Forget Google Chrome and Firefox, LibreWolf is the privacy focused browser you've been looking for
Are you frustrated by Mozilla’s recent leanings towards putting revenue ahead of privacy? Fans of Firefox who are looking to take their privacy to the next level (and beyond any potential compromises Mozilla might make going forward) should take a look at LibreWolf, available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
LibreWolf is a direct fork from the latest version of Firefox with a raft of additional privacy measures added to make your browsing experience even more private.
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Because it’s built from the latest release of Firefox, a new version is usually available within a few days or even hours of the main project’s release. Version 136.0 appeared within 24 hours of Firefox’s official release and sports all the latest features.
They include the updated sidebar with collapsed view, which you can now permanently pin to the main window. There’s also access to Firefox’s new optional vertical tabs layout. Other highlights include the new 'Saved form info' option under Clear browsing data and cookies, Smartblock Embeds, HTTPS-First and improved energy usage on macOS.
Unsurprisingly, LibreWolf sports a virtually identical interface to the main Firefox project, so there’s little reorientation required. It can also be configured to work with existing Mozilla accounts, so bringing your settings across (and then keeping them in sync) is effortless too.
Under the hood, however, is where things get interesting. LibreWolf’s big selling points are all about privacy and security. It promises zero telemetry (so no experiments or adware), privacy conscious search providers and built-in content blocker courtesy of the renowned uBlock Origin plug-in. What will intrigue most users however is its Enhanced Privacy section.
Open Settings and you’ll find a dedicated LibreWolf section where you’ll find a range of settings designed to take privacy to the next level, the most visible of which is stronger protections against browser fingerprinting.
Crucially, everyday browsing is largely unaffected -- when you come across websites that don’t work as they should, it’s a tell-tale that they’re indulging in potentially privacy-compromising behavior. The most notable of these are HTML5 canvas access requests -- look for an icon of a painting in your browser toolbar. Click this to review the request and grant access on a site-by-site basis if required.
It’s worth noting that LibreWolf is only available on desktop platforms, and it doesn’t automatically update like Firefox does. In the case of Windows, a separate LibreWolf WinUpdater package is offered during installation, so be sure to install this. It’ll then run automatically or you can open it to perform manual checks.
LibreWolf 136.0 is available now as a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux.
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