Norton Private Browser for Android and iOS – FAQs

Norton Private Browser is a web browser with built-in security and privacy features to help keep you safe online. The unique Security & Privacy Center includes a collection of tools and features that allow you to manage your online privacy, identity, and personal data.

You can download Norton Private Browser directly from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store websites.

Norton Private Browser comes packed with features and tools that are designed to maximize your online security, including Anti-Phishing, Anti-Tracking, and HTTPS Encryption. All built-in security and privacy features are available in the Security & Privacy Center.

Norton Private Browser helps block ads and hides your digital identity, which also helps keep your browsing running fast.

To install the Norton Private Browser app, your device must meet the following minimum system requirements:

Android:
Android 10.0 or later

iOS:
iOS 15.0 or later

You can download Norton Private Browser directly from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
For detailed instructions, read: Download and install Norton Private Browser.

Yes. Norton Private Browser is designed to function alongside your other browsers. 

The Security & Privacy Center is a console of tools and features that allows you to manage your online activity. Most features are enabled by default to offer our highest level of security and privacy. Via the Security & Privacy Center, you can personalize Norton Private Browser by manually enabling or disabling certain features and access tools such as Private Mode and Privacy Cleaner. 
Open the Norton Private Browser app and tap the Security & Privacy Center icon beside the address bar.

Web Shield is designed to block malicious websites and phishing attempts while you browse the web. It also prevents you from downloading potentially malicious content from the web, which may try to infect your mobile device. Web Shield is enabled by default.

To disable Web Shield, do the following:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and tap the Security & Privacy Center  icon beside the address bar.
2. Under Security, tap the slider next to Web Shield so that it changes from blue (ON) to gray (OFF).

Private Mode is a privacy feature that prevents your browsing history from being stored, and deletes any tracking cookies or web caches you acquire during your Private Mode browsing session.

To launch Private Mode, open the Norton Private Browser. Tap the More options icon on the address bar, and then tap New private tab.

HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) is a more secure version of the standard HTTP connection. HTTPS adds encryption that prevents others from eavesdropping and helps ensure that you are connected to the intended server.

The HTTPS Encryption feature in Norton Private Browser ensures that each website you visit uses an HTTPS connection where supported.

Privacy Cleaner clears your browsing history and other data stored in your browsers, such as cached images and cookies. This helps protect your privacy and clears disk space on your mobile device.

To use Privacy Cleaner to clear your history for a site, go to the Security & Privacy Center. Tap Advanced settings, and next to Clear all cookies & data, tap Clear. Tap Clear to confirm.

Privacy Guard prevents ads from loading on the web pages you visit and trackers from downloading tracking scripts onto your device, improving your online activity's privacy and safety. Every time you visit a website, Privacy Guard compares the script that the website runs against filter lists to determine what content the website can load or download.

To disable this feature, open Norton Private Browser and go to the Security & Privacy Center Settings. Tap the blue (ON) slider next to Block ads and tracker so that it changes to gray (OFF).

How can I adjust the strength of Privacy Guard?

To determine the strength of Privacy Guard, do the following:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and tap the Security & Privacy Center  icon beside the address bar.
2. Next to Block ads and tracker, tap the drop-down arrow to open advanced options.
   The following blocking options are available to choose from:

• Basic Blocking: Blocks known trackers and ads that follow you while surfing the web.
• Balanced (recommended): Blocks the same ads and trackers as the Basic Blocking in addition to social media ads, helping improve the speed of your browser and keeping your online identity safer while you surf the web.
• Strict Blocking: Is the highest level and even blocks browser notifications, helping prevent browser fingerprinting in addition to what is blocked by Balanced Blocking. 
  We do not recommend this level of blocking, as it may cause websites not to load properly or even make certain websites completely inaccessible.

The filter lists that Privacy Guard uses differ according to your chosen blocking state. The table below shows which filter lists are used by each available state:

Yes. Privacy Guard allows you to set your level of privacy according to your preferences while you surf the web.

To always allow ads on a particular website:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and navigate to the website that you want Privacy Guard to ignore.
2. Go to Security & Privacy Center. Next to Block Ads & trackers tap slider to change it to gray (OFF).
   Privacy Guard no longer blocks ads or trackers when visiting this site.

The browser fingerprint method (also known as device identification) collects specific data about your entire online activity, your browser type/version, operating system, add-ons, screen resolution, and various other active settings on your device. Browser fingerprinting can be active even if cookies are off or tracking protection is enabled.

Additionally, browser fingerprinting can be used to fully or partially identify individual users for security reasons, such as accessing your online bank account. Most banks use browser fingerprinting to protect you from fraud or identity theft; therefore, the Remember my device option will not work if Privacy Guard is set to Strict Blocking.

Browser fingerprinting in Norton Private Browser is only available if Privacy Guard is set to Strict Blocking. When you set Privacy Guard to Strict Blocking, Browser fingerprinting blocking is enabled by default.

To enable Strict Blocking, do the following:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and navigate to the website for which you want to enable Browser fingerprinting.
2. Tap the Security & Privacy Center  icon besides the address bar.
3. Under Privacy, next to Block ads and tracker, tap the drop-down arrow to open advanced options.
4. Select Strict blocking.
5. Tap Switch to Strict to confirm.

To disable Browser fingerprinting blocking for a specific website, do the following:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and navigate to the website for which you want to disable Browser fingerprinting blocking.
2. Tap the Security & Privacy Center  icon besides the address bar, and then select Basic Blocking or Balanced (Recommended). 
3. Tap OK to confirm.

To change your default search provider, do the following:

1. Open Norton Private Browser.
2. In the Search or URL box, start typing a text to display the search suggestions. Beside the search bar, tap the search provider icon and then tap the search provider that you want to use as default search provider.
    

To reset the Norton Private Browser settings to default, do the following:

1. Open Norton Private Browser.
2. Tap the More options  icon and then tap the Settings  icon to go to the Settings.
3. Scroll down to the Reset section and do one of the following:
   • To reset Norton Private Browser settings to default, tap Reset to default settings. Tap Reset to confirm.
     Norton Private Browser is now reset to default settings. Your passwords, bookmarks and browsing data is not deleted though.
   • To completely reset Norton Private Browser, tap Reset Norton Private Browser. Tap Reset to confirm.
     Once you reset Norton Private Browser, you cannot recover the deleted data.

   Norton Private Browser is now reset to default settings with all your passwords, bookmarks and browsing data deleted.

To clear your Norton Private Browser history, cookies, and cache, do the following:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and go to the Security & Privacy Center.
2. Tap Advanced Settings and then tap Clear next to Clear all Cookies & data.

To uninstall the Norton Private Browser app, do the following:

For more help with Norton Secure Browse, contact Member Support and Services.

If Norton Private Browser crashes or doesn't open, try the troubleshooting steps below:

1. Exit the Norton Private Browser app and reopen it.
2. If Norton Private Browser still doesn't open, try uninstalling and then reinstalling it.