Considering the fact that the Tor browser is the ideal way to conceal your identity and preserve your privacy online, it’s no wonder that you might be using it for all of your internet needs. However, as the browser’s main focus is on protection, the speed can be a significant drawback of this software.
Tor has millions of daily users, but only a few thousand relays through which it routes traffic, meaning that latency is to be expected, and low browsing speeds are quite a common occurrence.
However, that’s not to say that there aren’t still a couple of ways in which you might make the Tor browser faster, at least a little bit. Here’s a quick guide that might help:
Table of Contents
Checking for updates
Just like any other software, the Tor browser tends to work better, smoother, and significantly faster when it’s updated to the latest version. If you haven’t updated Tor for quite some time, it might be a good idea to check for new updates by following the steps below:
- Open the Tor browser, and click on the hamburger menu at the top.
- Click on the Options tab from the drop-down, and then go to General.
- Here, you can find new software updates and install them if available.
Changing the identity
When you are inexplicably stuck at a lower speed, sometimes a simple refresh might do the trick. Use Tor’s New Identity feature (located in the hamburger menu) to give it a try.
However, keep in mind that you will close all tabs and stop all current activity in the browser by doing this.
Trying a new circuit
By going to the same hamburger menu, you will also have the option to choose a New Tor Circuit for This Site. By doing this, you will simply reload all of your open tabs, in an effort to increase speed and optimize performance.
However, you might need to update Tor first, in order to be able to see this option.
Using the recommended settings
Tor also has a wonderful feature that gives you the opportunity to adjust the performance of your browser according to your device’s OS and hardware.
The Recommended Performance Settings can be found in the Settings menu; just enable them to optimize your browsing speeds.
Utilizing bridge relays
If you think that your bandwidth is throttled by the ISP, you could also use Tor’s bridge relays to increase the speed, and subsequently even make it that much harder for anyone to track your activity. Here’s how:
- Open the Tor browser, and click on the hamburger menu at the top.
- Click on the Options tab from the drop-down, and then go to Tor Settings.
- Here, you will be able to locate the Bridges section.
- Now, you can either choose to use a built-in bridge or even ask Tor for a new bridge.
- If no bridges are currently available, you could also send an email to [email protected] and request a new one.
Once the bridge connection has been successful, you should be able to enjoy Tor or higher speeds.
And there you have it! Hopefully, the guide above will allow you to resolve some of Tor’s most common issues, at finally enjoy anonymous browsing in a faster and smoother manner.
