The World of Windows

Your organization or Internet service provider may offer or require you to use a proxy . A proxy acts as an intermediary between your computer and the Internet. It intercepts all requests to the Internet to see if it can fulfill the request using its cache. Proxies are used to improve performance, filter requests, and hide your computer from the Internet to improve security. Proxies are often part of corporate firewalls. Connection settings to use a proxy can be set in Waterfox Options as follows: Click the menu buttonand select Settings. In the General panel, go to the Network Proxy section. Click Settings…. The Connection Settings dialog will open. No proxy : Choose this if you don’t want to use a proxy. Auto-detect proxy settings for this network : Choose this if you want Waterfox to automatically detect the proxy settings for your network. Use system proxy settings : Choose this if you want to use the proxy settings configured for your operating syste...

Some web pages are offered in multiple languages. Waterfox will choose a language based on your preferred languages list. If a page is not available in your top language, Waterfox checks to see if it’s available in the next language on your preferred list. To change the language for Waterfox’s menus, notifications and interfaces, see Use Waterfox in another language . View language list Click the menu buttonand select Settings. In the General panel, scroll down to Language under Language and appearance . Click the Choose button next to Choose your preferred language for displaying pages to see your list of languages. Add, remove and reorder languages Add a language From the language list above, choose a language in the Select a language to add menu. Click the Add button. Remove a language Select the language you want to remove in the list of active languages. Click the Remove button. Reorder languages From the language list, select...

The Search panel in Waterfox Options lets you customize your search options. You can add or remove search engines, change your default search engine, assign or change keyword shortcuts, turn the search bar on or off, and choose whether to display search suggestions first or not at all. Open the Search panel Click the menu buttonand select Settings. Select Search in the left pane. Search bar Use the address bar for search and navigation: This is the default setting. It provides a unified search and address bar. Add search bar in toolbar: Select this setting if you prefer a separate search bar. Default search engine Use the drop down menu under Default Search Engine to choose the search engine you wish to use by default. Note : Some extensions that are added to Waterfox can set a new default search engine. You can disable or remove the extension that made the change or you can choose another search engine from the drop-down menu, if you prefer a...

Safari has solidified its position as the world’s second most popular browser, while Firefox continues to decline in market share. Yes, the statement is largely accurate: Safari holds the #2 spot globally (especially strong on mobile), while Firefox continues to lose significant market share across all platforms, dropping from a once dominant position to around 2-3% globally, behind Chrome and often Edge, though Safari's position relative to Edge on desktop can fluctuate. Chrome leads overall, but Safari is second due to iOS/macOS dominance, while Firefox struggles with declining users despite its independent engine. Here’s the latest breakdown of global browser usage in 2025: Global Browser Market Share (2025) Browser Market Share Trend Chrome ~64–65% Stable dominance, still far ahead of competitors Safari ~18–19% Growing, especially strong on iOS/macOS Edge ~5–6% Slowly gaining traction, boosted by Windows integration Firefox ~2–...

The most complete and highest-performing web browsers in 2026 are Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Brave, and Opera . Each excels in different areas: Chrome in speed and ecosystem integration, Edge in AI features and Windows synergy, Firefox in privacy and customization, Safari in efficiency on Apple devices, Brave in security and ad-blocking, and Opera in innovation with built-in tools. Top Web Browsers in 2026 Browser Strengths Weaknesses Best For Google Chrome Fast performance, huge extension library, seamless Google integration High memory usage, weaker privacy defaults Users who want speed + Google ecosystem Microsoft Edge Built-in AI assistant, strong Windows integration, excellent performance Limited extensions compared to Chrome Windows users, productivity-focused browsing Mozilla Firefox Open-source, strong privacy tools, customizable Slightly slower than Chrome/Edge Privacy-conscious u...

  Vertical tabs moves your tabs to the side of your window, allowing you to see entire tab titles, easily manage tab groups, and free up vertical space. It’s the perfect setup if you typically have a lot of tabs open at once. To move your tabs, right-click your tab strip and select Show tabs vertically .   Sign and annotate your PDFs Skip downloading and printing when it’s time to sign a PDF. Use the annotation tool to hand-draw your personal signature, complete forms, and highlight lines. Open a PDF and click Annotations . Choose your pen or highlighter style and color. Draw your annotation or signature, and click Save . Autofill your loyalty cards, flight details, and vehicle info Stop digging for details! Chrome now integrates with Google Wallet to quickly and securely autofill more types of information. Loyalty cards: Earn your rewards without the physical card. Vehicle info: Quickly complete forms for insurance quotes, parking...

Change the program used to open email links Waterfox normally uses your operating system’s default mail program to send an email message. This article explains how you can change the program that is launched when you click on: The Email link menu item in the Waterfox Menu bar File menu (if the Menu bar is enabled ). The Email link toolbar button (if you customize Waterfox controls, buttons and toolbars ). The Email Image… (right-click) context menu item for an image on a web page. A “mailto” or email link on a web page (such as email@example.com ). Setting the mail client used by Waterfox Click the menu button and select Settings. In the General panel, go to the Applications section. Search for the Content Type mailto and select it. Click on the Action column in the mailto row to change the action. Always ask will prompt you each time you use a mail function for whi...

