How to Configure Ungoogled Chromium as Your Default Browser with Tor

Ungoogled Chromium is a privacy-oriented version of the Chromium browser, stripped of all Google tracking and telemetry. While it doesn’t come with native Tor support, Ungoogled Chromium can be manually configured to connect to the Tor network, combining its minimalist, Google-free experience with the privacy benefits of Tor. This guide will walk you through setting Ungoogled Chromium as your default browser and configuring it to use Tor.

Why Use Ungoogled Chromium with Tor as Your Default Browser?

Setting up Ungoogled Chromium with Tor gives you a secure, private browsing environment that’s free of Google tracking. By configuring it as your default browser with Tor, you ensure that all links opened from other apps on your device are routed through the Tor network, giving you privacy across all your browsing activities.

Step-by-Step Guide to Make Ungoogled Chromium Your Default Browser with Tor

To get started, make sure you have Ungoogled Chromium installed on your device. You can download it from trusted repositories like GitHub. Once installed, follow these steps to set it as your default browser and configure it with Tor.

Step 1: Set Ungoogled Chromium as Your Default Browser

Open Ungoogled Chromium: Launch the browser from your applications menu.
Go to Settings: Click on the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner and select “Settings.”
Make Default Browser: In the “Default Browser” section, click the “Make Default” button to set Ungoogled Chromium as your primary browser.

Note: Your operating system may ask you to confirm the change. Select “Yes” or “Confirm” to complete the process.

Step 2: Configure Ungoogled Chromium to Connect with Tor

To connect Ungoogled Chromium to Tor, you’ll need to set up a Tor proxy:

Access Proxy Settings: Since Ungoogled Chromium doesn’t have a built-in proxy menu, you’ll need to set up the proxy on your system’s network settings.
Set Up a SOCKS Proxy: In your system’s network settings (Control Panel on Windows, System Preferences on macOS, or Network settings on Linux), enter the following details:
SOCKS Host: 127.0.0.1
Port: 9050
Enable DNS Over SOCKS: S (if possible): Ensure DNS queries are routed through Tor for added security. This option may vary depending on your operating system.

Reminder: You need to have Tor running on your device, either by launching Tor Browser or the Tor service, for Ungoogled Chromium to connect through the Tor network.

Testing the Tor Connection in Ungoogled Chromium

To ensure your configuration is successful, test the connection by following these steps:

Visit a Test Site: Open a new tab in Ungoogled Chromium and go to check.torproject.org.
Verify Connection: If the setup is correct, you’ll see a message confirming that your browser is connected to the Tor network.

Reverting to Standard Network Settings (Optional)

If you decide to stop using Ungoogled Chromium with Tor, simply revert the proxy settings to their original state.

Access Network Settings: Go back to your system’s network settings.
Disable Proxy: Change the proxy settings back to “No proxy” or your previous configuration.
Save Changes: Exit the settings to apply the changes.

Important Tips for Using Ungoogled Chromium with Tor

Using Ungoogled Chromium with Tor enhances privacy, but there are some points to consider:

Performance: Routing through Tor may slow down browsing, especially on media-heavy sites.
Security Extensions: Consider adding privacy extensions like HTTPS Everywhere and uBlock Origin for additional protection while using Tor.
Not a Full Tor Browser: While Ungoogled Chromium configured with Tor provides good privacy, it may not match the anonymity of Tor Browser, which is optimized for Tor.

By setting up Ungoogled Chromium as your default browser with Tor, you combine the Google-free experience of Ungoogled Chromium with Tor’s anonymity, creating a private browsing environment that works well for privacy-conscious users.

Still torn over which browser to use with Tor? Here's another option to try. How to Configure Tor Browser as Your Default Browser with Tor.