To use private browsing in Firefox on an iPhone, tap the tabs button (the square with a number) at the bottom of the screen, then tap Private. Tap + to open a private tab. You know you’re in private mode when the tabs icon shows a purple mask.
This guide covers Firefox for iOS on iPhone and iPad. It shows how to switch to private browsing, open links privately, keep or close private tabs, what private browsing does and doesn’t protect, and how to add Firefox’s tracking protection. The steps come from Mozilla’s Private browsing in Firefox for iOS help article, checked in October 2026.
How to Turn On Private Browsing in Firefox on iPhone
- Open the Firefox app. Result: Firefox opens to your last page or the home screen.
- Tap the tabs button with the number on it at the bottom of the screen. Result: the tabs view opens.
- Tap Private. Depending on your version of iOS and Firefox, it’s at the top or bottom center of the screen. Result: Firefox switches to private browsing.
- Tap the + button to open a new private tab. Result: a private tab opens and you can start browsing.
To go back to regular browsing, open the tabs view again and tap Tabs.
How to Tell You’re in Private Mode
Mozilla says you’re browsing privately when the tabs icon shows a purple mask. The private browsing screens also use a darker color theme so they’re easy to tell apart from your regular tabs. The mask only shows in the tabs view, not while a web page is open.
How to Open a Link in a Private Tab
Press and hold a link until a menu appears, then tap Open in a Private Tab. The page opens in private mode, and your regular tab stays where it was.
Do Private Tabs Close When I Leave?
Yes, by default. Mozilla says Firefox closes your private tabs when you leave private browsing or quit the app. To keep them open, go to Firefox Settings and turn off Close Private Tabs under Privacy. Turn it back on if you want them to close automatically again.
To close one private tab yourself, tap the ✕ on its preview in the tabs view.
What Private Browsing Does and Doesn’t Do
- Not saved: Firefox doesn’t keep your history, cookies, searches or passwords from private tabs after your session ends.
- Still saved: bookmarks you add and files you download are kept after you close your private tabs.
- Not anonymous: websites you visit, your internet provider, your employer or school (on a managed network or device) and the network you’re on can still see your activity.
- Signed-in sites still know you: if you sign in to a website in a private tab, it recognizes your account until you sign out.
- Not a tracker blocker on its own: Mozilla says private browsing doesn’t block all online tracking.
You also can’t set Firefox for iOS to always open in private mode. Mozilla says you need to switch each time.
Add Tracking Protection for More Privacy
Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection works in both regular and private tabs. Mozilla’s tracking protection article says it’s on by default and reduces ad, social and analytics trackers, cryptominers and fingerprinters. To change it:
- Tap the menu button at the bottom of the screen (top right on iPad), then tap Settings. Result: Firefox settings open.
- Tap Tracking Protection. Result: the tracking options appear.
- Make sure Enhanced Tracking Protection is on, then choose Standard or Strict. Result: Firefox blocks trackers at the level you picked.
Mozilla notes that Strict also stops known tracking content such as some videos and ads, which can make pages load faster but may break parts of some websites. You can turn protection off for a single site if that happens. To test one page quickly, you can reload the page in the Firefox iPhone app without Tracking Protection.
If You Can’t Find the Private Option
- Open the tabs view first. Private sits in the tabs view, not on a web page.
- Update Firefox. Mozilla says older versions may not match these steps. Update the app from the App Store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does private browsing hide what I do from my internet provider?
No. It only stops Firefox from saving your history, cookies and passwords on your iPhone.
Can I make private browsing the default?
No. Firefox for iOS doesn’t support launching in private mode. Switch to it each time.
Are my downloads deleted when I close private tabs?
No. Mozilla says downloaded files and bookmarks are kept.
More Firefox iPhone Guides
Site not opening a sign-in window? See how to allow pop-ups in the iPhone Firefox app.
Use Edge too? See how to open a private browsing tab in Microsoft Edge on an iPhone.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.