To be honest, privacy is a myth. There is no such thing as “private browsing,” especially in this era where AI has taken over almost everything. Incognito mode, whether in Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, or any other web browser, has been a staple for many of us for private browsing. However, the one thing that has stayed common is to install a browser, get an ad blocker, disable all the trackers manually, and harden the settings.
But thanks to my nature of researching for the best stuff, I came across a browser named LibreWolf. It isn’t another Firefox but a toned-down, aggressively private web browser that assumes that you don’t want anyone tracking your digital footprint by default. I’ve been using LibreWolf for quite a while, and here are my reasons why you should too.
I stopped using “Incognito Mode” for privacy after learning about fingerprinting
It’s just not doing what you think it is.
The zero-configuration privacy shield
You get privacy and security defense mechanisms enabled by default
When you install Google Chrome or Firefox, you have to head over to settings to enable privacy and security settings manually. But with LibreWolf, the script is totally opposite. This privacy-focused browser respects your time and gives you all the privacy and security features out of the box. It comes with uBlock Origin pre-included, which not only blocks ads but also acts as a tool that saves CPU bandwidth and resources by stopping trackers even before they load.
LibreWolf also enables dFPI, aka Total Cookie Protection, to isolate cookies on sites where they were created. So, for instance, if you log into Facebook and go shopping on Amazon, Facebook won’t be able to view what you are shopping for, as the cookies will be blocked. For enhanced privacy during web browsing, the browser includes search engines like DuckDuckGo by default, but you also have the option to switch over to MetaGer or Mojeek, some of the best private search engines. It automatically strips tracking elements from URLs.
While features like form autofill, search, and form history are good for quick access to most-visited sites, LibreWolf disables them for better privacy. Once you close the browser, the disk cache, temporary files, cookies, and website data are cleared automatically.
Kicks Mozilla out of the equation
Pages load faster, and the response is snappier
As soon as I started using LibreWolf, I instantly noticed a change. Without any background processes or pre-fetching sponsored content, the pages load faster. LibreWolf enables HTTPS-only mode and disables WebGL fingerprinting, because of which websites cannot profile or track my online activities. Meaning you are getting more security and privacy, especially when accessing sensitive websites such as banking or finance websites.
LibreWolf is a fork of Firefox, but keeps most of its features at bay. For instance, it completely disables telemetry, meaning no unnecessary transmission of crash reports to servers, no unusual pings, and no studies running in the background. You are protected from data collection and default annoyances, giving you complete focus on what you actually want to do.
The new tab page is empty, exactly how I like it. Another good feature of LibreWolf is that it doesn’t bloat the browser with unnecessary AI features. No AI agent, no built-in ChatGPT or Gemini. You decide what you would like to use.
You gain some, you lose some
There are a few downsides to using LibreWolf that can be neglected
One of the main features that makes LibreWolf stand out is the fingerprinting resistance, which it borrows from the Tor Project. While a normal user worries about cookies, the real threat is actually fingerprinting. Other browsers allow websites to identify you based on your screen resolution, installed fonts, battery level, graphics card, etc. Thanks to LibreWolf, this gets blocked, and to all websites, you appear as a standard person.
Basically, it represents you as a generic user, standardizes your time to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), and disables WebGL from spoofing your identity. You become impossible to be singled out from the crowd. The downsides: without WebGL, some websites and interactive maps, such as Google Earth, may not load.
LibreWolf also disables DRM (digital rights management) by default. This means you won’t be able to stream content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Spotify. But you can turn it on with just a few clicks. With no ties to Mozilla, you won’t be able to sync your data from the browser unless you turn it on. Again, this can be overcome by relying on a password manager.
LibreWolf gives all the power to you
I have been using Google Chrome on my PC for decades. Google, being Google, does all sorts of tracking, which, despite my being aware, there was nothing much that I could do. LibreWolf gave me back control, and now it is me who decides what data a website can access and what it cannot.
Then again, LibreWolf is not for everyone. If you want a browser that remembers everything, right from what you type to your passwords, then you can stick to Chrome. But if you’re tired of being tracked and your data being shared with unknown websites, you should give LibreWolf a chance.
