I want to switch to a more privacy focused browser, would like to hear what yall use currently and why.

Edit: I’m currently using edge.

Edit: Thanks everyone for your input. I have decided to go with floorp (a firefox fork) with betterfox. Here’s my decision process,

  1. Firefox based browser
    • To help with browser monopoly
    • I really like the sidebery extension
  2. I chose floorp instead of ff or other ff forks because of the ease of customization
    • I also tried zen browser but experienced a bug just from my short usage so I think it’s not mature enough for me currently, but I do like the project.
  3. Betterfox + extensions for better privacy settings
    • Ublock Origin
    • ClearURLs
    • Decentraleyes

Did not choose to go with LibreWolf, Mullvad etc because I’m worried about site breakages.

@JustMarkov@lemmy.ml
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9d

more privacy focused browser

Librewolf is the best, Mullvad Browser is cool, if you use their VPN, ungoogled-chromium is good, if you need a chromium based browser. Despite its popularity among privacy-enthusiasts Brave is virtually a spyware.

Lemongrab
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19d

Cromite is a good brave alternative without crypto, built-in adblocking, secure defaults (better security hardening), and cross-platform (Linux, Windows, Android). Best experience is on Android. Cromite is an actively updated fork of Bromite, released by a former contributor of Bromite. Cromite also comes without any proprietary libraries on Android (unlike Brave, Mulch, or Vanadium).

i don’t use brave but i tried it once when i learned that it’s open source. google was not the default search and telemetry was off by default. also i don’t think it auto updates on linux because updates are handled by system updater.

Izzie🌴
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49d

@JustMarkov @dethada

Is Librewolf any different than Firefox with good privacy extensions?

EherNicht
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-29d

Yes

How so? I already use both, I’m just curious

EherNicht
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18d

It’s just a hardened version of Firefox. You can archive this with Firefox, but it is a hassle.

Izzie🌴
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19d

@EherNicht

Based on their website i don’t see how.

Firefox with ublock (blokada on mobile), do not track, a few settings tweaks, and using ddg or startpage for search seems to be pretty much what librewolf is.

EherNicht
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08d

It is not. It is pretty much a completely tweaked Firefox.

EherNicht
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08d

Do not track request makes you stick out which results in easier tracking.

Good choices. I too run Librewolf by default, with ungoogled Chromium standing by for the occassional asshat website intentionally designed to work exclusively on Chrome

How up to date is that info about Brave? Because their default search is brave-search, not Google as claimed.

Not 100% up to date, of course, but for the most part, it still applies. And furthermore, trusting a company with that kind of reputation is definetely not a good idea.

What is their reputation? Genuinely asking, I’ve been ignoring Brave since ever, but lately I thought I should evaluate it for broken sites that depend on chromium.

[Brendan Eich, founder of Brave made a] 2008 donation of $1,000 to California Proposition 8, which called for the banning of same-sex marriage in California,[18]and donations in the amount of $2,100 to Proposition 8 supporter Tom McClintockbetween 2008 and 2010.

It also has optional ads to pay you in crypto. I view 99% of crypto as a scam btw

People who promote crypto are usually scammers (they also usually promote their own currency), but in general it’s a very useful tool. Considering you have to give up an arm and a leg to use SWIFT nowadays, crypto offers a fast and cheap way to pay someone across the border. The price is that you need to know a thing or two about the technology, else you’ll pay the same or even more than with traditional methods.

What the hell is wrong with tech bros and other people’s genitals? How hard is it not to be an asshole and leave people be?

Thanks for the info.

I saw crypto from home screen to settings. While anecdotal, that made them very difficult to trust.

Bobr
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79d

I think Mullvad is great even if you don’t use their VPN :)

I swear this question comes up everyday in Lemmy 😅.

Firefox, I just use Firefox because, it works, it has enough privacy measures, and everyone is looking at the codebase, something that cannot be said about most (if not all) forks.

EherNicht
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9d

Please stop recommending vanilla Firefox. Although you could argue that it is less privacy invasive than Chrome, Edge or at leat fucking Opera, it still invades your privacy WITH DEFAULT SETTINGS. For a solid out-of-the-box Browser you can choose:

  • LibreWolf (Firefox fork that’s just plain good)
  • Mullvad (based on Firefox and created in collaboration with Tor Browser devs - if paired with VPN (e.g. Mullvad) anonymity can be archived)
  • Tor Browser (anonymity can be archived)

I’m sorry but I won’t bother switching to a ultra-minor browser for having to toggle something in the settings once every 2 years after 500 articles pop up about it.

@dethada@lemmy.zip
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69d

Any issue with websites breaking? Since sites only care about chromium support nowadays

darkstar
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18d

I use Firefox, and have Brave installed incase I encounter a site that breaks. I havent had to use Brave yet because I never encountered any sites that break …

Hellstormy
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19d

I haven’t really had any problems with any sites yet. Except for Google Meet. For some reason it’s totally laggy and sluggish on Firefox but works perfectly on Chrome.

Currently using Firefox since half a year for everyday stuff and work.

