The Tor Project released Tor Browser 16.0 on October 29, 2026. It is the first stable release based on Firefox ESR 153, after an annual ESR transition audit that reviewed more than 270 upstream changes for privacy and security effects. Under the hood it also updates Tor to 0.4.9.15 and NoScript to 13.6.37.1984. But the parts you will actually notice are the new Settings layout, a new privacy option for window titles, and native support for ARM64 Linux, paired with the end of 32-bit x86 builds.

ARM64 Linux goes stable, 32-bit x86 goes away

After about a year of testing, Tor Browser 16.0 officially supports 64-bit ARM Linux in the stable channel. That covers Raspberry Pi machines and Apple Silicon Macs running Linux, two setups where users previously had to track the alpha channel for ARM builds. If you are still on alpha purely for ARM support, the project now recommends switching to stable unless you plan to keep testing alphas.

The other side of the same coin is the end of 32-bit x86 Linux support, following Mozilla's decision to drop that architecture in Firefox. The Tor Project says the platform now accounts for around 200 update checks a day, down from a peak of about 4,000 in 2019. Before you upgrade, check what you are running with uname -m: most remaining 32-bit users should be able to move to the 64-bit build, unless the hardware itself is genuinely 32-bit only.

Settings finally looks like it was designed this year

The most visible change is a complete redesign of Settings, based on the parallel redesign Mozilla shipped in Firefox in June. The long-standing General page is gone, its contents split across new pages for Appearance, Downloads, Tabs and browsing, Accessibility, and Languages. Tor-specific pages, Connection and Security Level, were rebuilt from scratch with Firefox's new components so they match the rest of the interface.

Two details matter more than the new layout. First, your existing preferences are preserved even when a setting has moved, and the search bar at the top of Settings is now the fastest way to find anything that relocated. Second, settings that could weaken your privacy or make you easier to fingerprint are now either hidden or carry clear warnings. The browser would rather hide a footgun than document it and hope you read the warning.

Generic window titles: a small switch with a real threat model

The genuinely new privacy feature is generic window titles, found under Privacy and security, then Protections from third-party applications. Normally a browser window carries the title of the page you are viewing, and other applications on your machine, or the operating system itself, can read that title without special permissions. With the option on, every window title simply reads "Tor Browser", so local software can no longer learn which pages you have open from the window list.

It is off by default, and that is the right call for now. The Tor Project says it has not had time to fully evaluate side effects for people who rely on screen readers, less common window managers, or application switchers, and it is asking those users to test the setting and report problems. If you depend on accessibility tools or a heavily customized window setup, leave it off. If you run a fairly standard desktop, this is a cheap win worth turning on.

The same feature has also been upstreamed to Firefox through the Tor Uplift Project: advanced Firefox users can set privacy.exposeContentTitleInWindow and privacy.exposeContentTitleInWindow.pbm to false in about:config.

The upgrade playbook

Upgrading is straightforward, but do it in this order and you avoid the usual traps:

  1. Confirm your architecture first. Run uname -m. If it says x86_64 or aarch64, the 16.0 stable build covers you. If it says i686, you are on the dropped 32-bit platform and need a 64-bit install instead.
  2. Download only from the Tor Project. Get the build from torproject.org, not a mirror or a package repackaged by a third party, and verify the download the way the project documents before you replace your working copy.
  3. Keep your old copy until the new one connects. Launch 16.0, let it bootstrap, and confirm a site loads before you delete anything. If you rely on bridges or a custom Connection setup, re-check that page first: it was rebuilt in this release, so confirm your settings survived the move rather than assuming they did.
  4. Relearn Settings once, on purpose. Open Settings, use the search bar to find Connection and Security Level, and confirm they show what you expect. Then decide on generic window titles with the accessibility caveat above in mind.
  5. ARM users: leave alpha behind. If you were on Tor Browser Alpha only for ARM64 support, move to stable now. Alpha is a testing channel, and staying on it after the feature you needed has shipped just buys you extra breakage.

One more thing worth knowing: the built-in manual has been completely revamped, drawing on the Tor Project's Support portal content, and it still works offline at about:manual. That matters most when the thing you are troubleshooting is the connection itself, which is exactly when you cannot load a web page to look up the answer. Readers who run Tor through Tails will recognize the same logic: the help has to be inside the system, not behind the network you are trying to fix.

Tor Browser 16.0 is not a release that asks you to change how you browse. It asks you to check two things: whether your hardware is still on a supported platform, and whether your window titles are leaking your browsing to every other app on the machine. Both checks take about a minute. If you are still weighing which privacy browser fits your setup, our roundup of the best browsers for Linux puts Tor in context against the alternatives, and our earlier Firefox 159 Wayland fix is a useful reminder of how much of Tor's foundation still comes from Firefox ESR.

Sources

  • The Tor Project, "New Release: Tor Browser 16.0", October 29, 2026: https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tor-browser-160/
  • Tor Browser download page: https://www.torproject.org/download/