Change the fonts and colors websites use This article describes how to customize the way you see web pages by choosing your preferred font styles and colors. Changing Font To change the font: Click the menu button and select Settings. In the General panel, go down to Language and Appearance . Under Fonts and Colors , use the drop-down menus to select the font and font size of your choice. Close the about:preferences page. Any changes you’ve made will automatically be saved. Custom Fonts Some websites have custom fonts; to disable them: Click the menu button and select Settings. In the General panel, go down to Language and Appearance . Under Fonts and Colors , click the Advanced… button. In the Fonts dialog that opens, uncheck Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of your selections above. Click OK to close the Fonts window. Close the about:preferences page. Any changes you’ve made will automatically be saved. Other se...

If you can’t access the Add-ons Manager or if the option to remove a certain add-on is disabled, you may need to uninstall it from Waterfox Troubleshoot Mode . Click the menu button , click Help, select Troubleshoot Mode… and click Restart in the Restart Waterfox in Troubleshoot Mode? dialog. Info You can also start Waterfox in Troubleshoot Mode by holding down the Shift key while starting Waterfox. 2. In the Waterfox Troubleshoot Mode dialog, click Open. Once Waterfox has started in Troubleshoot Mode, try removing the add-on again and then restarting Waterfox. Uninstalling add-ons from the Windows Control Panel Some add-ons are installed by other programs. You may be able to remove the add-on from the Windows Control Panel or Settings page. See Microsoft’s article, Windows 7 – How to properly uninstall programs . See this Microsoft Community post for more help. See Microsoft’s article, Repair or remove programs in Windows 10 . ...

Waterfox’s Bookmarks toolbar gives you quick access to often-used bookmarks. This article describes how to use the Bookmarks toolbar and how to hide it. For more information on bookmarks, see the Bookmarks in Waterfox article. Show or hide the Bookmarks toolbar To show or hide the Bookmarks toolbar: Click the menu button and choose Customize…. Click the Toolbars button at the bottom of the screen. Click Bookmarks Toolbar to select it. To turn off the toolbar, remove the check mark next to it. Click Done. Tip : Another way to show or hide the Bookmarks Toolbar is to right-click a blank spot on the Tab bar at the top of the Waterfox window, find Bookmarks Toolbar in the context menu and choose your preferred setting. Add bookmarks to the Bookmarks toolbar Go to the page you want to add to the Bookmarks toolbar. In the address bar, click and drag the icon onto the Bookmarks toolbar. Re-order bookmarks on the Bookmarks toolbar To change the p...

In certain versions of Windows 10, you may receive a notification with a warning about Microsoft-verified apps when you run the Waterfox installer. Any copy of Waterfox downloaded from www.waterfox.net is safe to install , so choose “ Install anyway ”. Note You can also download and install Waterfox from the Microsoft Store . Using Windows 10 in S mode? See Windows in S mode won’t let me install Waterfox . If you do not see the option to “ Install anyway ”, follow the steps below to change your system settings. Open the Windows 10 start menu and select Settings . Click on Apps in the Windows Settings menu. In the Apps & features section go to Choose where to get apps , click on the dropdown menu below and select one of the options that allows you to install from Anywhere . Run the Waterfox Installer again. Your Windows may now allow it to install Waterfox.

If Waterfox starts up without your bookmarks, passwords, saved tabs and other settings, check whether your data is available in a different profile . This can happen because Waterfox creates a dedicated profile for each Waterfox installation . To recover your Waterfox data and settings from another profile: Type about:profiles into the Waterfox address bar and press the Enter key. This will open the About Profiles page. This page should list at least one profile and could list many. The profile that Waterfox is currently using will have this: This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted. Please do not delete any profiles. Don’t use any Remove buttons. If you have another profile listed on this page, it may contain your missing profile data. You can click the Launch profile in new browser button to open another Waterfox window using that profile. If the other profile doesn’t contain your missing data, simply close that new window. If it does contain the missing data,...

Note If you installed Waterfox from the Microsoft Store , then you will receive Waterfox updates through the Microsoft Store. This article only applies if you installed Waterfox by downloading it from Waterfox. To check for Waterfox updates on the Microsoft Store, see this Microsoft article . Note If you use your Linux distribution’s packaged version of Waterfox, you will need to wait for an updated package to be released to its package repository. This article only applies if you installed Waterfox manually (without using your distribution’s package manager). Waterfox updates automatically by default, but you can always check for updates at any time. Update Waterfox Windows and Linux: Click the menu button at the right side of the Waterfox toolbar, go to Help, and select About Waterfox. macOS: In the menu bar, open the Waterfox menu and choose About Waterfox. The About Waterfox window will open. Waterfox will check for updates automatically. If an update is avai...

