privacyguides.org/docs/tor.md

meta_title	title	icon	description	cover	schema
Tor Browser and Network: Anonymous Web Browsing - Privacy Guides	Tor Network	simple/torproject	Protect your internet browsing from prying eyes by using the Tor network, a secure network which circumvents censorship.	tor.webp	@context @type name image url sameAs applicationCategory operatingSystem subjectOf http://schema.org SoftwareApplication Tor Browser /assets/img/browsers/tor.svg https://www.torproject.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(network) Web Browser Windows macOS Linux Android @type url WebPage ./

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The Tor network is a group of volunteer-operated servers that allows you to connect for free and improve your privacy and security on the Internet. Individuals and organizations can also share information over the Tor network with ".onion hidden services" without compromising their privacy. Because Tor traffic is difficult to block and trace, Tor is an effective censorship circumvention tool.

:octicons-home-16:{ .card-link title=Homepage } :simple-torbrowser:{ .card-link title="Onion Service" } :octicons-info-16:{ .card-link title=Documentation} :octicons-code-16:{ .card-link title="Source Code" } :octicons-heart-16:{ .card-link title=Contribute }

Tor works by routing your internet traffic through those volunteer-operated servers, instead of making a direct connection to the site you're trying to visit. This obfuscates where the traffic is coming from, and no server in the connection path is able to see the full path of where the traffic is coming from and going to, meaning even the servers you are using to connect cannot break your anonymity.

Detailed Tor Overview :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:{ .md-button }

Connecting to Tor

There are a variety of ways to connect to the Tor network from your device, the most commonly used being the Tor Browser, a fork of Firefox designed for anonymous browsing for desktop computers and Android. In addition to the apps listed below, there are also operating systems designed specifically to connect to the Tor network such as Whonix on Qubes OS, which provide even greater security and protections than the standard Tor Browser.

Tor Browser

!!! recommendation

![Tor Browser logo](assets/img/browsers/tor.svg){ align=right }

**Tor Browser** is the choice if you need anonymity, as it provides you with access to the Tor network and bridges, and it includes default settings and extensions that are automatically configured by the default security levels: *Standard*, *Safer* and *Safest*.

[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://www.torproject.org){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:simple-torbrowser:](http://2gzyxa5ihm7nsggfxnu52rck2vv4rvmdlkiu3zzui5du4xyclen53wid.onion){ .card-link title="Onion Service" }
[:octicons-info-16:](https://tb-manual.torproject.org/){ .card-link title=Documentation }
[:octicons-code-16:](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser){ .card-link title="Source Code" }
[:octicons-heart-16:](https://donate.torproject.org/){ .card-link title=Contribute }

??? downloads

    - [:simple-googleplay: Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.torproject.torbrowser)
    - [:simple-android: Android](https://www.torproject.org/download/#android)
    - [:simple-windows11: Windows](https://www.torproject.org/download/)
    - [:simple-apple: macOS](https://www.torproject.org/download/)
    - [:simple-linux: Linux](https://www.torproject.org/download/)

!!! danger

You should **never** install any additional extensions on Tor Browser or edit `about:config` settings, including the ones we suggest for Firefox. Browser extensions and non-standard settings make you stand out from others on the Tor network, thus making your browser easier to [fingerprint](https://support.torproject.org/glossary/browser-fingerprinting).

The Tor Browser is designed to prevent fingerprinting, or identifying you based on your browser configuration. Therefore, it is imperative that you do not modify the browser beyond the default security levels.

