LibreWolf is a community-maintained Firefox fork built specifically for privacy. Unlike Firefox itself, which requires extensive manual configuration to remove telemetry and harden privacy settings, LibreWolf ships with a curated set of defaults that do the heavy lifting for you — no user.js editing required.

What LibreWolf Changes From Firefox

LibreWolf starts from Firefox’s source code and applies a comprehensive patch set:

Telemetry completely removed: no usage data, crash reports, or sponsored content sent to Mozilla
uBlock Origin pre-installed: the most effective content blocker, configured with strict settings
Fingerprinting resistance enabled: privacy.resistFingerprinting = true by default
No sponsored shortcuts in new tab page
WebGL disabled by default: reduces fingerprinting surface (can enable per-site)
Containers enabled: Firefox Multi-Account Containers pre-installed
First-party isolation: cookies isolated by domain
HTTPS-only mode: enabled by default
Enhanced Tracking Protection: set to Strict
DNS-over-HTTPS: enabled, pointing to Mullvad DNS by default (configurable)

Installation

Windows:

# winget
winget install LibreWolf.LibreWolf

# Or download installer from librewolf.net

Linux:

# Flatpak (easiest, keeps auto-updated)
flatpak install flathub io.gitlab.librewolf-community

# Arch
yay -S librewolf-bin

# Debian/Ubuntu: follow librewolf.net instructions (custom apt repo)

macOS: Download DMG from librewolf.net or use Homebrew:

brew install --cask librewolf

First-Run Configuration

LibreWolf imports Firefox profiles, so you can migrate bookmarks and saved passwords.

Key settings to review after installation:

Settings → Privacy & Security → DNS over HTTPS: verify it’s using your preferred resolver (Mullvad, Cloudflare, or NextDNS)
about:config → webgl.disabled: set to false if you need WebGL for specific sites
about:config → privacy.resistFingerprinting: keeps this true — changes timezone, screen resolution, and user agent to reduce fingerprint uniqueness

What You Might Need to Re-Enable

LibreWolf’s strict defaults break some websites. Common issues and fixes:

Issue	Cause	Fix
Videos won’t play	WebGL disabled	Enable via about:config per-site
Login loops	Strict cookie isolation	Add site to exceptions
CAPTCHA failures	Canvas fingerprint blocking	Allow canvas per-site
Broken maps	Third-party resources blocked	Adjust uBlock Origin rules

For sites you trust, use the Site Exception menu (shield icon in address bar) to relax settings per-domain.

LibreWolf vs. Firefox with Arkenfox

Many privacy advocates use Firefox with the arkenfox user.js — a community-maintained hardened configuration file. Both approaches achieve similar results:

Approach	Pros	Cons
LibreWolf	Out-of-box, no manual config	Separate update cycle from Firefox
Firefox + arkenfox	Always on latest Firefox	Requires manual user.js maintenance

LibreWolf is maintained by a small community team and typically lags Firefox releases by a week or two. The arkenfox approach tracks Firefox releases exactly but requires more setup.

Browser Extensions to Add

LibreWolf includes uBlock Origin. Additional recommended extensions:

Firefox Multi-Account Containers: isolate sites in color-coded containers (pre-installed)
LocalCDN or Decentraleyes: serve common CDN libraries locally (reduces third-party tracking)
ClearURLs: removes tracking parameters from URLs (?utm_source=...)
Canvas Blocker (if you want more granular canvas control than resistFingerprinting)

Don’t install too many extensions — each one increases fingerprint uniqueness.

Syncing Without Mozilla

LibreWolf removes Firefox Sync (as it uses Mozilla’s servers). Alternatives:

Floccus (browser extension): sync bookmarks via Nextcloud, WebDAV, or local file
xBrowserSync: open-source bookmark sync, self-hostable
Manual export: Settings → Bookmarks → Show All Bookmarks → Import and Backup → Export

Updating LibreWolf

LibreWolf has a built-in updater but you can also track releases:

# Check current version
# Help → About LibreWolf

# Auto-updates work on Windows; on Linux use your package manager or Flatpak
flatpak update io.gitlab.librewolf-community

LibreWolf is the lowest-effort path to a genuinely private browser. If you’re currently using Chrome or unmodified Firefox and want meaningful privacy improvement without spending an hour on configuration, LibreWolf is the right download.