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Waterfox Essentials: HTTPS-Only Mode in Waterfox for Android

HTTPS-Only Mode is automatically enabled in Waterfox for Android, versions 1.0.0 and later. For every website you visit, Waterfox will automatically establish a secure, encrypted connection over HTTPS whenever possible. This is especially useful when you are using a public Wi-Fi, where you can’t be sure of the integrity of your internet connection. You can disable or enable this feature in your settings. What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS? HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is the fundamental protocol for the web and encodes basic interactions between browsers and web servers. The problem with the regular HTTP protocol is that the data transferring from server to browser is not encrypted, meaning data can be viewed, stolen, or altered. HTTPS protocols fix this by using either TLS (Transport Layer Security) or SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). This creates a secure encrypted connection between the server and the browser, which protects sensitive information....

Waterfox Essentials: How to set up Sync in Waterfox for Android

Note Waterfox and BrowserWorks are in no way associated with Mozilla. By using a Mozilla account, please make yourself familiar with the Mozilla Accounts Privacy Notice Sign in to your Mozilla account on Waterfox for Android to sync your bookmarks, credit cards, history, logins and open tabs across your devices. Sign in to your Mozilla account Option 1: Pair your mobile browser with Waterfox desktop To sync your bookmarks, credit cards, history, logins and open tabs with Sync using an existing Mozilla account and QR code: On your Waterfox desktop: Access firefox.com/pair . Click Get started . On your Waterfox for Android app: Tap the menu button. Tap Sync and save your data. Tap Ready to scan. Point your device’s camera toward the QR code on your desktop. Option 2: Log in with credentials To sync your bookmarks, cr...

Waterfox Essentials: Searching with Waterfox for Android

Welcome to the Waterfox for Android support hub. Here you’ll find articles to help you get the most out of Waterfox on your Android device, from managing your settings to understanding privacy features. The address bar in Waterfox for Android makes it easy for you to find what you’re looking for. Enter search terms or a specific web address to get search suggestions based on your open tabs, bookmarks, history and search engines — all within the same field. Keyword search Search with your default search engine Searching using the address bar will use your default search engine. Enter your search term in the address bar and tap Go . Search with a different search engine To switch your search engine for a search: Begin entering a search term in the address bar. Tap the search engine icon above the address bar and select a different search engine. Complete your search and tap Go . Waterfox suggests relevant search terms and even solutions related to the answer...

Waterfox Essentials: Enhanced Tracking Protection in Waterfox for Android

Waterfox for Android uses a list provided by Disconnect to identify and block known trackers on the websites you visit. Tap the lock icon that appears in the address bar to check if Waterfox is actively blocking trackers on that page. Read Disconnect documentation about tracking and standards they use to create their list or the Mozilla Wiki about the lists used by Waterfox for Enhanced Tracking Protection . Enhanced Tracking Protection is enabled by default. Tap the lock icon that appears in the address bar to open the protections panel. The toggle next to Enhanced Tracking Protection changes to purple when on to indicate that trackers are being actively blocked for that site. Enhanced Tracking Protection is on by default, but you can turn it off or change your level of protection: Tap the menu button. Tap Settings . Under Privacy and Security , tap Enhanced Tracking Protection . Tap the switch to turn it on or off. If...

The end of Windows 10 support marks the end of an era.

The end of Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, marks the end of an era, as it stops receiving security updates and technical support, rendering systems insecure and less functional over time. This date is a call to migrate to Windows 11 or consider alternatives to ensure protection and compatibility in a constantly evolving technological environment. What the end of support means: Lack of security updates: Microsoft will stop providing security patches, making your PC vulnerable to cyberattacks and data loss. No technical support: There will be no official technical support from Microsoft, making troubleshooting difficult. Compatibility issues: Over time, the latest applications and hardware will no longer be compatible with an outdated operating system. What can you do? Upgrade to Windows 11: The top recommendation is to upgrade your computer to Windows 11 for a modern and secure experience. Consider a new PC: If your current computer doesn't meet th...

