What is a Private Window with Tor Connectivity? Follow
When you are inside a Private Window with Tor, Brave doesn’t connect directly to a website like normal. Instead, you connect to a chain of three different computers in the volunteer-run Tor network, one after another, and only then to the website you’re visiting. Between those three Tor computers, only one knows where your connection is really coming from and only one knows where it’s really going. And those two don’t even talk to each other because there’s another computer in the middle!
Note that Private Windows with Tor Connectivity in Brave are just regular private windows that use Tor as a proxy. Brave does NOT implement most of the privacy protections from Tor Browser.
Will Tor affect my browser performance?
From the perspective of the websites you visit, it looks like your connection is coming from that last Tor computer — sites don’t learn your real IP address. But they can tell that the connection is being shuffled around by Tor because the list of Tor computers isn’t a secret. That said, since your data goes through a lot of relays, it's slow, so you'll experience a more sluggish internet than usual.
Some sites will treat you very differently because of this. Most often they’ll just keep asking you to prove you’re human. If a site relies on a feature which would reveal your real IP address or make you much easier to recognize when you’re not using Tor, that site might not work at all because we’d rather be safe than sorry.
Am I always anonymous?
If your employer administers your device they might also keep track of what you do with it. Using Private windows, even with Tor, probably won't stop them from knowing which sites you've visited. Someone else with access to your device could also have installed software which monitors your activity, and Brave can’t protect you from this either. Some websites may be able to discover your real IP address, and someone watching your network traffic may be able to discover what sites you visit, if they are determined to.
Note that some data like Shield site settings in Tor windows will be inherited from normal windows. In addition, bookmarks and global settings that are changed in Tor windows will also apply to normal windows. The same is true for regular private windows in Brave.
Some browser features are also disabled by default when using Private Windows w/Tor for additional security. These features include:
- Plugins
- Geolocation
- Media Router component
- WebRTC
- WebShare
What if I want absolute anonymity while browsing?
If your personal safety depends on remaining anonymous, we highly recommend using Tor Browser instead of Brave Tor windows.
Note that Tor windows are only available for the Desktop version of the browser at this time.