On October 22, 2024, the Tor Project released Tor Browser 14.0. This browser is well known as the only way to access the encrypted onion network, making it more difficult to track a user's Internet activity and allowing anonymous communication and surveillance protection.

This is the first stable release based on Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) 128, and Tor has completed its annual ESR transition audit as part of the process.Tor browser users' privacy and security have been adversely affected by Firefox changes that may adversely affect the privacy and security of Tor browser users have been reviewed and addressed, and the final report from this audit is available in the tor-browser-spec repository.

The Tor Browser typography inherited from Firefox has also been updated to reflect the latest patterns and styles. These changes include heavier headings and line height changes to improve font compatibility and accessibility.

A number of technical challenges have been overcome and the release includes a series of improvements to the usability and compatibility of Tor's fingerprint protection. This is done without compromising its effectiveness and allows Tor to enable useful features such as picture-in-picture and screenshots.

In previous versions of the Tor Browser for Android, users could request a “new identity” by interacting with a persistent notification that appeared while the Tor Browser was running. Such a feature was not available in the app's user interface itself, and could only be enabled outside of the app. This feature did not perform the same steps as the Tor Browser for desktop to reset identity, such as closing all tabs, clearing all cookies, and clearing browsing history.

Most Android users relied on this feature to request a new line (the connection between the device and the page being accessed) for broken websites rather than resetting their identity. This new update brings the “new circuit for this site” desktop feature to Android, allowing mobile users to request a new circuit in a more direct way.

Tor Browser 14.0 extends support for legacy platforms; users of Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and macOS 10.12, 10.13, and 10.14 were warned that Tor Browser 13.5 was the last major update to support their platform. However, these platforms will continue to receive temporary major security updates until at least March 2025.

Tor Browser 13 is based on Firefox ESR 115, which Mozilla has announced will continue to receive critical security updates until at least March 2025 and intends to reevaluate at the beginning of the year.

As a result, the Tor Browser user base will be split into two update paths: users on Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.15 or later will be updated to Tor Browser 14.0. Users on legacy platforms will remain on Tor Browser 13.5, and Tor will release a new version of Tor Browser 13.5 whenever a critical security update for Firefox ESR 115 becomes available.

This is temporary and depends on Mozilla's schedule; Tor strongly recommends that users of legacy platforms update their operating systems to receive Tor Browser 14.0. Keeping your browser up-to-date is critical to protecting your privacy, security, and anonymity online.

Tor Browser 14.0 has several known issues, particularly affecting Android and Windows users; Android users are unable to update their browser if they downloaded it via F-Droid. Tor states that the Google Play store is not affected, and Tor Browser 14.0 can be downloaded from there on a temporary basis. Affected users can also download and install the Tor Browser 14.0 APK directly from the download page, but the APK will not be updated automatically.

For Windows users, running Tor Browser in Windows 10 and 11 compatibility mode may appear as if you are using Windows 7. Users of these operating systems should turn off compatibility mode before updating to Tor Browser 14.0.

Tor Browser is often considered a replacement or alternative to the best VPN services, but the two are very different: VPNs do not offer complete anonymity; they do not offer the same level of security and privacy as VPNs. As a matter of fact, the only anonymity that can be gained from a VPN is through “safety in numbers” when many people are using the same server at the same time. Anonymity also relies on the VPN provider not tracking you by IP or usage logging. The VPNs we recommend do not do this.

VPNs are far more convenient for everyday use, but Tor has its advantages as well. It is difficult to compare the two at face value, but our Tor vs VPN guide details the similarities and differences between the two.