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ActiveGecko engine 25/30 documented

Mullvad Browser

A hardened Firefox-based browser built with the Tor Project to minimise fingerprinting, intended for use with a VPN rather than the Tor network.

Published by Mullvad VPN (Sweden) Verified

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Runs on

  • macOSmacOS: Available
  • WindowsWindows: Available
  • LinuxLinux: Available
  • AndroidAndroid: Unavailable
  • iOSiOS: Unavailable

Choose it when

Choose Mullvad Browser when you want Tor Browser's anti-fingerprinting engineering for ordinary browsing and intend to pair it with a VPN you already trust.

Avoid it when

Avoid it when you need mobile support, account sync, a broad extension set, or a browser that quietly blends into normal daily use across devices.

Quick answers

Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.

Which platforms does Mullvad Browser run on?
Which platforms does Mullvad Browser run on?
Documented on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Not available on Android and iOS.
Can I install Chrome extensions?
Can I install Chrome extensions?
No - the Chrome Web Store is not supported.
Does it block trackers out of the box?
Does it block trackers out of the box?
Yes - tracker or ad blocking is on by default. uBlock Origin ships preinstalled and enabled.
Does it have built-in AI features?
Does it have built-in AI features?
No AI capability in this record is documented as built in.
Is it open source?
Open source under the Mozilla Public License
Is it still being developed?
Is it still being developed?
Active - Actively developed; the stable channel tracks Firefox ESR and the alpha channel tracks Firefox rapid release.

What Mullvad Browser does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

2 built in · 2 not available

  • Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Built in

    uBlock Origin ships preinstalled and enabled.

  • Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Built in

    The build targets a uniform fingerprint across users, including letterboxing.

  • Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unavailable

    Telemetry and crash reporting are disabled at compile time and the telemetry sender is removed.

  • Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable

    No proxy is bundled; the browser is designed to be used alongside a separate VPN.

  • Private windowsThe browser is configured to behave like a private session throughout, clearing cookies and site data between sessions rather than only in a separate window.

    The browser is configured to behave like a private session throughout, clearing cookies and site data between sessions rather than only in a separate window.

  • Default search engineConfigurable

Extensions and blocking

1 built in · 1 partial · 1 not available · 2 undocumented

  • Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Unsupported
  • Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Partial
  • Native content blockingNative content blocking: Built in

    Content blocking is provided by the preinstalled uBlock Origin.

  • Manifest V3Manifest V3: Unknown

    Manifest version support is not documented separately from upstream Firefox.

  • Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unknown

    Manifest version support is not documented separately from upstream Firefox.

  • Known limitationsExtensions are deliberately restricted because each added extension makes a browser more distinguishable, which works against the uniform-fingerprint goal.

    Extensions are deliberately restricted because each added extension makes a browser more distinguishable, which works against the uniform-fingerprint goal.

Workflow

3 built in · 5 not available · 3 undocumented

  • Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built in

    The Firefox ESR 140 base includes native vertical tabs.

  • Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
  • Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Unavailable
  • ProfilesProfiles: Unknown

    Profile support is not documented.

  • Split viewSplit view: Unavailable
  • SidebarSidebar: Built in

    The Firefox sidebar ships in the base; some sidebar buttons are hidden for fingerprinting reasons.

  • Reader modeReader mode: Built in

    Firefox Reader View is in the ESR base.

  • Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
  • Sync across devicesSync across devices: Unavailable

    Account sync is removed from the build.

  • TranslationTranslation: Unknown

    Translation is not documented.

  • Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Unknown

    Progressive web app behaviour is not documented.

AI features

9 not available

  • Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Unavailable

    The build is hardened against added surfaces and documents no AI assistant.

  • Page summarisationPage summarisation: Unavailable
  • Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unavailable
  • AI answer engineAI answer engine: Unavailable
  • Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Unavailable
  • Text or image generationText or image generation: Unavailable
  • Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
  • Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Unavailable
  • Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Unavailable

On a phone

10 undocumented

Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.

  • Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Unknown

    Extension support on mobile is not documented.

  • Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Not applicable
  • Biometric lockBiometric lock: Unknown

    Biometric locking is not documented.

  • Offline readingOffline reading: Unknown

    Offline reading is not documented.

  • Desktop-site modeDesktop-site mode: Unknown

    Desktop-site mode is not documented.

  • Download managerDownload manager: Unknown

    A built-in download manager is not documented.

  • Background playbackBackground playback: Unknown

    Background or picture-in-picture playback is not documented.

  • Web pushWeb push: Unknown

    Web push support is not documented.

  • Data saverData saver: Unknown
  • Address-bar placementAddress-bar placement: Unknown

    Address-bar placement is not documented.

Under the hood

Rendering engine
Gecko
JavaScript engine
SpiderMonkey
Upstream project
Firefox ESR by way of Tor Browser
Release channel
stable
Code and licence
Open source under the Mozilla Public License
Install method
Direct download from Mullvad or distribution packages.
Hardware support
Desktop builds are 64-bit; ARM support is documented through the alpha channel.
Source repository

Active. Actively developed; the stable channel tracks Firefox ESR and the alpha channel tracks Firefox rapid release.

Editorial view

Mullvad Browser exists to answer a narrow question: what does Tor Browser's fingerprinting work look like without the Tor network, using a VPN you already have instead? It is developed by Mullvad with the Tor Project, tracks Firefox ESR through the Tor Browser base, and ships for macOS, Windows, and Linux only. No mobile builds.

The privacy engineering is the product

  • Telemetry is removed at compile time, not merely disabled
  • uBlock Origin ships preinstalled and enabled
  • The build targets one uniform fingerprint across all users, letterboxing included
  • The whole browser behaves like a private session, clearing cookies and site data between sessions
  • Account sync is removed entirely, a deliberate cost

Vertical tabs, the sidebar, and Reader View carry over from the Firefox ESR 140 base; translation, profiles, and web apps are unrecorded. Search is configurable.

What it does not do

It is not an anonymity network. No proxy is bundled; the design assumes you supply your own VPN. Used without one, you get fingerprinting resistance and blocking while your network-level identity stays exactly as visible as before. Readers who conflate this with Tor Browser will make a real mistake about their own threat model.

The uncomfortable part of uniform fingerprints

Extensions are deliberately restricted, and Firefox Add-ons support is partial, because every extension you add makes you more distinguishable from everyone else running the same build. The protection depends on users not personalising the browser. Install a handful of add-ons and adjust settings to taste, and you have partially defeated the mechanism you installed it for.

The verdict

Choose it when fingerprinting resistance for everyday browsing is the actual requirement and you already run a VPN you trust. Avoid it when you need a phone, sync, or heavy customisation. The pattern that works is running it alongside a conventional browser rather than as a replacement: this one for browsing that should not be linkable, the other for the logged-in life where sync and extensions matter. Set-up is deliberately short: install, confirm your VPN is on, and change nothing. The browser is at its most protective on the day you stop configuring it.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 5 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

If this is not it

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