Firefox is the strongest mainstream browser for privacy before you change a single setting, because its tracking protection is on by default. This guide walks through the settings that push it further. Paths were verified against Firefox for Windows (version 134.x) in August 2026.
1. Set Enhanced Tracking Protection to Strict
Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection → Strict.
Firefox ships with three levels: Standard (default), Strict, and Custom. Standard already blocks trackers, cookies, and fingerprinters to a degree. Strict blocks more — including cryptominers and additional fingerprinters — at the cost of a few sites behaving oddly. If a site breaks, you can click the shield icon in the address bar and turn off protection for that site only.
2. Verify Total Cookie Protection is on
Total Cookie Protection isolates cookies for every site, so a tracker that sets a cookie on one site cannot read it on another. It is on by default in current Firefox — you can confirm it under Settings → Privacy & Security where Firefox notes "Total Cookie Protection" as enabled. This is one of the strongest anti-tracking features in any mainstream browser.
3. Enable DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)
Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll to DNS over HTTPS → Max Protection.
DoH encrypts your DNS lookups so your ISP cannot see every domain you visit. Firefox offers three modes; Max Protection forces DoH for all lookups. Choose your resolver (Cloudflare, NextDNS, or a custom one). For the full picture of why this matters, see our DNS privacy guide.
4. Set Firefox to never remember history
Settings → Privacy & Security → History → Firefox will → Use custom settings for history.
Here you can set Firefox to clear history when it closes, disable search and form history, and refuse to accept trackers. For a private-by-default setup, tick Clear history when Firefox closes and, in the settings that open, tick Cookies and site data and Active logins.
5. Block notifications by default
Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Notifications → Settings… → tick "Block new requests asking to allow notifications".
Notification spam is one of the most abused permissions. Blocking new requests by default stops the prompts entirely, and you can still allow specific sites you trust.
6. Review camera, microphone, and location
Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Settings… for Camera, Microphone, and Location. Set them to Block new requests so sites have to be explicitly granted access. Firefox also shows which sites currently have access, so you can revoke old grants.
7. Disable telemetry and data collection
Settings → Privacy & Security → Firefox Data Collection and Use. Turn off:
- Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla
- Allow Firefox to install and run studies
This stops Firefox from sending usage data. Note that the default is to collect this, so it is worth turning off if privacy is your priority.
8. Use Multi-Account Containers for separation
Install the Multi-Account Containers add-on (from the official Mozilla site) to separate work, personal, and shopping in isolated containers. Each container has its own cookies, so a tracker in your shopping container cannot follow you into your work container. For more on why this helps, see the browser privacy guide.
9. Check your extensions and permissions
Menu → Add-ons and themes (or about:addons) → Extensions. Review the permission list for each extension and remove anything you do not use. See how to check extension permissions for the details.
10. Harden with about:config (optional, for power users)
If you want to go further, about:config exposes advanced settings. Two worth knowing:
privacy.resistFingerprinting = true— reduces fingerprintable data (can break some sites).network.trr.mode = 3— forces DNS-over-HTTPS (equivalent to Max Protection above).
Only change settings you understand; a misconfigured flag can break browsing.
What we could not verify for you
Firefox settings labels change with each release, and some options depend on your version and region. If an option above does not exist in your build, check Mozilla's current support documentation. Paths were re-tested in August 2026 on Firefox for Windows.
Quick answers
Is Firefox more private than Chrome? Yes, out of the box — its tracking protection is on by default, Total Cookie Protection isolates cookies, and it does not tie your browsing to an advertising account the way Chrome does.
Does Strict tracking protection break sites? Occasionally. The shield icon in the address bar lets you disable protection for a specific site without changing your global setting.
Is Firefox truly anonymous? No. It reduces tracking significantly, but your IP is still visible to sites and your ISP unless you also use a VPN or Tor.
Should I use about:config? Only if you understand the flags. The settings above are enough for most people.
Related reading
Sources
Written by Hassan Arshad, founder of UsefulOrbit. Last updated August 31, 2026. Settings re-tested on Firefox for Windows, version 134.x.