Settings for privacy, browsing history and do-not-track
Revision Information
- Revision id: 13866
- Created:
- Creator: AlanBaxter
- Comment: Fixed formatting. Changed Fx 4 message to be the same as the one used in "Use custom settings for history"
- Reviewed: Yes
- Reviewed:
- Reviewed by: Verdi
- Is approved? Yes
- Is current revision? No
- Ready for localization: Yes
- Readied for localization:
- Readied for localization by: Verdi
Revision Source
Revision Content
This article describes the settings that are available in the Privacy panel of the Firefox OptionsPreferences 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 Address bar autocomplete suggestions in Firefox.
Table of Contents
History
The Firefox will setting controls how Firefox saves information about your web browsing.
Remember history
When Firefox will is set to Remember history:
- Your browsing history, which is the list of pages you've visited, will be kept for 90 days.Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited.
- A list of files you download will be kept in the Where to find and manage downloaded files in Firefox.
- 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.
- 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 Delete browsing, search and download history on Firefox.
- remove individual cookies to display the Cookies window. For more information, see Clear cookies and site data in Firefox.
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 Where to find and manage downloaded files in Firefox.
- 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 - Use Firefox without saving history.
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 Delete browsing, search and download history on Firefox.
Use custom settings for history
When Firefox will is set to Use custom settings for history, the following settings will be available:
- Automatically start Firefox in a private browsing sessionPermanent Private Browsing mode:
If selected, Firefox will not remember any new history the next time it starts. For more information, see Private Browsing - Use Firefox without saving history. - Remember my browsing history for at least n days:
If selected, Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited in the last n days (by default, n is 90). - Remember download history:
If selected, a list of files you download will be kept in the Where to find and manage downloaded files in Firefox. - 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. - 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 cookies and site data 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 Third party cookies. - 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 Clear cookies and site data in Firefox.
to display the Cookies window. For more information on the Cookies window, see- Keep my history for at least n days:
If selected, Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited in the last n days (by default, n is 90). - Remember what I enter into forms and the search bar:
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. - Remember what I've downloaded:
If selected, a list of files you download will be kept in the Where to find and manage downloaded files in Firefox.
Cookies
- 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 cookies and site data 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 Third-party cookies. - Keep until:
- they expire: If selected, Firefox will allow the sites you visit to specify how long Firefox should keep its cookies.
- I close Firefox: If selected, your cookies will be deleted when you close Firefox.
- ask me every time: If selected, Firefox will prompt you each time a site tries to send you a cookie.
- Accept third-party cookies:
Private Data
- Always clear my private data when I close Firefox:
Your history will be automatically deleted when you close Firefox. Click to control what items are deleted. If you have the next setting selected, you will be prompted to delete these items when you close Firefox. - Ask me before clearing private data:
If selected, Firefox will prompt you for what items to clear when the you select Clear Private Data from the . Click to display the Clear Private Data window. For more information, see Clearing Private Data.
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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