Firefox Tip – Tell Sites You Don’t Want to Be Tracked

When you browse, you leave a trail of data that potentially contains all sorts of personal information. We believe this info belongs to you and you alone (and least of all to overzealous advertisers), and have built in features to ensure that’s the case.

Firefox Contributor Laura M. has this tip for your security.

“I like that Firefox created the Do Not Track feature to let me tell websites not to track me. Just go to Options > Privacy (Preferences > Privacy on a Mac) and click ‘Tell websites I do not want to be tracked.'”

Thanks Laura! We’re so glad you like Do Not Track. Read more about Do Not Track here.

If you have a tip you’d like to share with other Firefox users, please post it on our Facebook page with #FirefoxTips and tag us, or post on Twitter with #FirefoxTips. You can also view more tips in our archive.

If you found this tip useful, be sure to share it with the Facebook and Twitter buttons below, and help tell the world about Firefox.

See the Web in Color with Firefox

Did you know that cats (and dogs) are color blind – they can’t see certain colors? But humans (and monkeys!) have the ability to see things – like rainbows -in full color. Firefox has a way for humans (and monkeys!) to also see the Web like a rainbow – in whatever color you so desire.

You could do this just for the sake of having fun. But in some cases, a Web site may make poor choices in their design. Have you ever tried to read blue text on a black background? Or pink text on a white background? By changing a few settings, you can change the way Websites render in your browser.

Go to Firefox > Options > and then select the Content tab. (For Mac users, instead of Options, select Preferences.) Under the Fonts & Colors section, click the “colors” button. You can now see the default color selections for text, background color, visited links and more. Just click on those default colors to chose your new colors for each of those options. Red, green, purple – they’re all there! (Just note, some color combinations might clash and be hard to read – but you can come right back and change them.)

Colors menuBe sure to uncheck the box that allows pages to choose their own fonts, instead of your selections.

We’ll let you know when we include an option for sparkles or camouflage, but until then, you can always add a Theme for your Firefox. See the thousands of Themes available.

Firefox Tip – New Tab Shortcut

You lead a busy Web life. You don’t have time to waste by using a mouse to open a new tab. Firefox contributor Bob C. has a tip to save you a second or two.

“Wanna open a link in new tab? Just hold ctrl (cmd on a Mac) and click the link.”

Shortcuts. We love ’em! Thanks Bob. That was short – and sweet!

If you have a tip you’d like to share with other Firefox users, please post it on our Facebook page with #FirefoxTips and tag us, or post on Twitter with #FirefoxTips. You can also view more tips in our archive.

If you found this tip useful, be sure to share it with the Facebook and Twitter buttons below, and help tell the world about Firefox.

Check Your Firefox Plug-Ins in 5 Minutes

Do you have five minutes? In the time you’d wait for a barista to make you a fancy coffee drink, you could be clicking a few buttons in your browser to enhance your Web experience. For example, you could check your plug-ins. Plugins are built outside of Firefox, and often power videos, animation and games.

To check, go to Tools -> Add-ons and select the “Plug-ins” tab. Scroll through that list. For most folks the only plug-ins that are really useful are Flash and Silverlight. (and the “Mozilla Default Plug-in” if you see one). Unless you know you need it, go ahead and disable any other plug-ins in the list. This will probably help Firefox perform better and certainly keep you safer. You can always re-enable the plug-in if you find that you need it later.

Now, restart Firefox so these plug-ins get unloaded from your browser.

Plugins don’t always update automatically. Another way to check your plug-ins is to visit this Mozilla site – Plug-In Check. It will tell you if a plug-in is out of date, and therefore you’re more vulnerable to security threats. On this page, you can update those plug-ins that you decide to keep.

Voila! In under five minutes you did a bit of browser cleaning, and made yourself more secure online. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Firefox Tip – Pin Your Favorite Sites as App Tabs

We at Firefox want you to get to your favorite sites using the fewest steps possible. That’s why we love this tip from Facebook fan Fawad R.

