TL;DR: Fingerprinting is when sites collect many small details about your device to recognize you. Browsers fight it in different ways, like making users look alike, adding noise, hiding details, or slowly replacing cookies with new systems. Strong protection can change how pages look, and no browser can block it fully, but the defenses keep improving.
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Websites can track people even without cookies. They do it by collecting small details about your device and putting them together. This is called fingerprinting. It is common and browsers now try to reduce it.
Websites use fingerprinting mainly for ads and analytics, but some also use it for fraud checks and security. That is why browsers treat it as an important privacy issue.
How fingerprinting works
Think of fingerprinting like a puzzle. Each piece is small and does not say much on its own.
One piece might be your screen resolution, another might be your language, and another is your graphics card. Put enough of them together and it forms a picture that matches only you.
That is how sites can tell it is the same person visiting, even without cookies.
Ways browsers try to block fingerprinting
Browsers do not all use the same method. The goal is the same, to make the fingerprint less useful.
- Firefox and similar browsers (like LibreWolf and Tor Browser) try to make many users look the same. They change or hide details such as time zone, window size, fonts, and theme settings. This reduces uniqueness but sometimes removes personal touches like dark mode or custom fonts.
- Brave adds noise and blocks known fingerprinting tricks. Instead of making everyone look the same, it mixes in random values so it is harder to get a stable fingerprint. This usually works without breaking as many sites.
- Safari has built-in tracking prevention. It limits how much data sites can read about your system and reduces cross-site tracking. Its protections are quieter in the background, but less strict compared to Firefox or Tor.
- Chrome and Edge are slowly removing third-party cookies and moving toward something called Privacy Sandbox. Privacy Sandbox mainly replaces third-party cookies but also adds some limits on fingerprinting.
Why protections sometimes break websites
Strong protection often comes with trade-offs. If your browser hides or changes too many details, a site may not display correctly.
You might lose dark mode because the browser forces light mode to avoid giving away your preference. You might not see your custom fonts because allowing them could make your setup unique.
Some people find this annoying while others accept it for the extra privacy.
Newer changes in browser protections
Browser makers keep updating how they deal with fingerprinting.
Firefox added Total Cookie Protection and site-by-site fingerprinting controls. Brave expanded its randomization, including new changes to canvas drawing. Safari updated Intelligent Tracking Prevention with small tweaks to limit device data. Chrome and Edge started rolling out Privacy Sandbox in 2024–2025, replacing cookies and adding fingerprinting limits.
None of these stop fingerprinting completely, but they do make it more difficult and less reliable.
How to test your browser’s fingerprint
There are websites that let you check how unique your browser looks. They show what details can be read and how they combine into a fingerprint.
It can be surprising to see how much is exposed without cookies. Just remember the results change often since even small changes like resizing your window can alter the fingerprint.
What this means for you
If you want the strongest protection, use Tor Browser. It is designed to make all users look the same but it is usually slower than normal browsers.
If you want balance, Brave or Firefox with privacy settings turned on are good everyday options. Safari and Chrome users should check privacy settings and turn on available protections.
No browser can block fingerprinting fully, but choosing the right one and adjusting settings can reduce tracking a lot.