Advanced Configurations
REV. 2026–08
READ TIME 4 MIN
Fingerprinting is a tracking method that doesn't rely on cookies at all. Instead, a website quietly collects dozens of small details about your device — operating system, timezone, language, screen size, installed fonts, RAM, browser version, and more — and combines them into a profile that can identify you almost as reliably as a cookie can, even if you clear cookies or use private browsing.
"Private browsing mode, VPNs, and Tor by themselves do not stop fingerprinting. You need a browser or setting specifically designed to resist it."
Beyond fingerprinting, a few companion tools close most of the gaps a browser alone can't: a password manager, DNS-level filtering, and container tabs. Covered at the end of this page.
PER-BROWSER PROTECTION STEPS
Firefox or LibreWolf
These apply to both Firefox and LibreWolf, since LibreWolf is built on Firefox's codebase.
- Open about:preferences#privacy in the address bar.
- Under "Enhanced Tracking Protection," select Strict (instead of Standard or Custom). This also enables fingerprinting protection.
- LibreWolf ships with these settings hardened by default, so steps above are usually already set for you.
Brave
- No action needed by default — Brave randomizes a set of fingerprinting-relevant values for each site and session automatically.
- Confirm it's active: go to brave://settings/shields and check that fingerprinting blocking is set to "Standard" or "Strict."
Mullvad Browser
- No action needed. It's built specifically to give every user the same fingerprint, so no one stands out from the crowd.
Safari (iOS 26 / macOS Tahoe or later)
- Fingerprinting protection is on by default under "All Browsing" mode in Safari's privacy settings.
- Check Settings → Safari → Privacy & Security to confirm it's enabled.
Tor Browser
- Use it when you need the strongest available anti-fingerprinting protection, since it's purpose-built for this.
- Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
Optional
- Use more than one browser for different activities (see Browsers).
- Since each browser and its extensions have a different fingerprint, spreading your activity across a couple of browsers makes it harder to tie everything back to one profile.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR OWN FINGERPRINT
Click the test button. It will tell you whether your browser's fingerprint is unique among the browsers it has seen, and whether your protections are working.
Get a second opinion; as of its last public count, it had recorded over 1.7 million fingerprints for comparison.
See, in plain terms, exactly which data points about your device are visible to any website you visit.
ESSENTIAL COMPANION TOOLS
A hardened browser handles tracking and fingerprinting. These three tools cover what it can't.
Bitwarden
KeePassXC
Proton Pass
1PasswordWhy: without a password manager, you'll reuse passwords or use "Login with Google/Facebook" — both are privacy disasters.
Setup: install the extension, disable your browser's built-in password manager, then start generating unique passwords per site.
Why: blocks trackers and malware at the network level, before they even reach your browser — covers every app on the device, not just one browser.
Advanced: may require router-level configuration to apply to every device on your network.
Why: isolate banking, work, and personal browsing into separate containers — cookies don't cross between them, so sites in one container can't see what you're doing in another.