“I have my Zoho and Facebook pinned as app tabs so they get opened whenever I start Firefox. Just control-click any tab, then select ‘Pin as App Tab.'”

Thanks Fawad! App tabs are a great way to get to the sites you use often (this blog, perhaps, or our tips archive!) Read more on App Tabs.

If you have a tip you’d like to share with other Firefox users, please post it on our Facebook page with #FirefoxTips and tag us, or post on Twitter with #FirefoxTips. You can also view more tips in our archive.

If you found this tip useful, be sure to share it with the Facebook and Twitter buttons below, and help tell the world about Firefox.

Five Twitter Tools for Firefox

Tweet tweet! If you know how to boil down your thoughts into 140 characters with ease, then you’re a Twitter Tweeter. Firefox has some great tools to help you use the Twitter platform right from your browser.

1. If you’re trying to find a specific topic, hashtag (#) or username on Twitter, Firefox’s integrated Twitter search can help you find it faster. In your menu bar, you have a search box. To change your search engine to Twitter, click the down arrow next to your current search engine icon, and select the Twitter option. Example, with Twitter as your search engine, type #Firefox and then Enter. Ta da! You’re taken right to Twitter to follow the Firefox conversation!

Twitter Search in Firefox

2. If Twitter is a site that you find yourself visiting often, you could use the Firefox “Pin as App Tab” feature. App Tabs are small, can’t be closed accidentally and open automatically when you start Firefox. Here’s how: Control-click or right-click on the tab you want to turn into an App Tab and select “Pin as App Tab” from the menu.

3. Not only do you have to say what you want to say on Twitter with a mere 140 characters, you have to fit a link in there as well. That usually means cutting and pasting urls into a shortener and then cutting and pasting the short url into Twitter. The TinyURL Generator Add-on makes it easier and faster. Found a Website you’d like to share? While you’re on the site, click a button and generate a shortened url to include in your Tweet.

4. . Another great Add-on for Twitter is Yoono. It allows you to share links, images and video from the page you’re viewing to Twitter (and your other social networks) from a browser sidebar. You can also easily see updates from your friends and family right from the browser while you’re surfing the Web – so you’ll never miss another update.

5. Make sure to follow @Firefox on Twitter. We frequently post tips, tricks, photos and fun stuff – don’t miss out on all the updates!

6. 5/18/2012 Update: We’re excited that Twitter now supports Do Not Track, which signifies a big step forward for Do Not Track and the Web. That means if you turn on Do Not Track, Twitter will respect your choice and not keep tabs on your browsing behavior on Twitter.

Firefox Tip – Customize Your Firefox Toolbars

When we build Firefox, we rely on the experts in our community to make your browser as easy-to-use as possible. But hey, everyone is different, and you may have your own specific needs. Like Henrick F., one of our Facebook fans, who shared this tip.

“The first thing I do with a fresh Customize MenuFirefox install is to right-click an empty section of the tab strip and select “Customize…” Then I remove every button I don’t need. At the same time, I change “Show:” to “Icons” and select “Use small icons”. Booyah!”

Thanks Henrick! Booyah indeed! You, too, can customize your toolbars, read more about how to do it here.

If you found this tip useful, be sure to share it using the Facebook and Twitter buttons below, and help tell the world about Firefox! You can also view more tips in our archive.

If you have a tip you’d like to share with other Firefox users, please post it on our Facebook page with #FirefoxTips and tag us, or post on Twitter with #FirefoxTips.

Best Firefox Add-ons if You Use Gmail (Or Not)

Do you remember a world without email? We don’t either! Full inboxes are now a part of our daily lives, no matter what email service you prefer. However, there are a lot of Firefox users whose email of choice is Gmail – so we’ve compiled this list of handy Add-ons to help you manage your experience – plus one that supports several other email providers.

Integrated Gmail is a Firefox Add-on that allows you to make the inbox collapsible. It also lets you access other Google services of your choice of ( Google Calendar, Reader, etc.) seamlessly into the Gmail interface below the inbox (rather than the sidebar) using a collapsible box. If your are inbox minimalist, enable minimalist mode to clean up the inbox even more.

