5 Browser Settings to Stop Companies from Tracking You

Your web browser knows a lot about you: which sites you visit, what you search for, how long you stay on a page, even details about your device and location. Browsers collect this data by default, and much of it is shared with advertisers, analytics companies, and the browser vendors themselves.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a privacy expert to limit this. In the past few years, all major browsers have added built‑in controls. The following five settings will significantly reduce tracking and data collection. They take just a few minutes to adjust, and the steps below cover Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

What Happened – and Why It Matters

Browser data collection isn’t new, but it has intensified. Browsers now bundle telemetry, personalized advertising, and third‑party cookie tracking as default features. For example, Chrome’s “Privacy Sandbox” collects browsing behavior for ad targeting, and Edge sends diagnostic data to Microsoft. Meanwhile, techniques like fingerprinting (building a unique profile of your device) are used when cookies are blocked.

These practices affect more than just the ads you see. Personalized tracking can be used to infer sensitive information, and aggregated data is sometimes shared with data brokers. Adjusting a few browser settings is a straightforward way to regain control over what leaves your device.

What Readers Can Do: The Five Settings

Setting 1: Disable Third‑Party Cookies

Third‑party cookies are the most common method for tracking you across websites. All major browsers now allow you to block them.

  • Chrome: Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Third‑party cookies. Choose “Block third‑party cookies” or “Block third‑party cookies in Incognito mode.”
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection. Select “Strict” or “Custom” and check “Cookies.”
  • Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data → Block third‑party cookies.
  • Safari: Safari blocks third‑party cookies by default (Preferences → Privacy → “Prevent cross‑site tracking” is enabled). If it’s off, turn it on.

Consider that blocking all third‑party cookies may break some website functionality (like social media share buttons or embedded comments). You can always whitelist trusted sites later.

Setting 2: Enable Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control

Do Not Track (DNT) is a browser signal that tells websites not to track you. However, many sites ignore it. A newer, more enforceable alternative is Global Privacy Control (GPC), which legally requires covered sites to respect your opt‑out (under laws like the CCPA and GDPR).

  • Chrome: No built‑in GPC. You can use extensions like “Privacy Badger” which adds GPC. DNT: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data → toggle “Send a ‘Do Not Track’ request with your browsing traffic.”
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Send websites a “Do Not Track” request. Firefox also includes GPC automatically in some jurisdictions.
  • Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → “Send Do Not Track requests” (currently sends DNT, not GPC).
  • Safari: No direct DNT toggle in recent versions; it sends a tracking preference via Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) that serves a similar purpose.

GPC is still being adopted, so enabling both DNT and GPC (via extension) is a sound approach.

Setting 3: Use Secure DNS (DNS‑over‑HTTPS)

DNS is the system that translates website names into IP addresses. By default, your DNS queries are sent in plaintext and can be logged by your internet provider or a third‑party server. Secure DNS encrypts these queries.

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Security → “Use secure DNS” → choose a provider (e.g., Cloudflare, Google, NextDNS).
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → DNS over HTTPS → select “Max Protection” or “Increased Protection” and choose a provider.
  • Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → “Use secure DNS to specify how to lookup the network address for websites” → choose a provider.
  • Safari: Secure DNS is controlled at the operating system level (macOS: System Settings → Network → DNS). It does not have a per‑browser toggle.

Note that enabling DNS‑over‑HTTPS may slightly slow initial page loads and can sometimes conflict with local network filtering (e.g., parental controls).

Setting 4: Disable or Limit Fingerprinting Protection

Fingerprinting uses details like your screen resolution, fonts, browser version, and plugins to create a unique identifier. Even if you block cookies, fingerprinting can still track you.

  • Chrome: No built‑in fingerprinting blocker. You can enable “Always use secure connections” and the “IP Protection” flag in chrome://flags (experimental). A more reliable option is using a privacy‑focused browser like Brave.
  • Firefox: Enhanced Tracking Protection in “Strict” mode includes fingerprinting blocking. Custom mode also lets you enable it separately.
  • Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → “Tracking prevention” → choose “Strict” (this helps, but Edge doesn’t have a dedicated fingerprinting toggle).
  • Safari: Safari blocks fingerprinting by default through Intelligent Tracking Prevention. You don’t need to change a setting, but you can verify it’s active in Preferences → Privacy → “Prevent cross‑site tracking” is on.

Fingerprinting protection can sometimes break website functionality (e.g., login flows that rely on specific graphics drivers). If you encounter issues, you may need to whitelist that site.

Setting 5: Automatically Clear Browsing Data on Exit

Clearing your history, cookies, and cache every time you close the browser ensures that local tracking data doesn’t accumulate.

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data → Advanced → toggle “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files.” Return to Privacy and security → “Cookies and other site data” → turn on “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows.”
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → History → “Firefox will” → select “Use custom settings for history” → check “Clear history when Firefox closes” → click Settings to choose what to clear.
  • Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → “Choose what to clear every time you close the browser” → toggle on “Cookies and other site data,” “Cached images and files,” and “Browsing history.”
  • Safari: Preferences → General → “Remove history items” → choose “After one day” or “After one week.” This does not automatically clear development cache; you can clear manually via Develop → Empty Caches.

Caution: Auto‑clearing will log you out of most websites and erase saved form data. If you rely on persistent logins or offline web apps, consider clearing only cookies and cache for sites you don’t trust, or use separate profiles for sensitive browsing.

Additional Tips

  • Use privacy‑focused extensions: uBlock Origin can block trackers and ads; Privacy Badger learns to block invisible trackers.
  • Consider a dedicated private browser: Firefox with enhanced tracking or Brave are designed with privacy as a default.
  • Use private browsing mode: It doesn’t make you anonymous, but it does prevent local storage of history and cookies for that session.

Sources

This guide is based on the concepts from the PCWorld article “Your browser is too nosy. Change these 5 settings now” (June 2026) and current documentation from Google, Mozilla, Microsoft, and Apple. Browser setting locations and names can change with updates; the steps above reflect version 2026 releases. For the most accurate paths, refer to your browser’s official support pages.