Waterfox Essentials: Android, Manage my default search engines in Waterfox for Android

Waterfox for Android gives you the ability to add, remove, and change a default search engine. There are a variety of search engines available to choose from such as Google and Bing. You can also manually add other search engines and set one of them as your default. Change the default search engine Tap the search engine icon in the address bar. Tap Search Settings . Tap Default search engine . Select the search engine of your choice. Change the search engine for a single search Tap the search engine icon in the address bar. Select the search engine you want to use for this search. This will not change your default search engine. Edit search settings Tap the search engine icon in the address bar. Tap Search Settings . Under the Address bar section toggle any of the following settings: Autocomplete URLs : Autocomplete website addresses entered into the address bar. Show clipboard suggestions : If the last thing you copied to th...

Waterfox Essentials: Android, Common Myths about Private Browsing

Private Browsing is a useful feature of Waterfox, but only if you understand the protection it offers. It helps you obscure your online activity from other people who use Waterfox on your device, but does not make you invisible online. Myth 1: Private Browsing makes you anonymous on the Internet Reality: Private Browsing does not mask your identity or activity online. Websites and internet service providers can still gather information about your visit, even if you are not signed in. If you use your device at work, your company may be able to monitor the websites you visit. If you surf the Web at home, your cable company (or their partners) may have access to your browsing information. Only a proxy can mask your location and encrypt your online activity, keeping your identity and data safe from prying eyes. If you need to stay anonymous online, try Mozilla VPN. Myth 2: Private Browsing removes all traces of your browsing activity from your computer Reality: Private Browsing...

Waterfox Essentials: How to enable Windows SSO login in Waterfox

Windows single sign-on (SSO) is a new Waterfox feature that allows you to log in to Microsoft, work, and school accounts using credentials from your Windows 10 or 11 operating system. To enable it, click the Waterfox menu button, click Settings, select Privacy & Security on the left, go down to the Logins and Passwords section and check the box next to the Allow Windows single sign-on … setting. Note This feature is available to Windows 10 and Windows 11 users starting in Waterfox version 91. It may be expanded to other Windows users in a future release. To see if you have any accounts configured, enter accounts in the Windows taskbar search field, and click on Email & accounts . You’ll see a window that looks like this: If you have accounts in the Accounts used by other apps section, Waterfox will use that information to log you in to Microsoft sites including Outlook and Office 365, as well as any work or school accounts that use Microsoft authentication. ...

Waterfox Essentials: Waterfox’s protection against fingerprinting

Like other browsers, Waterfox’s functionality is influenced by your operating system, hardware, graphics cards, additional software, and even the fonts you install. Some website technologies, like HTML5 Canvas, can even uniquely identify you based on how your computer draws images. Some websites, particularly those using HTML5 Canvas, look at this unique combination of factors and assign you a number, or a “fingerprint”, which makes you identifiable across the Web. This “fingerprint” is potentially used to profile you for targeted content without the use of cookies. Waterfox already has an Enhanced Tracking Protection feature that blocks a list of known “fingerprinters” when your privacy settings are set to Standard (the default) or Strict. Fingerprinting Protection is a different, experimental feature under heavy development in Waterfox. It is likely that it may degrade your Web experience so we recommend it only for those willing to test experimental features. How am I prot...

Waterfox Essentials: Waterfox advanced customization and configuration options

Waterfox supports a wide range of customization options that are well-suited to all skill levels. The toolbar layout can be customized , numerous settings can be configured , and the Waterfox Add-ons directory contains a massive library of extensions and themes to add additional functionality and make Waterfox reflect your own needs and personality. Two additional forms of advanced configuration allow even further customization: about:config and userChrome.css modifications. However, Waterfox highly recommends that only the developers consider these customizations, as they could cause unexpected behavior or even break Waterfox. Waterfox is a work in progress and, to allow for continuous innovation, Waterfox cannot guarantee that future updates won’t impact these customizations. For this reason, Waterfox does not officially support setting custom style rules with a userChrome.css file or using the about:config configuration editor to change preference settings. If Waterfox s...

