Privacy guide
How to stop websites from tracking you, one signal at a time
Websites track you in four main ways. Each one needs a different fix, and no single tool covers all four. This guide maps each signal to what stops it and links to the detailed guides.
Direct answer
To stop websites from tracking you, deal with four signals one at a time. Block third-party cookies and clear site data. Use a tracker blocker. Hide your IP address with a VPN, a proxy or Tor. Reduce your fingerprint with a browser that blends you into a crowd, such as Tor Browser or Mullvad Browser. Then accept one limit: when you log in, the site knows it is you, whatever tools you use.
The four tracking signals and what stops each one
Most tracking uses one of four signals. Sites often combine them, so blocking one still leaves the others.
| Signal | How it tracks you | What stops it | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cookies and site storage | A site or a third party saves an ID in your browser and reads it later. | Third-party cookie blocking, clearing site data, separate browser profiles | Does not change your IP address or fingerprint. |
| Third-party trackers | Ad and analytics scripts on many sites report each visit. | Tracker blockers and built-in tracking protection | Does not stop data the site itself collects. |
| IP address | Every request carries it. It shows your rough location. | A VPN, a proxy or Tor | The provider sees your traffic. Cookies and fingerprint still work. |
| Browser fingerprint | Scripts turn your device and browser traits into an ID that survives cleared cookies. | Tor Browser or Mullvad Browser, Brave’s randomization, Firefox and Safari protections, separate profiles | Does not hide your IP address or clear cookies. |
| Logging in | Your account tells the site who you are. | No browser setting. Use separate accounts, each in its own profile. | Links your visits even with every tool above turned on. |
IP address: VPN, proxy or Tor
Your IP address reaches every site you load. A VPN or a proxy swaps it for the provider’s address. Sites then see the provider, but the provider sees you. Pick one you trust.
A VPN covers the whole device. A proxy can cover one browser or one profile. Both can leak your real address through WebRTC or DNS, so test before you rely on one.
Google retired its planned IP Protection for Chrome Incognito in October 2025. If you need anonymity, Tor Browser sends your traffic through three Tor relays, so no single relay sees both you and the site.
Browser fingerprint: blend in, randomize or separate
A fingerprint needs no storage, so clearing cookies does not reset it. Our fingerprinting guide covers the signals. Defenses fall into four groups.
- Blend in. Tor Browser and Mullvad Browser make their users look alike, for example by rounding window sizes with letterboxing. This is the right choice for anonymity.
- Randomize. Brave adds small random changes per site and per session, which it calls farbling. Each site sees different values.
- Use built-in protection. Firefox 145 added stronger fingerprinting protection in private windows and Strict mode, and Firefox 151 strengthened the default Standard mode. Apple says Safari 26 extends its advanced fingerprinting protection to all browsing by default.
- Separate. Persistent profiles give each identity its own stable set of values. This keeps identities apart.
Logging in links you anyway
No tool above hides you from a site you log in to. The account itself is the ID. Your email address, phone number and payment card link you as well.
To keep two parts of your life apart, you need two accounts. Keep each in its own browser profile. Add a separate IP address and fingerprint if the sites compare them.
Where AliasMode fits
AliasMode is a free, open-source desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux. Each profile has its own cookies, storage, cache and history, its own proxy and its own stable fingerprint values. Local mode needs no account.
It is built for people who keep separate identities, such as work and personal accounts, a pen name or a research persona.
Frequently asked questions
Does incognito or private mode stop tracking?
Only partly. Private windows delete cookies and history when you close them. Chrome Incognito also blocks third-party cookies, and Firefox private windows add stronger fingerprinting protection. Your IP address stays the same, and sites you log in to still know who you are.
Is a VPN enough to stop websites from tracking me?
No. A VPN hides your IP address from sites. Cookies, trackers and your fingerprint still work through a VPN. Mullvad, a VPN company, says the same, which is why it built Mullvad Browser with the Tor Project.
Does Chrome still allow third-party cookies?
Yes. In April 2025 Google said Chrome would keep third-party cookies and would not add a new prompt for them. In October 2025 it retired most Privacy Sandbox technologies. Chrome blocks third-party cookies by default only in Incognito. You can block them in Settings, under Privacy and security.
Can websites track me after I clear cookies?
Yes. Clearing cookies does not change your IP address or your browser fingerprint. A site can also link your new visit to the old ones as soon as you log in again.
Which browser is best to avoid tracking?
For anonymity, use Tor Browser. For everyday browsing with a VPN, Mullvad Browser gives you a shared crowd fingerprint without the Tor network. Firefox, Safari and Brave block a lot by default and keep most sites working.