How to harden your browser privacy settings
Your browser ships with defaults that favor convenience over privacy. Here is a practical, browser-by-browser guide to tightening settings without breaking the web.
Start with the defaults that matter
Most browsers ship with tracking protection off or set to 'standard', which blocks only known trackers in private mode. Switching to 'strict' or enabling Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks third-party trackers, cryptominers, and fingerprinting scripts on every page.
Cookie handling is the next lever. Block third-party cookies entirely, or set them to session-only. This breaks some login flows but dramatically reduces cross-site tracking.
Clear site data on exit if you can tolerate re-logging in. This removes the persistent identifiers that trackers rely on.
- Enable Enhanced Tracking Protection / strict mode
- Block third-party cookies
- Clear cookies and site data on exit
- Disable third-party sign-in prompts
Firefox
Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection has three levels. Set it to Strict for maximum blocking, then allow exceptions for sites that break.
Enable resistFingerprinting in about:config (privacy.resistFingerprinting) to reduce fingerprinting surfaces, at the cost of some site compatibility.
Use the built-in HTTPS-Only Mode to upgrade connections and avoid mixed-content downgrades.
- about:config -> privacy.resistFingerprinting = true
- Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Enhanced Tracking Protection -> Strict
- Settings -> Privacy & Security -> HTTPS-Only Mode -> On
Chrome and Chromium browsers
Chrome's tracking protection is more limited. Enable 'Block third-party cookies' in settings and consider a content blocker like uBlock Origin.
Disable the Privacy Sandbox features you do not want: Topics, Protected Audience, and Attribution Reporting, via chrome://settings/privacySandbox.
Turn off 'Improve search suggestions' and 'Help improve Chrome' to reduce data sent to Google.
Safari
Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention is on by default and is among the strongest. Enable 'Prevent cross-site tracking' and 'Block all cookies' if you can tolerate breakage.
Hide IP address from trackers in Safari settings for additional protection.
Use Safari's built-in password and 2FA features to reduce reliance on third-party extensions.
Mobile browsers
On iOS, Safari inherits the desktop protections. On Android, consider Firefox or Brave, which offer stronger defaults than Chrome.
Disable ad personalization in both OS settings, since these feed cross-app tracking.
Review app tracking permissions and revoke those that are unnecessary.
Verify your changes
Use the browser details and fingerprint tools on this site before and after hardening. The privacy score's before/after comparison shows the effect of your changes.
Test sites you use daily to ensure nothing broke. Add exceptions rather than disabling protection globally.
Re-check after browser updates, since defaults and features change.