A Waterfox profile stores all of your important data, such as your bookmarks, history, cookies, and passwords. This article explains how to copy the files to a new profile, lists important files in the profile and describes what information is stored in these files. To sync and share data among multiple profiles and devices, see How do I set up Sync on my computer? . To switch to another profile to recover missing data and settings, see Recover user data missing after Waterfox update . Note Because your preferences and extensions often cause problems, this article does not explain how to copy these between profiles. If you follow the steps in this article, you will have to reinstall your extensions and reconfigure your Waterfox preferences. Back up your current profile Before starting it is recommended that you make a complete backup of your existing Waterfox profile in case something goes wrong. Please read the Back up and restore information in Waterfox profiles ...

All of the changes you make in Waterfox, such as your home page, what toolbars you use, extensions you have installed, saved passwords and your bookmarks, are stored in a special folder called a profile . Your profile folder is stored in a separate place from the Waterfox program so that, if something ever goes wrong with Waterfox, your information will still be there. It also means that you can uninstall Waterfox without losing your settings and you don’t have to reinstall Waterfox to clear your information or troubleshoot a problem. How do I find my profile? Click the menu button , click Help and select Troubleshooting Information. The Troubleshooting Information tab will open. Under the Application Basics section next to Profile Folder , click Open Folder. Your profile folder will open. Note If you are unable to open or use Waterfox, follow the instructions in Finding your profile without opening Waterfox . Finding your profile without opening Waterfox ...

  Profiles keep your Waterfox data separate (bookmarks, passwords, settings, and extensions). Use the Profile Manager to create, rename, remove, or switch profiles. About profiles Each profile has its own data and settings. Multiple profiles let you separate work and personal browsing or test changes safely. Waterfox uses a dedicated profile per installation . Switching channels or downgrading creates or requires a different profile to protect your data. Open the Profile Manager Option A — From about:profiles Type about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter. The About Profiles page opens. Click Create a New Profile to add one. Use the Launch profile in new browser button to open another profile. Option B — Command line (Waterfox closed) Windows: Press Windows+R, type waterfox.exe -P and press Enter. macOS: Quit Waterfox, open Terminal, run /Applications/Waterfox.app/Contents/MacOS/waterfox -P . Linux: Quit Waterfox, run waterfox -...

Caution Waterfox now includes downgrade protection to prevent corruption of user profile data . If you install an older version, you’ll be prompted to create a new Waterfox profile. If there is a problem with a new version of Waterfox, some people may want to downgrade Waterfox to a previous version but we do not recommend this. The latest Waterfox version includes security updates so downgrading to an older version leaves you more vulnerable to attacks and usually doesn’t fix the problem. This article gives you some alternatives to downgrading and links to older versions of Waterfox if you do choose to downgrade. Unwanted features in the new Waterfox version If you dislike new features in the latest version of Waterfox, your first reaction might be to go back to the previous version. Rather than downgrading, try getting used to the new features or ask a question on the support forum, to see if there is a workaround or a way to restore the old behavior without downgrading Wa...

Note This article only applies to Mac. Waterfox allows you to easily and safely import data from other browsers , such as bookmarks, browsing history, and custom preferences. This article explains how to allow Waterfox full disk access to your computer, so that you can import data into Waterfox from your Safari browser on macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or higher. Starting in moder Waterfox versions , full disk access is only required on macOS 10.14 ( bug 1493103 ). Before importing: Enable full disk access for the necessary Waterfox applications If you’re using a Mac and running macOS version 10.14 or higher, please be sure to enable full disk access for the necessary Waterfox applications, before importing data. Note Quit Safari and the Waterfox applications that you’re enabling full disk access for, prior to performing the steps below. Otherwise, these changes won’t take effect until these applications have been terminated. To enable full disk access for the necessary Waterfo...

c You can import bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, cookies, and more into Waterfox from other browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Internet Explorer. You can do this during first-run or any time later from Waterfox settings. If you use a Mozilla account with Waterfox on multiple devices, you can also sync data instead of importing. See Set up Sync on your computer . What you can import Depending on the source browser and platform, Waterfox can import: Bookmarks/Favorites Browsing history Saved passwords Cookies (session-related site data) Other data the source browser supports exporting Extensions from Google Chrome (when compatible; see below) Notes: The exact list of importable items depends on the source browser and may vary by platform. Some browsers restrict access to certain data or profiles while they are running; close the other browser before importing. Import during setup When you first install Waterfox, you ma...

It’s often important to know what version of Waterfox you are using, to help you troubleshoot a problem or just to know if Waterfox is up to date. Here is how you can find out. Click the menu button , click Help and select About Waterfox. The About Waterfox window will appear. The version number is listed underneath the Waterfox name. Here is an example of what the About Waterfox window will look like: Opening the About Waterfox window will, by default, start an update check. If an updated version of Waterfox is available, it will be automatically downloaded. For more information, see Update Waterfox to the latest release . Tip You can also find your Waterfox version on the Troubleshooting Information (about:support) page. Your Waterfox version is listed underneath the Application Basics section of the page. Source