This article describes the settings that are available in the Privacy panel of the Firefox Options Window.This article describes the settings that are available in the Privacy panel of the Firefox Preferences window.
The Privacy panel allows you to:
- Control how Firefox handles your history, which includes what pages you've visited, what files you've downloaded, what you've entered into forms, and what cookies sites have sent you.
- Control what sites can send you cookies and remove cookies that sites have sent you.
- Control how the Location bar uses history to suggest matches for what you type. For more information, see Awesome Bar - Find your bookmarks, history and tabs when you type in the address bar.
Table of Contents
Tracking
Tell web sites I do not want to be tracked: Checking this box will tell websites that you wish to opt-out of tracking by advertisers and other third-parties. Honoring this setting is voluntary — individual websites are not required to respect it.
Tracking
- Tell sites I do not want to be tracked: Choosing this option will tell websites that you wish to opt-out of tracking by advertisers and other third-parties. Honoring this setting is voluntary — individual websites are not required to respect it.
- Tell sites that I want to be tracked: Choosing this option will tell websites that you want to be tracked by advertisers and other third-parties. You should be aware that many companies build a profile of sites you visit. Checking this option means that you are ok with that.
- Do not tell sites anything about my tracking preferences: This is the default setting. Choosing this option will not tell websites anything about your preferences. You should note that this does not mean that you will not be tracked. In fact it's effectively the same as the previous option, and you are likely going to be tracked.
History
The Firefox will setting controls how Firefox saves information about your web browsing.
Remember history
When Firefox will is set to Remember history:
- Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited.
- A list of files you download will be kept in the Downloads window.
- The text you enter into form fields or the search bar will be remembered so you can use those entries again. For more information, see Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms with your information.
- Firefox will accept cookies from sites until they expire. For more information on cookies, see Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer.
Click on:
- clear your recent history to open the Clear Recent History window, which allows you to erase some or all of your history quickly. For more information, see Remove recent browsing, search and download history.
- remove individual cookies to display the Cookies window. For more information, see Delete cookies to remove the information websites have stored on your computer.
Never remember history
When Firefox will is set to Never remember history:
- Firefox will keep no record of your browsing history.
- The files you download will not be listed in the Downloads window.
- The text you enter into form fields or the search bar will not be remembered.
- Firefox will accept cookies from sites and delete them when you close Firefox. For more information on cookies, see Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer.
Using Never remember history is equivalent to always being in Firefox Private Browsing mode. For more information, see Private Browsing - Browse the web without saving information about the sites you visit.
Click on clear all current history to open the Clear Recent History window, which allows you to erase some or all of your history quickly. For more information, see Remove recent browsing, search and download history.
Use custom settings for history
When Firefox will is set to Use custom settings for history, the following settings will be available:
- Always use private browsing mode:
If selected, Firefox will not remember any new history the next time it starts. For more information, see Private Browsing - Browse the web without saving information about the sites you visit.
- Remember my browsing and download history:
If selected, Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited and the files you've downloaded. For more information about downloaded files, see Find and manage downloaded files.
- Remember my browsing history:
If selected, Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited. - Remember download history:
If selected, a list of files you download will be kept in the Downloads window.
- Remember search and form history:
If selected, the text you enter into form fields or the search bar will be remembered so you can use those entries again. For more information, see Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms with your information. - Accept cookies from sites:
If selected, Firefox will accept cookies from sites. Click to control whether some sites are not allowed to set cookies. For more information, see Block websites from storing site preferences or login status in Firefox.- Accept third-party cookies:
If selected, Firefox will accept cookies from http://site2.com when you are visiting http://site1.com. For more information, see Disable third-party cookies in Firefox to stop some types of tracking by advertisers. - Keep until:
- they expire: If selected, Firefox will allow the sites you visit to specify how long Firefox should keep their cookies.
- I close Firefox: If selected, your cookies will be deleted when you close Firefox.
- ask me every time: If selected, Firefox will ask you how long to keep a cookie each time a site tries to set one.
- Accept third-party cookies:
- Clear history when Firefox closes:
Certain saved items will be deleted when you close Firefox. Click to control what items are deleted.
Click to display the Cookies window. For more information on the Cookies window, see Delete cookies to remove the information websites have stored on your computer.
Location Bar
- When using the location bar, suggest:
The Location Bar is the horizontal bar that displays a site's web address (URL). When you type in the location bar, Firefox can display results that match what you type:- History and Bookmarks: If selected, the Location bar will display results from the list of sites you've visited and the pages you've bookmarked.
- History: If selected, the Location bar will display results from the list of sites you've visited. Sites you've bookmarked but haven't visited will not show up.
- Bookmarks: If selected, the Location bar will display results from the list of pages you've bookmarked.
- Nothing: If selected, the Location bar will not display results that match what you type.
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