The Exact Firefox Setup I Use on Every New Install (2026)
Firefox's default settings are fine but not great for someone who uses it seriously. Here's exactly what I change on a new Firefox install, with explanations for each. In about:preferences Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection : Set to "Strict" instead of "Standard." This blocks more trackers and fingerprinting attempts. Occasionally breaks a site; Ctrl+I → Shield icon to temporarily…
When setting up a new Firefox browser, a few key adjustments can greatly improve the browsing experience. In the Privacy & Security section under Enhanced Tracking Protection, switch from Standard to Strict to block more trackers and fingerprinting attempts. This may cause occasional site issues, which can be temporarily fixed by disabling the shield icon within the browser.
Enabling DNS over HTTPS in the same section, and selecting a provider like Cloudflare or NextDNS, encrypts DNS queries to prevent ISPs from logging visited domains. This process takes only about 30 seconds to set up.
Under General settings, keep "Use recommended performance settings" enabled, as it optimizes the browser's performance based on available system resources. In the Home section, uncheck the options for Recommended stories and Sponsored shortcuts, as these are often advertisements.
Install the following extensions in order: uBlock Origin for content blocking, Firefox Multi-Account Containers for session isolation, Weather & Clock Dashboard to replace the new tab page with location-based weather and world clocks, and optionally, Facebook Container for Meta cross-site tracking prevention or Bitwarden for a free, open-source password manager.
For advanced tweaks, open about:config and adjust browser.tabs.unloadOnLowMemory to true to automatically suspend background tabs when RAM is low, browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInTabs to true to open bookmarks in new tabs, and toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets to true if you plan to use userChrome.css for visual customization.
Firefox Sync should remain enabled to sync bookmarks, history, and passwords across devices securely. Keep hardware acceleration enabled unless there's a specific GPU driver issue. Stick with the default tab bar and avoid installing a separate tab manager until Firefox's native tab groups feature becomes available.
The total setup time is approximately 20 minutes, with 5 minutes for extensions, 10 minutes for about:config tweaks, and 5 minutes for general preferences. The process costs nothing and significantly enhances the browser's default settings.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
