Privacy guide
Browser with proxy settings: where each browser keeps its proxy
Most browsers have no proxy setting of their own. They use the one in your operating system. This guide shows where each browser keeps its proxy, and how to get a different proxy per tab, container or profile.
Direct answer
A browser with proxy settings of its own sends only that browser’s traffic through a proxy. Firefox is the main one: its Connection Settings take an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy and can send DNS lookups through it. Chrome, Edge and Brave use the system proxy unless you start them with --proxy-server or add an extension. Safari always uses the macOS network settings. For a proxy per tab or container, use Firefox with an extension. For one proxy per profile, use separate profiles.
Which browsers have their own proxy settings
Chrome sends you to the system settings: Settings > System has only an “Open your computer’s proxy settings” button. Microsoft says Edge uses the system network settings by default. Brave does the same.
To give a Chromium browser its own proxy, start it with the --proxy-server flag or add a proxy extension. The Chromium proxy notes say extension settings apply per profile.
Firefox has its own Connection Settings, set to “Use system proxy settings” by default. Safari has none. Apple’s Safari guide sends you to the macOS Network settings.
| Browser or tool | Where you set it | Scope | SOCKS5 | Proxy DNS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome, Edge, Brave | System settings by default; the --proxy-server flag; a proxy extension | Whole system by default; whole browser with the flag; one profile with an extension | Yes, but no SOCKS5 username and password | Always on the proxy, for HTTP and SOCKS5 |
| Firefox | Settings, Connection Settings dialog | Whole browser profile | Yes; the dialog has no SOCKS login fields | “Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5”, on by default since Firefox 128 |
| Safari | macOS System Settings > Network > Details > Proxies | Whole system | A “SOCKS proxy” field; Apple does not name the version | Not documented |
| FoxyProxy extension | The extension’s menu and options | Per tab or per container in Firefox; whole profile in Chrome | Yes; a SOCKS5 login works in Firefox only | Firefox option, on by default; Chrome always uses the proxy |
| Multi-Account Containers | Manage Containers > Advanced Proxy Settings | Per container | Yes | Yes, for SOCKS proxies |
| Profile manager, such as AliasMode | Each profile’s settings | Per profile | Yes | On the proxy, for HTTP and SOCKS5 |
Set a proxy in Firefox
Open the proxy dialog
Open Firefox Settings and type “proxy” in the search box. Open the proxy settings. The dialog is called Connection Settings.
Enter the proxy
Choose “Manual proxy configuration”. For SOCKS5, fill in SOCKS Host and Port, then select SOCKS v5. For an HTTP proxy, fill in HTTP Proxy and tick “Also use this proxy for HTTPS”.
Keep DNS on the proxy
Leave “Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5” ticked. It is on by default since Firefox 128. In about:config, the preference is network.proxy.socks5_remote_dns.
Check the result
Open the BrowserLeaks IP and DNS pages. The IP must be the proxy’s. The DNS servers must not belong to your own internet provider.
The dialog has no SOCKS5 login fields. For a SOCKS5 proxy with a password, use an extension such as FoxyProxy. The setting belongs to one Firefox profile, so a second profile can use a second proxy.
Set a proxy per tab or per container
Per-tab proxies need Firefox, because its extension interface can choose a proxy per tab or container. In Chrome, an extension can switch proxies by site, but not by tab.
- FoxyProxy: “Tab Proxy” sets a proxy for the current tab, and “Container Proxy” sets one for a container. Its help page marks both as Firefox only.
- Firefox Multi-Account Containers: Mozilla’s add-on has per-container proxies since version 8.0.2, under Manage Containers > Advanced Proxy Settings.
- Mozilla VPN: subscribers can choose a different VPN exit location for each container.
Set one proxy per profile
Each Firefox profile keeps its own Connection Settings. Each Chrome profile keeps its own extensions, so a proxy extension per profile gives each one its own proxy. Profiles in one browser still share most fingerprint signals.
Profile managers store the proxy with the profile, next to its cookies, so the same IP comes back at every launch.
This page shows where the setting lives. To plan and record proxy assignments for a team, see the planning guide.
Proxy vs VPN in the browser
A browser proxy changes the IP that sites see, for that browser only. Other apps keep your real IP. A system VPN changes the IP for the whole device and encrypts traffic to the VPN server.
A plain HTTP proxy does not encrypt the link to the proxy. Chromium’s documentation notes that https pages stay encrypted, but the proxy sees each host name.
Some browser VPNs are proxies. Mozilla says Firefox’s built-in VPN routes browser traffic through a proxy server run by Fastly. Neither tool changes cookies or the fingerprint.
Where AliasMode fits
AliasMode is a free, open-source profile manager for Windows, Mac and Linux. Each profile can have its own HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy, next to its own cookies, storage and fingerprint values.
With a SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy, names resolve on the proxy, and WebRTC stays on the proxy path. The profile’s time zone and language follow the proxy’s exit location, which the app looks up through the proxy.
Frequently asked questions
Does Chrome have its own proxy settings?
No. Chrome uses the operating system’s proxy settings by default. You can give it its own proxy with the --proxy-server command-line flag, a proxy extension, or an enterprise policy.
What is a proxy browser?
It is a browser that sends its traffic through a proxy server, so sites see the proxy’s IP. Firefox does this with its own settings. Chromium browsers need the system setting, a flag or an extension.
Can I set a different proxy for each tab?
Yes, in Firefox. FoxyProxy’s Tab Proxy sets a proxy for one tab, and Multi-Account Containers sets one per container. In Chrome, an extension can switch proxies by site, but not by tab.
Does a browser proxy also carry my DNS lookups?
It depends on the proxy type. An HTTP proxy looks up names for you. With SOCKS5, Chrome always resolves names on the proxy, and Firefox does so by default since version 128. SOCKS4 resolves names on your computer by default.
Can I use a SOCKS5 proxy with a password in Chrome?
No. Chromium does not support SOCKS5 authentication. Use an HTTP proxy with a login, or a proxy that allows your IP address. Firefox with FoxyProxy also supports a SOCKS5 login.