about:config tweaks to enhance Mozilla Firefox. Files are updated as needed for your user.js.
If you want a secure, blazing fast browsing experience, and don't want to deal with breakage, this setup is for you. The objective is to make the defaults sufficient enough for the average privacy-minded user, but remain trouble-free enough that my grandmother could use it. (That puts a whole new twist on being a foxy grandma!) Edit: Sorry for the dad joke 😓
- Minimalism: get what isn't needed out of the way
- Efficiency: unleash Firefox's ability to be fast and performant
- Security: sensible privacy and security without causing site breakage
| List | Description |
|---|---|
| Fastfox | Immensely increase Firefox's browsing speed. Give Chrome a run for its money! |
| Securefox | Remove Telemetry, Mozilla experiments, Google Safe Browsing, and search engine suggestions in URL bar. Auto-upgrade mixed content to HTTPS. Various privacy enhancements. |
| Peskyfox | Unclutter the new tab page. Remove Pocket and form autofill. Prevent Firefox from serving annoying webpage notifications. |
| Smoothfox | Get Microsoft Edge-like smooth scrolling on your favorite browser. |
| user.js | All the essentails. None of the breakage. Users may download this list as their own user.js. |
| librewolf.overrides.cfg | Do you prefer LibreWolf? Well, here's a few overrides to enhance your favorite Firefox fork! |
💡 Fastfox, Securefox, Peskyfox, and Smoothfox are guides to relevant prefs in Firefox. The user.js is curated from the prefs located in these documents, so just because a pref is in one of the guides doesn't mean it is included in the final document, the user.js. Please use the descriptions and references as a guide for the prefs in Firefox, and open a feature request if you think one can be improved upon.
The guiding principle is: "If it breaks it, it doesn't make it!" So things like WebGL and DRM are still enabled, and you won't find a setting like privacy.resistFingerprinting mentioned here (why?). Betterfox is designed to set-and-forget, not to troubleshoot and tinker. You can compare different user.js files here.
Betterfox was created with a less is more mentality (i.e., keeping in mind the law of diminishing returns). Most repos I've encountered have niche privacy and security concerns with little regard for speed, annoyances, or mainstream use. The average user doesn't need all prefs altered to get the results they want.
That being said, Betterfox makes the following assumptions:
- Betterfox allows for embedded tweets, instagram, and reddit posts to load on webpages, even though these requests are usually blocked when using Firefox's Strict Enhanced Tracking Protection. To revert this behavior, add these prefs to the bottom of your
user.js.- Advanced users: We suggest that you selectively allow these requests in uBlock Origin with medium mode enabled + add the Privacy Essentials filter to your custom lists.
- Since Firefox implemented state and network partitioning, it is recommended but no longer necessary to clear browsing data after every session. To enable this functionality, add these prefs to your overrides as appropriate.
- Google Safe Browsing (GSB) is disabled. Please use DNS-level protection like NextDNS, and check out our configuration guide here. If you do not have other means of protection, then enable GSB locally by adding these prefs to your overrides.
- The native password manager is also disabled. If you don't use something like KeePass, Bitwarden, or 1Password, then add these prefs to re-enable native password management.
- Firefox Sync is disabled. To restore functionality, add this pref to your overrides section, or use a addon like xBrowserSync.
- Site notifications are disabled. To enable, add these prefs to your overrides section.
- Location requests are rejected. To re-enable, add this to the bottom of the
user.js. - If your threat level calls for anonymity and not just reasonable privacy,1 please use the TOR browser. 👍
- FMHY Browser Tools: Privacy Hardened Firefox
- Firefox-UI-Fix
- Narsil/desktop_user.js
- pyllyukko/user.js comparator
- Many thanks to the Firefox team and to the people working on Bugzilla, fighting for the open web.
- This repository benefits from the research provided by arkenfox. While Betterfox does not use their
user.js, we attempt to maintain parity with it.