Google Shortcuts is another Firefox Add-on that puts all the Google services at your fingertips in one convenient location. Display all Google services as buttons or as a space-saving drop-down menu next to your address bar. Reach services like Gmail, Google Reader, Google Maps, Google Calendar, and many more in a single click from your browser.

WebMail Notifier works with Gmail – but also many other email services as well. It checks your webmail accounts and notifies you of the number of unread emails. Firefox user Marcelo A. raves about this Add-on, saying “The first addon that I install after Firefox. Ever. Reduces my work radically, makes sure that I don’t miss anything at my faster routine and verifies almost any email provider. Reinforces the idea that Firefox is not only a browser, but a tool to work and study.”

Now that you’ve organized your inbox, perhaps there’s room for another email – one that’s full of goodies? Sign up for our Firefox & You email – with tips and tricks for getting the most out of your Firefox.

Firefox Tip – Tab Short Cuts

We’re always looking for ways to get us from Point A to Point B faster. For example, why go through all the trouble of using a mouse when you can use a keyboard shortcut?

So this Firefox tip comes from Firefox contributor Jorge V.

“Use ctrl+1, ctrl+2, etc. (or cmd+1 on a Mac) to switch to your 1st, 2nd, etc. tabs.”

Thanks, Jorge! That’s a tab-ulous tip!

If you have a tip you’d like to share with other Firefox users, please post it on our Facebook page with #FirefoxTips and tag us, or post on Twitter with #FirefoxTips.

If you found this tip useful, be sure to share it using the Facebook and Twitter buttons below, and help tell the world about Firefox! Or, view the tips archive.

What are Internet Cookies?

Let’s talk about cookies. Those warm, gooey little treats are so delicious . . . wait, not those kinds of cookies. Let’s talk about Internet cookies.

Websites save information about you in cookies (files) on your computer. The next time you visit that site, the code will read that file to “remember” you. We rely on cookies all the time. For example, when you go to a Website and the page remembers your username and password – that’s made possible by a cookie.

There are also cookies that remember more detailed information about you. Perhaps your interests, your Web browsing patterns, etc. This means that a site can provide you more targeted content – often in the form of ads. There are types of cookies, called third-party cookies – that track you from sites you’re not even visiting at the time to gather information about you, which is sometimes sold.

Some cookies track you until you close your browser. Other cookies track you until you delete them. In general, cookies can’t harm your computer, but sometimes people are concerned about cookies and their privacy.

You could delete all of your cookies, but that may mean a more difficult Web-surfing experience. (You may be logged out of sites, some sites like Hotmail may not work effectively, and shopping carts may not remember your preferences.) Maybe there are some cookies you don’t mind, and others that you feel infringe on your privacy.

So now that you understand a bit more about cookies and what they do, let’s talk about your options.

Manage your cookies

There’s a growing awareness of a feature called Do Not Track, which is built into Firefox. (Menu Bar > Options > Privacy > Check “Tell websites I do not want to be tracked.”) It tells sites (and their advertisers and partners) that you don’t want your browsing behavior tracked. While sites don’t have to honor this, those that do will stop tracking you. Those that don’t will get the message as more and more people request this. Turning on Do Not Track won’t affect your ability to log in to sites, use shopping carts, etc.

You could turn on Private Browsing, which allows you to browse the Internet without saving any information about which sites and pages you’ve visited. (Menu Bar > Tools > Start Private Browsing.) Private Browsing doesn’t make you anonymous on the Internet, however.

There’s also a setting in Firefox that allows you to Clear Recent History. This article explains what information is stored in your history and gives you step-by-step ways to clear all of part of it.

You can manage cookies on your own (though this might affect some of the sites you use.) To see how, view this support article on Cookies.

You could also use Firefox Add-ons to help you manage your cookies, and which sites see what information. See the full list of privacy and security Add-ons.

So now that you understand Internet cookies better, give yourself a hand. And maybe treat yourself to one of those other kinds of cookies – the yummy kind.