Turn on Private Browsing in Firefox

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 5:30 am

If you are concerned about the footprint left behind from your browsing activity while using Firefox, this popular web browser has a built in security feature to help protect you from prying eyes.

Visited web pages, usernames, passwords, and other information become a part of the history that Firefox remembers to make your next browsing experience more enjoyable. However, if you prefer to use Firefox without the browser remembering your history, you can turn on its Private Browsing feature.

What is Private Browsing?

When using Firefox’s Private Browsing feature, the following information will no longer be remembered by the browser as history:

Visited Pages
Form and Search Bar Entries
Passwords
Downloaded Files List
Cookies
Web Cache Files

There are two caveats to using the Private Browsing feature in Firefox. First, any new bookmarks you create while in Private Browsing mode will not be removed or deleted when you deactivate Private Browsing.

Second, files saved to your computer under Private Browsing will not be deleted when you stop using this feature. However, temporary files you downloaded will be deleted from your computer’s temporary folder. Luckily, none of these files will ever show up in the Downloaded files list.

Turn on Private Browsing

There are two ways to turn on Private Browsing. The temporary method allows you to turn Private Browsing on and off at will. The permanent method allows you to use Private Browsing as a permanent choice. Read on to learn both methods.

Temporary Private Browsing

To turn Private Browsing on and off at will, begin by opening Firefox and clicking on Tools and then Start Private Browsing. You can also turn on this feature by using the Ctrl+Shift+P shortcut key combination.

Firefox will ask if you want to start Private Browsing. Click on the Start Private Browsing button and Firefox will restart itself and give you a brief overview of what will and will not be remembered as history while in this mode.

When you want to exit Private Browsing mode, click on Tools and then click on Stop Private Browsing. Again, you can alternatively use the Ctrl+Shift+P shortcut key combination.

Permanent Private Browsing

If you want Private Browsing to be on whenever you startup and use Firefox, begin by opening the Firefox browser and clicking Tools and then Options.

Click on the Privacy tab at the top of the window. Locate the drop down box labeled Firefox Will and select Use Custom Settings for History.

Locate and check the option titled Automatically Start Firefox In A Private Browsing Session. Click on the OK button.

This time, however, you will have to shut down and restart Firefox yourself. When you do, Firefox will use Private Browsing mode every time you use Firefox.

Remember, however, that activating and deactivating Firefox’s Private Browsing option only affects your accounts. No other accounts on your computer are affected by your personal option changes.

If you want all users on your computer to browse the web with Private Browsing activated, you will need to log into each account with your own administrator account and make the change manually.

» Filed Under Computer Tips

Comments

8 Responses to “Turn on Private Browsing in Firefox”

Freddy said on : March 11th, 2010 at 11:03 am

I noticed all the browsers have a private browsing feature, but does this mean it is anonymous browsing? I really don’t care if the history is tracked on my computer, I don’t want the sites I visit to be able to track me via IP address, cookies, etc. Does it do this also?

Frank D said on : March 11th, 2010 at 7:44 pm

How does this differ from the “Distrust” FF add-on:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1559
* Hide surfing trails that the browser leaves behind.
* AKA Private Browsing.
* Once turned on this extension monitors FireFox for its activities.
* Once turned off Distrust will remove history items cache and cookies that were used during the distrust session.
Note: Cookies are not removed right away but only when Firefox is closed. Distrust does not remove the cookies but makes them expire when FireFox is closed.

SantAnna said on : March 19th, 2010 at 4:51 pm

Frank, Distrust doesn’t exist any longer.

Frank D said on : March 20th, 2010 at 6:24 pm

SantAnna, I just went to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1559 and the Distrust add-on is still there and available for installing. I’ve got it installed in my own FF 3.5.8, and it still works. That’s what I’m basing my question on.

Frank D

Jason said on : March 24th, 2010 at 5:34 am

Hi. I started private browsing. I accidentally set it to NOT ask me every time, but I would like it to ask me every time (I don’t even remember what it asks).

How do I set it so that Firefox will ask me when I try to go into private browsing?

drew said on : June 3rd, 2010 at 5:12 pm

Private browsing is awesome!!! Now I don’t have to worry anymore! Whew!

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