No browser completely bans tracking. Reduce the surveillance: block third-party cookies and enable tracker protection. Start with Safari or Chrome settings. For protection against fingerprinting, compare the approaches of Tor Browser and Brave. Private browsing mode only solves part of the problem.
1. Separate history from tracking
History: the list of pages visited in the browser. A private window does not save the ordinary history of the session on the device. But the site still receives your requests, and actions after logging in may be saved to your account.
Cookies: records that help remember a login, a shopping basket or a visitor identifier. Third-party cookies belong to other sites whose elements are embedded in the page. Through them, an advertising network links visits across different resources.
Tracker: code or a page element that collects information about the visitor. Fingerprinting: recognising a browser by the combination of its settings and device characteristics. That combination is called a fingerprint.
| Approach | Example | What it limits | What it does not solve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blocklist-based blocking | Tracker blockers; Firefox private browsing | Requests to known trackers | New trackers may be missing from the list |
| Blocking third-party cookies | Chrome | Linking visits through third-party records | Fingerprinting and account-based recognition remain |
| Deleting cross-site data | Safari | Tracking by third-party content providers | Exceptions apply to providers you visit directly |
| Common fingerprint | Tor Browser, per EFF | Differences between your browser and others | Logging into an account still reveals the link to it |
| Randomised fingerprint | Brave, per EFF | The stability of the traits used for recognition | Cookies require separate protection |
According to EFF's analysis, Firefox's private browsing mode blocks trackers from the Disconnect list and known fingerprint harvesters. But new tracking methods may slip past the list.
2. Configure Safari on Mac
The paths refer to Safari 27.0 on Mac according to help pages checked on 23 October 2026. They do not apply to iPhone.
- Open Safari.
- Go to “Settings”.
- Open the “Privacy” section.
- Turn on Prevent cross-site tracking.
- Turn on Hide IP address (from trackers).
An IP address is the network address a site receives when you connect.
Prevent cross-site tracking periodically removes data from third-party content providers if you do not visit their sites directly. Safari also limits tracking via social media buttons, which collect information even without a click. To use the button, the browser may ask for permission.
Open Privacy Report: it shows known trackers that have been stopped. Use Manage Website Data to delete the cookies of a specific site. A full cookie ban and enhanced protection against tracking and fingerprinting are in Advanced settings. Do not start with a full ban: it also affects records used to log into sites.
Safari gives websites a simplified system configuration so that your Mac stands out less from others. But recognition is still possible, as follows from Apple's description of the protection.
IP hiding has two levels:
| Option in Safari | From whom the IP is hidden | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| From trackers only | From known trackers on the page | An iCloud+ subscription is not required |
| From trackers and websites | Also from the sites you visit themselves | Requires iCloud Private Relay with an iCloud+ subscription |
Private Relay hides the original IP address during supported browsing. However, iCloud+ features are not available in all countries and regions. Check availability on your device; the terms are given in Safari Help.
If you need websites to stop seeing your home IP in any browser, use the guide to hiding your IP at network level, which describes CitadelVPN. But changing your IP does not remove cookies, the fingerprint or the link to your account, so browser settings are still needed.
3. Block third-party cookies in Chrome
In Chrome's Incognito mode, third-party cookies are blocked by default. But that is not the same as blocking every tracker. Configure regular windows separately.
On a computer, follow the steps in Chrome Help, checked on 23 October 2026:
- Open the three-dot menu.
- Go to “Settings”.
- Open “Privacy and security”.
- Select “Third-party cookies”.
- Enable “Block third-party cookies”.
- Check the exceptions list.
Remove unnecessary exceptions: they allow third-party cookies despite the general ban. After blocking, embedded elements may break, such as signing in via another service.
Do not delete all cookies at every hiccup: this resets settings and may end your sign-in. Information the service has already collected will remain.
Decline optional cookies in Incognito
The “Accept” button tells the site you consent, but it does not override the browser's restrictions. Permitted cookies work until the end of the private session. Deleting them does not erase the information the site has already collected.
Decline optional cookies. When you sign in to Google, a search may be saved to your account; Google's ad settings and activity history are managed separately.
4. Do not build a rare fingerprint
Clearing cookies does not change your device's characteristics. Based on their combination, an advertising system can recognise the browser again.
A common fingerprint: browsers look alike, making it harder to single out an individual visitor. This is how EFF describes Tor Browser. A randomised fingerprint: randomness is introduced into the reported traits, making matching harder. This is Brave's approach. Choose consistent protection for the browser as a whole.
Do not spoof individual parameters. If Safari presents itself as Chrome while the remaining traits remain Safari's, the mismatch may make it more noticeable.
Use a tracker blocker: it limits requests using lists of known addresses. But new addresses and methods may appear before they are added to a filter. Verify the result with a test.
5. Add privacy signals
Enable GPC if your browser or an extension supports it. It is a signal to websites about your privacy preferences, including restricting the sharing of data. But it does not technically block requests. In the UK, do not treat it as a guarantee that collection will stop: the outcome depends on the site's response. The purpose of the signal is described on the GPC website.
Check the overview of tracking channels that browser settings do not cover: saved account activity and the remote content of emails require separate settings.
6. Test your protection before and after
Open the Cover Your Tracks test from EFF's explanations page. Test your browser's usual mode.
- Run the test with your current settings.
- Save the result.
- Enable the protection you have chosen.
- Repeat the test in the same mode.
- Compare tracker blocking and the fingerprint score separately.
The tracker-blocking result applies only to the scenarios the test checks. The fingerprint score reflects how different your browser is from others in the test's sample. Uniqueness here does not prove that a site knows your name. A good score also does not guarantee the absence of tracking.
An example situation: after blocking third-party cookies, the tracker-blocking result improved, but the fingerprint remained distinguishable. The setting worked. For the second task, test a browser with fingerprinting protection.
7. Troubleshoot common problems
A site stopped working after I enabled protection. What should I do?
Allow third-party cookies for that site only and test the problematic action. In Chrome, a temporary permission lasts 90 days in normal mode, and in Incognito until the end of the session. If Safari's IP hiding is what is interfering, allow that site to see your address temporarily.
Why did several protection extensions make my fingerprint unique?
Their combination can itself become a distinguishing trait. Disable the extensions one by one and repeat the test.
Should I disable JavaScript?
Do not disable it across the board. JavaScript is the code behind interactive page elements. Banning it reduces the collection of traits but, according to EFF, breaks many websites.
8. Choose a working set of settings
In Safari, turn on Prevent cross-site tracking and Hide IP address (from trackers). In Chrome, block third-party cookies and remove unnecessary exceptions. For fingerprint protection, compare Tor Browser and Brave. Verify the result in Cover Your Tracks.
A private window does not save the ordinary local history of the session. Blocking cookies limits the linking of visits; fingerprint protection makes recognising your browser harder. Signing into an account still links your actions to you.