Orbot

!!! recommendation

![Orbot logo](assets/img/self-contained-networks/orbot.svg){ align=right }

**Orbot** is a free Tor VPN for smartphones which routes traffic from any app on your device through the Tor network.

[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://orbot.app/){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:octicons-eye-16:](https://orbot.app/privacy-policy){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" }
[:octicons-info-16:](https://orbot.app/faqs){ .card-link title=Documentation}
[:octicons-code-16:](https://orbot.app/code){ .card-link title="Source Code" }
[:octicons-heart-16:](https://orbot.app/donate){ .card-link title=Contribute }

??? downloads

    - [:simple-googleplay: Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.torproject.android)
    - [:simple-appstore: App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/orbot/id1609461599)
    - [:simple-github: GitHub](https://github.com/guardianproject/orbot/releases)

We previously recommended enabling the Isolate Destination Address preference in Orbot settings. While this setting can theoretically improve privacy by enforcing the use of a different circuit for each IP address you connect to, it doesn't provide a practical advantage for most applications (especially web browsing), can come with a significant performance penalty, and increases the load on the Tor network. We no longer recommend adjusting this setting from its default value unless you know you need to.¹

!!! tip "Tips for Android"

Orbot can proxy individual apps if they support SOCKS or HTTP proxying. It can also proxy all your network connections using [VpnService](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/net/VpnService) and can be used with the VPN killswitch in :gear: **Settings** → **Network & internet** → **VPN** → :gear: → **Block connections without VPN**.

Orbot is often outdated on the Guardian Project's [F-Droid repository](https://guardianproject.info/fdroid) and [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.torproject.android), so consider downloading directly from the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/guardianproject/orbot/releases) instead.

All versions are signed using the same signature so they should be compatible with each other.

Onion Browser

!!! recommendation

![Onion Browser logo](assets/img/self-contained-networks/onion_browser.svg){ align=right }

**Onion Browser** is an open-source browser that lets you browse the web anonymously over the Tor network on iOS devices and is endorsed by the [Tor Project](https://support.torproject.org/glossary/onion-browser/).

[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://onionbrowser.com){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:octicons-eye-16:](https://onionbrowser.com/privacy-policy){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" }
[:octicons-info-16:](https://onionbrowser.com/faqs){ .card-link title=Documentation}
[:octicons-code-16:](https://github.com/OnionBrowser/OnionBrowser){ .card-link title="Source Code" }
[:octicons-heart-16:](https://onionbrowser.com/donate){ .card-link title=Contribute }

??? downloads

    - [:simple-appstore: App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id519296448)

Relays and Bridges

Snowflake

!!! recommendation

![Snowflake logo](assets/img/browsers/snowflake.svg#only-light){ align=right }
![Snowflake logo](assets/img/browsers/snowflake-dark.svg#only-dark){ align=right }

**Snowflake** allows you to donate bandwidth to the Tor Project by operating a "Snowflake proxy" within your browser.

People who are censored can use Snowflake proxies to connect to the Tor network. Snowflake is a great way to contribute to the network even if you don't have the technical know-how to run a Tor relay or bridge.

[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://snowflake.torproject.org/){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:octicons-info-16:](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/pluggable-transports/snowflake/-/wikis/Technical%20Overview){ .card-link title=Documentation}
[:octicons-code-16:](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/pluggable-transports/snowflake){ .card-link title="Source Code" }
[:octicons-heart-16:](https://donate.torproject.org/){ .card-link title=Contribute }

You can enable Snowflake in your browser by opening it in another tab and turning the switch on. You can leave it running in the background while you browse to contribute your connection. We don't recommend installing Snowflake as a browser extension; adding third-party extensions can increase your attack surface.

Run Snowflake in your Browser :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:{ .md-button }

Snowflake does not increase your privacy in any way, nor is it used to connect to the Tor network within your personal browser. However, if your internet connection is uncensored, you should consider running it to help people in censored networks achieve better privacy themselves. There is no need to worry about which websites people are accessing through your proxy—their visible browsing IP address will match their Tor exit node, not yours.

Running a Snowflake proxy is low-risk, even moreso than running a Tor relay or bridge which are already not particularly risky endeavours. However, it does still proxy traffic through your network which can be impactful in some ways, especially if your network is bandwidth-limited. Make sure you understand how Snowflake works before deciding whether to run a proxy.

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1. The IsolateDestAddr setting is discussed on the Tor mailing list and Whonix's Stream Isolation documentation, where both projects suggest that it is usually not a good approach for most people. ↩︎