Norton Private Browser - FAQs

Norton Private Browser is a web browser with built-in security and privacy features to help keep you safe online. The 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 Norton website.

Norton Private Browser comes 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.

For Norton Private Browser system requirements, refer to the following article:

• System requirements to install and set up Norton protection

You can download Norton Private Browser directly from the Norton Private Browser website.
For detailed instructions, refer to the following article: Download and install Norton Private Browser.

To open Norton Private Browser:

• Windows: Double-click the Norton Private Browser  icon on your desktop.
• Mac: Click the Norton Private Browser icon in your Dock.
  To open Norton Private Browser you can also click Go > Applications in your Apple menu bar, then double-click Norton Private Browser.

Yes. Norton Private Browser is designed to function alongside your other browsers. You can import bookmarks and data from Brave Browser, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari (on Mac only).
For detailed instructions on importing bookmarks and passwords to Norton Private Browser, refer to the following articles:

• Importing and exporting bookmarks in Norton Private Browser
• Importing and exporting passwords in Norton Private Browser

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 the highest level of security and privacy. You can enable or disable certain features, and access tools such as Private Mode and Privacy Cleaner.

To open the Security & Privacy Center, click the Security & Privacy Center  icon in the top-right corner of the Norton Private Browser screen.

The following options are available

Security Check

• Security Check displays the number of blocked malicious downloads, phishing attempts, and harmful websites since you started using Norton Private Browser. If any security issues are detected, it also provides recommended actions.

Browser Modes

• Regular: The standard mode, recommended for daily browsing of the web.
• Screen Sharing: Allows you to maintain your privacy when sharing your screen by hiding certain parts of your browser, such as bookmarks bar, search history, extensions, etc. For more information about Screen Sharing, refer to the following article: Norton Private Browser Screen Sharing Mode.
• Private Mode: Prevents your browsing history from being stored and deletes any tracking cookies or web caches you acquire during your Private Mode browsing session. To open a webpage in Private Mode, click Launch Window on the Private Mode tile.

Settings

• Privacy Guard (enabled by default): Prevents ads from loading on the webpages you visit and trackers from downloading tracking scripts onto your device, which improves the privacy and safety of your online activity. For detailed information, refer to the Privacy Guard section.
• Web Shield (enabled by default): Blocks malicious websites and phishing attempts while you browse the web. It also prevents downloading potentially malicious content that could infect your Windows device.
• Password Managers (enabled by default): Allows you to select a password manager to use in Norton Private Browser. A password manager securely stores your passwords in one location, while you only have to remember one master password. Click the blue text in the Password Managers tile, then use the drop-down menu to select which password manager you want to use.
• Extension Guard (enabled by default): Prevents untrusted extensions (also known as add-ons and plug-ins) from being installed in your web browser.

Tools

• Privacy Cleaner: Clears your browsing history and other data stored in your browsers, such as cached images and cookies. For more information, refer to the Privacy Cleaner section.

Additional Security Tips

• Install Norton Security: Protects you in real-time against viruses, malware, and other threats. Click the tile to install Norton Security. Alternatively, if Norton Security is installed, click the tile to open the app.

Password Manager allows you to add a password manager to Norton Private Browser. A password manager stores your passwords in one location more securely, and allows you to only have to remember one master password. By default, Norton Private Browser uses its own password manager to save your passwords. You can also use another password manager, such as Norton Password Manager.

To select a password manager, go to the Security & Privacy Center and click the Password Managers tile. From the drop-down menu, select the password manager that you want to use.

 

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 Windows device. Web Shield is enabled by default.

To disable this feature, go to the Security & Privacy Center, and click the slider on the Web Shield tile so that it changes from blue (ON) to gray (OFF).

Screen Sharing Mode provides privacy and security when you share your browser screen with anyone by hiding your personal browser data, such as your bookmarks, search history or suggestions, and extensions. For more information about Screen Sharing Mode, refer to the following article: Norton Private Browser Screen Sharing Mode.

