Firefox for Android update enhances privacy, but you may need to enable the feature

Martin Brinkmann
Mar 15, 2023
Updated • Mar 14, 2023
Firefox
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Mozilla released a new version of Firefox for Android today alongside Firefox for the desktop. Mozilla's Firefox for Android web browser follows the same release schedule as the desktop versions, but the mobile browser's feature set is slightly different from its desktop cousins.

Firefox 111 for Android introduces support for Total Cookie Protection on Android. The feature has been a part of the desktop versions of Firefox since 2021. The privacy improvement was integrated into development editions of Firefox for Android in November 2022, and is now available in the stable Android release.

Total Cookie Protection "creates a separate cookie jar for each website" that users visit in the browser. The main idea behind the feature is to eliminate cross-site tracking. What this means is that sites may only access cookies assigned to them. Cookies are isolated, which reduces tracking, as sites can't access the bulk of cookies anymore that they used to track users across the Internet.

How to enable Total Cookie Protection in Firefox for Android

firefox android total cookie protection

Total Cookie Protection is supported by Firefox 111 for Android or newer. The feature may not be turned on by default, as it is only supported by the browser's strict Tracking Protection mode, which is not the default mode of Firefox.

To enable the extra privacy protections in Firefox, do the following:

  1. Open Firefox on Android.
  2. Select Menu > Settings.
  3. Scroll down and tap on "Enhanced Tracking Protection".
  4. Make sure that Enhanced Tracking Protection is enabled on the page that opens.
  5. Switch the status from "standard (default)" to strict.

Firefox for Android will from that moment on separate cookies by domain.

Firefox users may also enable the custom mode and configure Firefox to block "all third-party cookies". This is even more effective than Firefox's Total Cookie Protection feature. The main advantage that Total Cookie Protection may offer is that very few sites may break when third-party cookies are blocked. It may still be possible to configure exceptions to allow these on select sites.

Closing Words

Firefox's Tracking Protection feature and Total Cookie Protection improve privacy, especially for users who do not block third-party cookies outright and do not use a content blocker in the browser.

Cookies may not play a large role regarding tracking in the future. Google has been working on the elimination of third-party cookies, but has postponed the major change several times so far. The company plans to roll out the change in 2024 now in its Chrome web browser.

Firefox 111 for Android fixes several security issues in the mobile browser as well. The release notes highlight that Firefox users may now open PDF documents directly in the browser, and that it made a security change to the "Open in app" feature on Android. Users need "to confirm that the request to open in app is expected", according to the release announcement.

Summary
Firefox for Android update enhances privacy, but you may need to enable the feature
Article Name
Firefox for Android update enhances privacy, but you may need to enable the feature
Description
Mozilla launched Firefox 111 for Android, and with it a new privacy feature that users may need to enable to take advantage of.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Hoba said on April 13, 2023 at 3:47 pm
    Reply

    Utopia P2P ecosystem’s web proxy function sets the standard for private browsing. With its unparalleled level of security and anonymity, it’s the clear choice over other options like VPNs and incognito modes.

  2. Iron Heart said on March 16, 2023 at 9:40 am
    Reply

    Does Firefox on Android still ship with hardcoded Google Analytics and Adjust scripts? Exodus says that it does.

    1. Jek they/them Porkins said on March 16, 2023 at 5:33 pm
      Reply

      I don’t know. Is Brave still promoting FTX and inserting affiliate referral codes when using cryptocurrency exchange websites? LibreWolf doesn’t

      1. Iron Heart said on March 18, 2023 at 2:51 pm
        Reply

        @Jek tHeY / tHeM Porkins

        Yeah, some companies promote FTX by showing their logo. Some companies also promote Mr. Robot TV show by installing shady extensions via a backdoor in the browser. Some companies use affiliate links on Binance, some companies create an affiliate link from every single Google search you perform. And finally, some browsers don’t ship with hardcoded tracking scripts, while other browsers do ship with them.

        Answer my question or the two of you (they / them) can go home.

      2. Jek they/them Porkins said on March 18, 2023 at 9:37 pm
        Reply

        Librewolf did not do any of these things. Regarding Brave, I doubt you’d be so understanding if Firefox was actively promoting scams like FTX.

      3. Iron Heart said on March 19, 2023 at 7:32 am
        Reply

        @Jek tHeY / tHeM Porkins

        > Librewolf did not do any of these things.

        I don’t give a shit. Nobody uses that. It’s not even available on Android.

        > Regarding Brave, I doubt you’d be so understanding if Firefox was actively promoting scams like FTX.

        Nobody could have known that FTX was a scam without having had insider information from within the company, before it collapsed. You are looking stupid accusing Brave of promoting a “scam” of which nobody knew that it was a scam, except the higher ups of FTX itself. They removed it immediately after FTX went insolvent. You are attempting very transparent and pathetic smearing attempts here.

  3. ECJ said on March 15, 2023 at 4:49 pm
    Reply

    “…The release notes highlight that Firefox users may now open PDF documents directly in the browser”

    Sounds like a good addition. Is Firefox the only browser on Android that natively opens PDF files?

    1. Yash said on March 16, 2023 at 8:51 am
      Reply

      Looks that way.

  4. John G. said on March 15, 2023 at 12:38 pm
    Reply

    I think that Firefox for Android + uBlock Origin is very good for browsing. :]

  5. Anonymous said on March 15, 2023 at 10:32 am
    Reply

    Or you can just block third party cookies.

  6. Tachy said on March 15, 2023 at 3:54 am
    Reply

    Using the words “Android” and “Privacy” in the same sentence is an oxymoron.

    1. Iron Heart said on March 16, 2023 at 9:42 am
      Reply

      @Tachy

      Ever heard of GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, LineageOS, smart guy?

    2. Jek Porkins said on March 15, 2023 at 8:43 am
      Reply

      Dame goes for “Firefox” and “privacy”.

      Maybe running BSD with Lynx can be a private browsing experience.

      1. Brotherhood of Google Fanboys said on March 15, 2023 at 9:03 am
        Reply

        The Danes are a proud people. There is no reason to slander them by saying they “go” for Firefox.

      2. i forget said on March 24, 2023 at 2:10 am
        Reply

        The Dames are a proud gender. There is no reason to slander them by saying they “go” for Firefox.

      3. Anonymous said on March 15, 2023 at 8:49 am
        Reply

        @Jek Porkins
        Maybe stop thinking in absolutes…

      4. Jek Porkins said on March 15, 2023 at 8:43 am
        Reply

        Same*

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