Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks online trackers that follow you across the web, including social media trackers, cookies, cryptominers, and more. There are three modes—Standard, Strict, and Custom—so you can pick the right level of protection.

How to do it:

  1. Click the three-line menu and select Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security.
  3. Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, choose Strict for maximum privacy, or Custom to tweak the settings yourself.

Note: Strict mode can occasionally cause websites to not load properly. If this happens, simply click the shield icon in the address bar and turn off protection for that specific site.

3. Disable Firefox Telemetry

Why: By default, Firefox collects telemetry data (things like how you use the browser and technical info about your device) to improve performance. While this is usually harmless, it includes some personal information like your IP address, so it's worth turning off if you care about privacy.

How to do it:

  1. Go to the three-line menu and select Settings.
  2. Head to Privacy & Security.
  3. Scroll down to Firefox Data Collection and Use, and uncheck the boxes that allow Firefox to send your data.

This prevents Mozilla from collecting information on how you use the browser.

4. Disable WebRTC and WebGL

Why: WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) allows for voice, video, and P2P sharing, but it can expose your real IP address—even when using a VPN. Similarly, WebGL (Web Graphics Library) could be exploited by hackers. Disabling both is a good move for the privacy-conscious.

How to do it:

  1. Type about:config in the Firefox address bar and press Enter.
  2. Accept the warning (you’re safe!).
  3. In the search bar, type media.peerconnection.enabled and double-click it to set it to false.
  4. For WebGL, type webgl.disabled and double-click to set it to true.

This ensures that your real IP stays hidden and minimizes the risk of malicious exploits.

5. Manage Cookies and Site Data

Why: Cookies are little pieces of data that websites store on your computer. While some are useful (like keeping you logged in), others can track your browsing habits. Firefox lets you control how cookies are handled and clear them regularly.

How to do it:

  1. Go to the three-line menu and select Settings.
  2. Under Privacy & Security, scroll down to Cookies and Site Data.
  3. Choose Clear Data to remove cookies and cached content or adjust your settings to block third-party cookies by default.

You can even set Firefox to clear cookies automatically every time you close the browser—super easy and super private!

6. Enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH)

Why: DNS over HTTPS encrypts your DNS requests, meaning your internet provider (or anyone else) can’t see the websites you’re visiting. Firefox lets you enable this for added privacy.

How to do it:

  1. Open Settings and go to Privacy & Security.
  2. Scroll down to Network Settings and click Settings.
  3. Check the box that says Enable DNS over HTTPS and choose either Cloudflare or NextDNS as your provider.

This will ensure that your DNS queries are encrypted, giving you another layer of privacy.

7. Turn On Private Browsing Mode

Why: Firefox’s Private Browsing mode doesn’t store any browsing history, cookies, or cached files after your session ends. While it’s not a cure-all for anonymity, it’s useful when you’re using shared devices or don’t want your activity to be saved.

How to do it:

  1. Open Firefox, click the three-line menu, and choose New Private Window.
  2. Alternatively, you can set Firefox to always open in Private Browsing mode: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down to History, and select Always use private browsing mode.

This ensures your browsing activities don’t linger after you’ve closed the window.

 

 

Final Thoughts: With these seven tweaks, you’ve turned your Firefox browser into a privacy powerhouse! Whether you’re blocking trackers, encrypting your DNS requests, or using a VPN, each step takes you closer to online anonymity. So, go ahead and enjoy your cat videos with peace of mind.

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