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 device.

To use Privacy Cleaner to, go to the Security & Privacy Center and click the Privacy Cleaner tile. Choose the browser data that you want to delete and click Clear data.

To clear your browsing history:

1. Open the Security & Privacy Center.
2. Click the Privacy Cleaner tile.
3. Select the tab for Basic or Advanced.
4. Optionally, select a Time range from the drop-down menu.
5. Tick the box next to browsing data items to clear.
6. Click Delete data.

Social Media Protection is a feature that helps keep you safe from scams distributed through social media ads and sponsored content. It scans linked content and alerts you if a link may lead to an unsafe site. The feature includes Safe Social, which scans Facebook and X, and YouTube Content Protection, which scans YouTube. Ads or sponsored content that appear suspicious are flagged with a yellow Suspicious banner.

To use Social Media Protection, you must log in to Norton Private Browser with your Norton Account:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, select Me and Norton, then click Sign in.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in to your Norton Account.

Two options are available:

• Option A: If your Norton Account does not have an active Norton security app subscription, Social Media Protection scans only sponsored content on YouTube.
• Option B: If your Norton Account has an active Norton security app subscription, Social Media Protection scans ads on Facebook and X, in addition to YouTube content.

To manage Social Media Protection settings:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, select Privacy and security, then click More.
3. Under Additional settings, you can enable or disable Safe Social and Secure YouTube Content Protection, or manage them for specific websites.

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.

The Video Downloader extension lets you easily download video and audio content from your favorite sites. To install this extension, open the Norton Video Downloader extension page in your Norton Private Browser and click Add Extension.

Once you install the extension, open the webpage in Norton Private Browser with the video that you want to download. Hover your mouse cursor over it, and select Download.

Video Downloader may not be compatible with all websites.

Coupons is a free extension to your browser that finds you better deals when you shop online. It scans store homepages, newsletters, and the web, to find relevant and up-to-date coupon codes. With one click, Coupons can find, test, and apply the best codes without you having to leave the checkout page.

Coupons appears automatically at checkout at thousands of the most popular e-commerce stores. Click Apply all codes to get started. You can run the automatic application of coupons again at any time by clicking the Coupons icon in your browser toolbar and selecting Apply all codes again.

Norton Private Browser allows you to create user profiles for friends, family, work, or personal use with separate bookmarks, extensions, browsing histories, and more.

To set up profiles:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and click the Account icon in the top-right corner of the browser.
2. Click Add New profile, then select your preferred option:
   • Sign in: Enter your Norton Account credentials and click Continue, then click Profile name and picture to edit your existing profile's name, theme, or avatar.
   • Continue without an account: Select this option to create a profile without connecting a Norton Account.
3. Enter a name or label and optionally select a theme.
4. Click Done.

The next time you open Norton Private Browser, on the Who's using Norton Private Browser screen, select which profile you want to use.

URL cleaner helps remove UTM parameters, ad IDs, and other tracking elements from the links you share, while preserving the link's functionality. To use URL Cleaner, right-click the URL in your Norton Private Browser address bar and select URL Cleaner - Copy Shortened Link. The cleaned URL is copied to your clipboard and is ready to be shared.

The Performance Settings section in Norton Private Browser allows you to boost the performance of your Windows device by suspending inactive tabs in Norton Private Browser. To access Performance Settings:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, select Performance, then configure the options below:
   • Performance issue alerts: Allow Norton Private Browser to show a notification suggesting you deactivate tabs to improve browsing speed. This alert appears when your browser performance is reduced.
   • Inactive tabs appearance: When enabled, inactive tabs in the tab strip are shown with their icon inside a ring , making them easier to distinguish from active tabs.
   • Memory Saver: Saves your computer's memory and boosts its performance by suspending inactive tabs. To enable, click the gray (OFF) slider so that it changes to blue (ON). Optionally, create an exception for specific sites by clicking Add next to Always keep these sites active, then enter the web address (for example, google.com) and click Add.
     A suspended tab is not permanently removed unless you manually close it. Click a suspended tab and click the refresh icon to reload the content.
   • Energy Saver: Automatically reduces Norton Private Browser's image capture rate and other background tasks when your device is unplugged or your battery is low. To enable, click the gray (OFF) slider so that it changes to blue (ON), then select your preferred option for when Energy Saver should automatically turn on.
     Energy Saver is available only on portable devices, such as laptops.
   • Preload pages: Norton Private Browser can preload pages you might visit to improve browsing speed. If allowed, it may use cookies while preloading the pages and may encrypt and send pages through Norton servers to hide your identity from sites.

