6 Hidden Firefox Settings for Better Privacy and Fewer Distractions
Firefox comes with a range of features that you might never use – and can even find boring. Although some nuisance can be deactivated in the regular settings menu, others require adjustments to the page about: Config – and this approach is often faster. Here are some settings that I deactivated using.
Do you hate yourself when videos or audio start to play without your consent when you open a website? This interrupts not only your navigation, but also eats the bandwidth and slows the loading of the page. If you want your navigation to remain without distraction, Firefox allows you to deactivate automatic media playback, both video and audio, via configuration preferences.
To adjust the way Firefox manages media reading, type About: Configuration In the browser address bar and open the preferences page. Then type media.autoplay.default in the search case to locate this preference. Click the pencil icon next to it and change the value of 1 has 5Instantly preventing videos and audio from playing automatically.
If you want to reintegrate this change, you can come back here at any time and define the value of 5 has 1 Again.
Disable search suggestions
When you type something in the address bar, Firefox displays search suggestions drawn directly from your default search engine. Although it can save a few touch of the way by predicting what you are about to type, it also means that your data is sent to this engine before even hit Enter – a potential risk of confidentiality. I personally find that concerning.
In addition to that, suggestions can become a distraction, pulling you towards unrelated queries instead of the task for which you have really opened the browser. This is why I prefer to keep this functionality deactivated. To turn it off, go to the preferences page, type Browser.search.suggest.eabledand click on the switch icon to define it on FAKE.
Firefox includes entertainment and integrated effects such as tab funds or menu slides, which give the interface a smooth and polished appearance. Although these visuals improve aesthetics, they can also slow down navigation. On low -end devices, in particular, such animations can put additional pressure on the equipment, which makes navigation slow.
For a faster and more reactive experience where pages, menus and tabs appear instantly, you must deactivate these animations. To do this, open the About: Configuration page in firefox, search Toolkit.cosmeticanimations.reableand double-click to change the value of TRUE has FAKE. Once deactivated, you will notice a clear improvement in performance.
Disable telemetry and data collection
Like most browsers and operating systems, Firefox collects diagnostic and use data, often called telemetry. It does it to help out existing bugs, improve browser performance and add new features.
Although it is said that this data is anonymized, I am not comfortable sharing details on my navigation habits. If you are a user concerned about confidentiality, you must deactivate this feature to obtain better control over data by leaving your system.
To deactivate telemetry and data collection in Firefox, locate the following inputs in approximately: config and define their values from TRUE has FAKE::
- Toolkit.telemetry.Enabled
- Toolkit.telemetry.unified
- Browser.Ping Center.Telemetry
- Datareportting.healthreport.uploadabled
In addition, check the Toolkit.telemetry.Server preference. If it contains a chain, erase it. This ensures that Firefox no longer sends no follow -up data.
Stop planning the links
Firefox has a bond pre-marking functionality that preloads the pages in the background before clicking on them, allowing the destination pages to open more quickly. Although it can save time, the drawback is that it uses an additional bandwidth and system resources, which can slow down your navigation experience and your device.
It can also trigger unwanted connections to the sites you have never planned to visit, and in the process, these servers can save your IP address even if you have not really opened the page. To improve your navigation privacygo to About: Configuration page and To research Network.PREFETCH-XEXTthen double-click it and change its value to FAKE.
Once deactivated, Firefox will only load the pages when you click on them, helping to keep the bandwidth and increase performance by removing unnecessary background tasks.
Disable web notifications and thrust services
Like other browsers, Firefox often allows websites to request authorization to send you push notifications, such as new alerts or promotional messages. If you accidentally allow an unknown site, you can end up with a spam and constant distractions. These fundamental thrust services also consume system resources and create potential confidentiality risks.
To block these requests, open the page on: config, search for Dom.webnotifications. preference and switch its status to FAKE. This prevents Firefox from keeping the background connections for push services, making your navigation experience faster, lighter and without interruptions.
Thanks to the flexibility that Firefox offers, you have the freedom to adapt it in the browser you really want. Its configuration settings allow you to minimize distractions, delete unnecessary extras and focus on the functionalities that make navigation faster and more efficient. If you find the browser boring, apply these adjustments – you will notice the difference like me.
