Privacy-Focused Browser Settings

Desktop steps checked against browser help pages on October 8, 2026. Menu labels can vary by operating system, release, or managed device. These settings reduce specific exposures; they do not make browsing anonymous.

Google Chrome (desktop)

Open Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies. Blocking them can limit cross-site tracking, but may break sign-in or embedded features. Add exceptions only for sites you trust.
Open Settings → Privacy and security → Security and enable “Always use secure connections” if you want Chrome to upgrade to HTTPS and warn before opening a site without it.
Review “Use secure DNS” under Security. Chrome uses automatic mode by default and may fall back to unencrypted DNS if lookup fails. A custom provider avoids that fallback; choose a resolver you trust with your DNS queries.
Chrome's Do Not Track signal is only a request. Google says most websites do not change their behavior when they receive it, so do not count it as tracking protection.

Extensions

uBlock Origin Lite: use the Chrome Web Store edition. Full uBlock Origin was removed from the Chrome Web Store on August 31, 2026; Lite has fewer filtering capabilities than the full Firefox extension.
CanvasBlocker: Mozilla lists this as a Firefox add-on, not a Chrome extension. Do not install similarly named extensions from other stores as substitutes.
HTTPS Everywhere: EFF has retired it. Use Chrome's built-in “Always use secure connections” setting instead.

Mozilla Firefox (desktop)

In Settings → Privacy & Security, set Enhanced Tracking Protection to Strict for stronger blocking. Some sites may need a per-site exception.
In Privacy & Security, enable HTTPS-Only Mode for all windows if you want Firefox to try HTTPS first and warn when a site only supports HTTP.
Review DNS over HTTPS in Privacy & Security. Default Protection can fall back to the system resolver when the network requires it; a custom resolver receives your DNS queries and can bypass local filtering.
Full uBlock Origin is available for Firefox. CanvasBlocker is also a Firefox add-on; use the official Mozilla Add-ons listing if you choose to install it.

Apple Safari (macOS)

Open Safari → Settings → Privacy and enable “Prevent cross-site tracking.”
“Hide IP address from trackers” hides it from known trackers. Hiding it from websites as well requires iCloud Private Relay and an iCloud+ subscription; availability varies by region.

Do not treat Safari's IP hiding control as a general WebRTC leak block. Check the browser and VPN combination you use if WebRTC exposure is part of your threat model.

Brave Browser (desktop)

Open Settings → Shields to review global protections. For a compatibility problem on one site, use the Shields panel in the address bar to change that site's settings. Stronger blocking can affect how pages work.

What a VPN changes

A VPN does not hide your subscriber IP address from your ISP. Your ISP still knows which connection belongs to your account and can see that it connects to a VPN server. With a working tunnel, the ISP generally cannot see the destinations or DNS queries routed through it; websites see the VPN server's public IP instead of your usual one. The VPN provider becomes another party you trust, and a leak can expose traffic outside the tunnel. HTTPS still protects page contents between your browser and a site. A VPN also does not remove account logins, cookies, or browser fingerprints.

Check your setup

Run Zunavek's IP lookup, DNS leak test, and WebRTC leak test in the browser you use while connected to your VPN. Results show what those checks observed in that session; they do not audit a VPN provider or guarantee anonymity. Your browser timezone usually remains your device's timezone, so a difference from the VPN exit location is not by itself a leak.