To access Threat reports and view statistics, go to Security & Privacy Center and click View Threat Reports in the Security Check tab on the left side of the screen.

When visiting different websites with Norton Private Browser, you can check the security of a website's connection by clicking the icon that appears to the left to the web address.

Privacy Guard prevents ads from loading on the webpages 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, go to the Security & Privacy Center and click the blue (ON) slider on the Privacy Guard tile so that it changes to gray (OFF).

To determine the strength of Privacy Guard, click the Privacy Guard icon to the right of the address bar and click Change settings , then select your preferred blocking option:

• Basic Blocking: Blocks known trackers and ads that follow you while you are on the web.
• Balanced Blocking (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 are on the web.
• Strict Blocking: Is the highest level and even blocks browser notification, 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:

FILTER LIST	DESCRIPTION	BASIC	BALANCED	STRICT
EasyList	A block list that contains URLs of known ads for English websites Goal: To automatically remove unwanted content including unformatted images, ads, banners, and tracking	YES	YES	YES
Regional Easy List	A block list that contains URLs of known ads on region-specific websites globally	YES	YES	YES
Acceptable Ads (ACC) filter list	Approved content and ad formats Goal: Supports websites by allowing some non-intrusive ads to appear on the website Acceptable Ads allowlist is usually enabled by default when you install an adblocker.	YES	NO	NO
Local lists	Your personal list of websites that can always show ads Goal: Allows you to customize Privacy Guard behavior according to your exact requirements	YES	YES	YES
Custom lists	Norton Search Partner allowlist Goal: Allows trusted and non-intrusive search-related content to appear while you browse the web so that you can have a more personalized experience	YES	YES	NO

Yes. Privacy Guard allows you to set your own level of privacy according to your preferences while you are on 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. Click the Privacy Guard icon to the right of the address bar, then click the slider next to Ads & trackers blocked to change it to gray (OFF).

Privacy Guard no longer blocks ads or trackers when visiting this site.

Alternatively, you can completely turn off Privacy Guard by following the steps below:

1. Click the Privacy Guard icon to the right of the address bar, then click Change settings icon to open the Privacy Guard Settings.
2. Under Privacy Guard, click the slider to change it to gray (OFF).

The browser fingerprint method (also known as device identification) collects specific data about your 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.

To enable Strict Blocking:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and navigate to the website for which you want to enable Browser fingerprinting.
2. Click the Privacy Guard  icon to the right of the address bar then click the Settings  icon.
3. In the Privacy Guard Settings window, select Strict Blocking.
4. Click Go to Strict to confirm.

To disable Browser fingerprinting blocking for a specific website:

1. Open Norton Private Browser and navigate to the website for which you want to disable Browser fingerprinting blocking.
2. Click the Privacy Guard  icon to the right of the address bar, then click the Browser fingerprinting blocked slider to change it to gray (OFF).

To make Norton Private Browser your default browser, go to the Security & Privacy Center. If a banner appears at the top of the screen, click Make Default. If a banner does not appear, Norton Private Browser might already be your default browser.

To ensure Norton Private Browser is your default browser:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, click Default browser.
3. Click Set as default, then follow the on-screen instructions to make Norton Private Browser your default browser.

To change your default search provider:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, click Search engine then click Change.
3. Scroll to the Search engine section and click Manage search engines and site search.
4. Select your preferred search engine, then click Set as default.