Eager Eagle
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9d

valid question, idk why would people downvote it

broken websites on desktop are rare and not nearly enough to drive a browser change, but they usually fall into two categories:

  1. websites that “break” on purpose for no good reason when they detect it’s not chromium. Either avoid the site or change the user agent.

  2. websites that degrade some functionalities because they rely on newer features or on how things appear on chromium. They’re usually CSS breakages and do not affect browsing that much.

Support for manifest v2 greatly outweighs these potential issues imo.

Vast majority of sites work for me (librewolf), but for the few that don’t I also have Vivaldi installed

Domino’s pizza website is super flakey on Firefox (on mobile) but it will work if you refresh enough times

Blxter
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19d

My car insurance does not work on Firefox. Bungie website does not work half the time. Maybe some others I can’t think of. It really sucks. I just have chrome installed for when something breaks really sucks.

The only broken thing is very specific stuff like Slack calls. In fact, it’s the only broken thing I’ve seen in a long while. Also fuck Slack.

AZERTY
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99d

I’ve had a couple sites break but idk if that’s because of Firefox or because of my privacy add ons.

The pay bill button on my capital one CC account doesn’t work on Firefox. Once a month I have to use a chromium based browser.

Not op, but I’ve yet to encounter a website that doesn’t work with Firefox. (In the last 5 years)

when i do a lot of them are fixed by just making it pretend to be chrome

I have been encountering it more lately, but that’s because of the types of sites I was using.

The ones that may not work tend to be; banking (usually okay though), work-related (ranging from applications to gig work to job specific), and then if you happen to run into something that requires chromium as a way to function, such as some specific extensions or most functional web music creation tools, like MIDI support.

B-b-b-buuuuut I only use Firefox and all my stock and banking sites work fine on FF, those job sites that needed chromium can get by with Edge, and if you’re using web browsers for MIDI tools, really, what are you doing?

there are plenty, you just don’t happen to use them

Technically true

In descending order of good privacy:

  • Tor (not necessary for the majority of use-cases)
  • Hardened Firefox (you can find tutorials for this with a quick Google)
  • Mullvad
  • Librewolf
  • Brave (yes there’s controversy about crypto and the founder being a dick, it’s still miles better than Chrome)
  • Everything else
  • Chrome itself (seriously, don’t use Chrome)

My number 1 recommended plugin for privacy and getting rid of ads is always ✨ uBlock Origin ✨ (not uBlock, that’s not the one by the OG dev).

Librewolf + uBlock Origin on desktop. Mull + uBlock Origin on mobile.

This. Thread can be closed

i use hardened firefox but i also use vivaldi when i need to use chromium for whatever reason

chraebsli
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18d

I’m using Brave cause I love and need Chromium. Firefox and Vivaldi are great options too.

You could use a PiHole or nextdns.io too as a DNS blocker against ads and trackers.

Firefox with ublock origin for both desktop and mobile.

Those two programs alone block out like 75% of the annoyances and dangers of the modern internet. Near-complete removal of ads and a couple nice healthy adware and malware guards on top of that.

Add on a VPN and a few more Firefox extensions and I feel that I can browse the net anxiety-free.

Librewolf. whatever you end up choosing, don’t install brave

Possibly linux
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8d

Brave is better than Chrome, Edge and stock Firefox

no it really isn’t

JackbyDev
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07d

Specifically stock Firefox? Sure.

I use Brave when sites don’t work on Firefox.

How so? Brave has strong fingerprinting protection and permission control

Did everyone forget the crypto thing

Possibly linux
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7d

No one forgot about it. It just isn’t that big of a deal. You can turn it off pretty easily and it isn’t really forced. Still way better than Chrome or Edge as those browsers are designed to track you in order to show ads. I think the hate against Brave was blown way out of proportion. It is still better to use hardened Firefox but from a absolute defaults perspective Brave is better. As soon as you start hardening Firefox that changes of course especially with Manifest v3

👢👅

how is that any different than what firefox is doing lmao

Firefox has weaker protections out of the box. You are welcome to prove me wrong. Last time I tested that’s what I found.

firefox but hardened. dont want to use any chromiumed browser bc of the monopoly, and librewolf is just a fork of firefox so too little difference to switch

Firefox on mobile, desktop and iPad.

Firefox on desktop and Mobile. To keep browser monopoly away. All settings set to max strictness except no DNS, because I have a VPN. Firefox works on 99.9% of sites. You can use a script called Arkenfox, to harden FF even more, almost to Librewolf, but with the advantage of updates coming directly from mozilla. I love the sync function across FF, so that’s why I have it on my mobile as well, it’s seemless.

Firefox (well, librewolf, but forks are a matter of personal preference).

Chrome (Ungoogled chromium) is used as a fallback for the occasional site that doesn’t work with my restrictive FF configuration.

Both have uBlock, though they’re configured differently to suit their individual purposes.

Floorp

Firefox for most things, but I keep a copy of Vivaldi installed because sometimes my firefox setup breaks capcha.

I have the exact same setup

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