Tor Browser Bundle

The Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.

The Tor Browser Bundle lets you use Tor on Windows or Linux without needing to install any software. It can run off a USB flash drive, comes with a pre-configured web browser and is self-contained. The Tor IM Browser Bundle additionally allows instant messaging and chat over Tor. If you would prefer to use your existing web browser, install Tor permanently, or if you don't use Windows, see the other ways to download Tor.

Freedom House has produced a video on how to find and use the Tor Browser Bundle. If you don't see a video below, view it at Youtube . Know of a better video or one translated into your language? Let us know!

Download Tor Browser Bundle and Tor IM Browser Bundle

To start using the Tor Browser Bundle or Tor IM Browser Bundle, download the file for your preferred language. This file can be saved wherever is convenient, e.g. the Desktop or a USB flash drive.

If you have an unreliable Internet connection, it may be easier for you to download the bundle edition which is split up into smaller parts.

Tor Browser Bundle for Windows with Firefox (version 1.3.9, 16 MB)

Tor IM Browser Bundle for Windows with Firefox and Pidgin (version 1.3.9, 25 MB)

BETA: Tor Browser Bundle for Linux with Firefox (version 1.0.10, 22 MB)

English (en-US): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
العربية (ar): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Deutsch (de): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Español (es-ES): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
فارسی (fa): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Français (fr): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Italiano (it): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Nederlands (nl): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Polish (pl): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Português (pt-PT): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
Русский (ru): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)
简体字 (zh-CN): i386 (sig) | x86_64 (sig)

See our instructions on how to verify package signatures, which allows you to make sure you've downloaded the file we intended you to get. Also, note that the Firefox in our bundles is modified from the default Firefox; we're currently working with Mozilla to see if they want us to change the name to make this clearer.

Linux instructions

Download the architecture-appropriate file above, save it somewhere, then run:
tar -xvzf tor-browser-gnu-linux-1.0.10-dev-LANG.tar.gz (where LANG is the language listed in the filename), and either double click on the directory or cd into it, then execute the start-tor-browser script. This will launch Vidalia and once that connects to Tor, it will launch Firefox.

Extraction

Download the file above, and save it somewhere, then double click on it. Click on the button labelled "..." (1) and select where you want to save the bundle then click OK (2). At least 50 MB free space must be available in the location you select. If you want to leave the bundle on the computer, saving it to the Desktop is a good choice. If you want to move it to a different computer or limit the traces you leave behind, save it to a USB disk.

Click Extract (3) to begin extraction. This may take a few minutes to complete.

Screenshot of extraction process

Usage

Once extraction is complete, open the folder Tor Browser from the location you saved the bundle.

Double click on the Start Tor Browser (4) application (it may be called Start Tor Browser.exe on some systems.)

The Vidalia window will shortly appear.

Screenshot of bundle startup

Once Tor is ready, Firefox will automatically be opened. Only web pages visited through the included Firefox browser will be sent via Tor. Other web browsers such as Internet Explorer are not affected. Make sure that it says "Tor Enabled" (5) in the bottom right corner before using it. To reduce the risk of confusion, don't run Firefox while using the Tor Browser Bundle, and close existing Firefox windows before starting.

If you installed the Tor IM Browser Bundle, the Pidgin instant messaging client will also be automatically opened.

Once you are finished browsing, close any open Firefox windows by clicking on the (6). For privacy reasons, the list of webpages you visited and any cookies will be deleted.

Screenshot of Firefox

With the Tor Browser Bundle, Vidalia and Tor will automatically close. With the Tor IM Browser Bundle you need to also close Pidgin by right-clicking on the Pidgin icon (7), and choosing Quit (8).

Screenshot of Pidgin

To use the Tor Browser Bundle or Tor IM Browser Bundle again, repeat the steps in "Usage".

Remember that Tor anonymizes the origin of your traffic, and it encrypts everything inside the Tor network, but it can't encrypt your traffic between the Tor network and its final destination. If you are communicating sensitive information, you should use as much care as you would on the normal scary Internet — use HTTPS or other end-to-end encryption and authentication.

Comments and suggestions

The Tor Browser Bundle is under development and not yet complete. To discuss improvements and submit comments, please use the or-talk mailing list.

More information

What is Tor and why do I need it? To learn more about Tor, visit the Tor Project website.

What is in the Tor Browser Bundle? It contains Tor, Vidalia, Polipo, Firefox, and Torbutton (learn more).

What is in the Tor IM Browser Bundle? It contains Tor, Vidalia, Polipo, Firefox, Torbutton, Pidgin and OTR (learn more).

How can I make my own bundle? To download the source code and learn how to build the bundle yourself, read the build instructions.

Tor Browser Bundle is partially based on Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition and Pidgin Portable from PortableApps.com.