Waterfox Essentials: Configuration Editor for Waterfox

The Configuration Editor, about:config lists Waterfox settings known as preferences that are read from the prefs.js and user.js files in the Waterfox profile and from application defaults. Many of these preferences are advanced settings that are not present in the Options panel. This article describes how to use the about:config page to view, change, or reset Waterfox preference settings, if you need to do so. Danger Changing advanced preferences can affect Waterfox’s stability and security. This is recommended for advanced users only . Opening about:config Type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. A warning page may appear. Click Accept the Risk and Continue to go to the about:config page. Click Show All to view all preferences currently set in the profile or use the Search preference name box to filter the list. Searching for preferences You can use the Search preference name box at the top of the about:config page to quickly find specific pref...

Waterfox Essentials: Complete Guide to Secure & Private Browsing

Waterfox was started back in March 2011 by myself (Alex Kontos), a then 16 year old student. I had a fascination for the web and wanted to help expand on the ideals of what Mozilla had for a free and open web. And so I decided to make Waterfox, a 64-Bit browser based on Mozilla’s free and open source platform. Waterfox was one of the first widely distributed 64-Bit browsers on the web and quickly gained a loyal following. At a time Waterfox had one thing in mind: speed, but now Waterfox also attempts to be an ethical, user-oriented browser. The browser is all about balance of privacy and useability. Too much focus on privacy and the web becomes too broken to use. Too little and data leakage happens. With Waterfox, you should find comfort in knowing that what you are doing inside your browser is only known by you. Waterfox is an open-source web browser based on Firefox, but with a focus on speed, privacy, and customization for advanced users. It differs from Firefox in that it ...

Bing Webmaster Tools Complete Guide (Part 10a, Best Practices for 404 Pages)

A 404 page is a page not found or an error page that appears when a user clicks on a broken link. These pages are often sparsely populated with little content other than a message such as “Page not found”. 404 pages are designed to inform users that the link or resource they clicked on is unavailable or no longer available, and directs visitors to other content in your website. Few things to keep in mind while building your 404 pages: Una página 404 es una página no encontrada o una página de error que aparece cuando un usuario hace clic en un enlace roto. Estas páginas suelen estar poco pobladas, con poco contenido aparte de un mensaje como «Página no encontrada». Las páginas 404 están diseñadas para informar a los usuarios de que el enlace o recurso en el que han hecho clic no está disponible o ha dejado de estarlo, y dirige a los visitantes a otros contenidos de su sitio web. Algunas cosas que debe tener en cuenta al crear sus páginas 404: Advertising of any kind ....

Complete Guide to Bing Webmaster Tools (Part 9, Search Performance)

We continue with the step-by-step guide dedicated to Bing. While Google is a superpower, accounting for almost 90% of searches, Bing+Yandex account for more than 6%, according to statistics provided by StatsCounter. This suggests a market worth exploring in some countries Search performance. The Search performance report contains information about how well your website is doing on Bing search. It shows the pages on your website that are getting clicked, and for which keyword phrases your webpages appear in search results. It also captures the contribution of various traffic sources to your website. You can analyze this data to get useful insights to drive more users to your website, for example: Find out on which queries your website is performing well, and the ones you need to optimize your website. Check page-wise performance, find out which queries are driving traffic to specific pages. Examine how visitors reach your website through different traffic sources....

Complete Guide to Bing Webmaster Tools (Part 8, How to Add a Website)

The first step is to create a Bing Webmaster Tools account, where you can add sites. Note that you must prove that you own the site (or appropriate sections of the site) to add it to your Webmaster Tools account. You can create a property that includes an entire domain (example.com) or a property that is limited to a single branch (example.com/clothing/). We can add a site in two ways: Import sites from Google Search Console: If you have a verified Google Search Console account, you can import the settings (user details, level, etc.) along with the property directly into Bing. To import your sites, Bing Webmaster Tools needs permission to access information from your Search Console account. Using this access, Bing Webmaster Tools will display the list of verified sites present in your Google Search Console account along with the Sitemaps and their corresponding role in each site. You can select the sites that you want to add to Bing Webmaster Tools and click Import. On successful...