Use a VPN in Firefox Without Changing Other Browsers

A system-wide VPN app switches every browser on your computer to the same connection. Firefox can take a different route: a VPN extension, a manual proxy, or Mozilla's IP Protection where it is available.

Pick the method your provider actually supports, connect, then run the same IP checker in Firefox and in Chrome or Edge. Firefox should show the new address. Everything else should still show your normal one.

In this guide, I have covered:

Choose a VPN method that leaves other browsers alone

You want Firefox on a VPN, but you don’t want Chrome, Edge, or the rest of your computer dragged along with it. That is doable. Firefox can reach the web through a VPN extension, a manual proxy, or Mozilla’s browser-only IP Protection feature where it is available.

Each of these changes Firefox alone. The connection used by Chrome, Edge, Safari, and other apps stays exactly as it was. None of them give you the protection of a full VPN application, so know what you’re getting.

• VPN browser extension: The simplest route for most people. The catch: the extension comes from a provider you have to trust.
• Manual proxy configuration: Good when your VPN provider hands you Firefox-compatible proxy details.
• Mozilla IP Protection: Firefox’s own protection, offered by Mozilla in supported locations and on supported accounts.

Not sure which one fits? Start by checking whether your VPN provider publishes a Firefox add-on. If all it gives you is proxy credentials, use the manual route instead.

Set up a VPN with a Firefox extension

If your provider ships a Firefox add-on, that is the least disruptive way to route only Firefox traffic. Mozilla offers its own browser extension on Windows, while other providers may support Firefox on different desktop platforms.

1. Open the menu.
2. Select Add-ons and Themes.
3. Find the official extension for your VPN provider, or use the provider’s own website to reach its Firefox add-on.
4. Select Add to Firefox.
5. Confirm the permissions request by selecting Add Extension.
6. Open the extension from the Firefox toolbar.
7. Sign in with your VPN account.
8. Select a VPN location and connect.

The extension should now report a connected state. You’ll know it worked when an IP address checker in Firefox shows a different public address than the same checker shows in another browser.

Install extensions only from the VPN provider or Mozilla Add-ons. Review the permissions and privacy policy, because a proxy extension can observe or redirect your browsing activity.

Mozilla’s own Mozilla VPN browser extension protects Firefox traffic rather than every application on the computer. According to Mozilla, this browser extension is available on Windows.

Configure Firefox to use a proxy

Some providers give you proxy details instead of an add-on. Firefox accepts HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS proxies directly, and the setting applies to Firefox while Chrome, Edge, and everything else keep using your normal connection.

1. Open the menu.
2. Select Settings.
3. Scroll to General and find the Network Settings section.
4. Select Settings…, or select Configure proxy… if that is the button shown in your version of Firefox.
5. In the Connection Settings dialog, select Manual proxy configuration.
6. Enter the proxy host and port supplied by your VPN provider.
7. Enter any required secure proxy or SOCKS details in the matching fields.
8. Select OK.
9. Open an IP address checker in Firefox to confirm that the connection is using the proxy.

Which fields you fill depends on what your provider supports. Do not copy the host and port from an unrelated service, and do not enable the HTTPS or SOCKS proxy fields unless those values were provided for your account.

ALERT: Never enter unknown proxy credentials into Firefox. If a proxy fails to connect, other websites may stop loading in Firefox until you restore the connection settings.

Enable Mozilla IP Protection in Firefox

Mozilla sells its own VPN, and part of that service shows up inside Firefox as IP Protection. Whether you see it depends on your location and your Mozilla account, and Mozilla documents it separately from the full-device VPN application.

1. Open the menu.
2. Select More from Mozilla.
3. Select Mozilla VPN if the option is available.
4. Sign in to your Mozilla account and follow the on-screen prompts.
5. Turn on IP Protection and select the location or connection option offered for your account.
6. Confirm the protection status shown by Firefox.

Next, compare your public IP address in Firefox with the address another browser reports. Mozilla’s guide to using the built-in VPN in Firefox covers the current account and availability details.

Do not confuse Firefox’s browser-only IP Protection with the Mozilla VPN desktop application. The desktop application routes traffic for the entire computer, while the Firefox feature is limited to Firefox.

Confirm that only Firefox changed

Once a method is running, prove it. Open the same IP address checker in two browsers and compare the results. This takes about a minute and settles the question.

1. Open an IP address checker in Firefox and note the displayed address.
2. Open the same checker in Chrome, Edge, or another browser.
3. Compare the two addresses.
4. Disconnect the Firefox extension or restore the proxy setting, then check both browsers again if necessary.

You’ll know it worked when Firefox shows the VPN or proxy address and the other browser still shows your normal one.

If both addresses change, something device-wide is at work. Check the provider’s system extension, desktop app, or operating-system network service. Plenty of providers install a device-wide component alongside the Firefox extension.

Fix Firefox connection and loading problems

Do websites stop loading in Firefox right after you set up a proxy? Undo the connection setting first. That separates a bad proxy configuration from a genuine Firefox problem.

1. Open Settings → General → Network Settings.
2. Select Settings….
3. Select No proxy.
4. Select OK.
5. Reload the website that stopped working.

If Firefox still fails while Chrome or Edge loads the same page, work through the browser-specific checks in Fix Firefox Not Loading a Website That Works in Other Browsers.

Pages load but you’ve been signed out? That is often just the new IP address talking. Clearing stored site data is the heavier option, and the Firefox cookie and cache guide walks through what gets removed.

ALERT: Signing out of websites after connecting can be normal, because the service sees a new IP address. Clear cookies only when you understand which signed-in sessions will be removed.

If testing several extensions and proxy setups has left Firefox in a mess, a settings reset puts it back to defaults. Disconnect the VPN extension and set the proxy back to No proxy first, because a browser reset may not change an active provider extension.

RELATED: Reset Mozilla Firefox Browser Settings on the Computer