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, click On startup.
3. Scroll to the Search engine section and click Manage search engines and site search.
4. Click the blue (ON) slider so that it changes to gray (OFF).

The Side Panel provides quick access to various tools and features. You can search the web, use Smart Chat, read news, write notes, play games, access utilities, and customize the panel. For information about Norton Private Browser Side Panel, visit the following article:

• How to use Norton Private Browser Side Panel

To reset the Norton Private Browser settings to default:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, click Reset settings.
3. Click Restore settings to their original defaults, then select Reset settings to confirm.

To change the language of Norton Private Browser:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. In the left panel, click Languages.
3. Click Add Languages.
4. Tick the box next to your preferred language and select Add.
5. From the list of languages, click More actions (the three dots) next to the added language, and tick the box next to Display Norton Private Browser in this language.
6. Click Relaunch to start a new Norton Private Browser session in your preferred language.

Norton Private Browser allows you to import browsing history, bookmarks, saved passwords, cookies, and more from your other browsers. to learn more, read: Importing and exporting bookmarks in Norton Private Browser.

Some websites cannot function or load correctly unless cookies are enabled. You can add individual websites to your list of websites that are always allowed to use cookies:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. Go to Privacy and Security > Site settings.
3. Under Content, click Cookies and site data.
4. Click Add next to Sites that can always use cookies.
5. Type the web address for the website that you want to allow (for example, www.example.com).
   If you type [*.] before the domain name, you add all webpages included in that domain.
   For example, when you type [*.]norton.com, you add all webpages that are part of the Norton domain (such as www.norton.com/store and www.norton.com/products).
6. Click Add.

The website now appears on your list of Sites that can always use cookies.

Some websites and media cannot run unless JavaScript is enabled. You can add individual websites to your list of websites that are always allowed to use JavaScript:

1. Open Norton Private Browser, and go to Menu (the three dots) icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings.
2. Go to Privacy and Security > Site settings.
3. Under Content, click JavaScript.
4. Click Add next to Allowed to use Javascript.
5. Type the web address for the website that you want to allow (for example, www.example.com). If you type [*.] before the domain name, you add all webpages included in that domain. For example, when you type [*.]norton.com, you add all webpages that are part of the Norton domain (such as www.norton.com/store and www.norton.com/products).
6. Click Add.

The website now appears on your Allow list.

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

If Norton Private Browser crashes or does not open, try the troubleshooting steps below:

1. Close Norton Private Browser and reopen it.
2. If the issue persists, close Norton Private Browser and restart your Windows device.
3. If Norton Private Browser still does not open, try uninstalling and reinstalling it.

When downloading a file from the internet, Norton Private Browser may ask you for further verification or block the suspicious download completely. The download requires your attention if one of the following icons appears in the download bar at the bottom of the browser window:

• File not verified: Indicates Norton Private Browser cannot verify the download and requires your verification. To verify the download and keep the file, select Keep. To remove the file, select Discard.
• File blocked: Indicates that Norton Private Browser has detected a potentially dangerous file and blocked the download. To avoid this, ensure you only download files from a safe and legitimate online source.

Norton Private Browser automatically blocks downloads that may cause problems on your computer or online accounts. When trying to download a file, you may see the message that the file cannot be downloaded securely.

The file download may be blocked for one of the following reasons:

• Malicious: A virus or malware.
• Unwanted: A deceptive file that may make unexpected changes to your computer.
• Uncommon: An unfamiliar file that is potentially dangerous.
• Insecure: A file that is not secure or the website it is downloaded from is unsafe.
• Web Shield: Built-in anti-phishing protection.

With Norton Private Browser version 109 and later, we no longer offer support for devices running Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 due to Microsoft's end of support for these operating systems.

Previous versions of Norton Private Browser will continue to work, but there will be no further browser updates. We recommend using Windows 10 or later with the latest version of Norton Private Browser to receive important security updates and features that keep you safe while browsing online.