OVoverflowy·Sep 2, 2026Recommendation phrase
I love Firefox but I don't understand why anybody would use it without a custom config like BetterFox[1].
[1] https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox
In Firefox's AI Switch Is Off. Telemetry Isn'tyokoffing
Betterfox
JavaScript2023–2026
yokoffing / Betterfox
Betterfox
Firefox user.js for optimal privacy and security. Your favorite browser, but better.
14Distinct people
16Mentions
1Explicit recommenders
11KGitHub stars
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What it is
Firefox user.js for optimal privacy and security. Your favorite browser, but better.
GitHub
Where it is used
No documented product use was verified in the last source check.
What people are saying
I love Firefox but I don't understand why anybody would use it without a custom config like BetterFox[1]. [1] https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox
overflowy used a recommendation phrase. One indexed comment matches. This is a phrase match, not a verdict.
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Also in these discussions
- arkenfox/user.js · linked in 3 of the same discussions
Mentioned in the same Hacker News threads. That is not proof they are substitutes.
This week on Hacker News
Nov 7–Nov 14 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/14/2026, 3:56:07 PM UTC.
No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.
Mentions over time
HN mentions by year16 dated mentions
Observed mentions: 2023-05-26 11:25:59 UTC to 2026-09-02 20:12:55 UTC.
* An incomplete calendar period is marked with an outlined bar. Its count is not directly comparable with a full period.
Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.
View mention counts and date ranges
| Period | Start (UTC) | End (exclusive, UTC) | Mentions | Submissions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| 2026 (partial) | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2027-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 3 | 0 | 3 |
What Hacker News says
16 sourcesThese prefs - and many others - can be placed in a user.js file:
https://github.com/yokoffing/BetterFox
In Making Firefox's right-click not suck with about:config> iOS:
- uBlock Origin now exists
- Settings > Apps > Safari > (General) Extensions > uBlock Origin Lite
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ublock-origin-lite/id6745342698
- Alternatively, use Orion Browser (Kagi)
- Pros: a bit better ad blocking
- Cons: more buggy
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/orion-browser-by-kagi/id1484498200
I'd also recommend installing Firefox, logging in, but use Safari. That way you can export a tab to Firefox where you can still get the send tabs feature.
> Firefox as a whole:
Also check out BetterFox
- https://github.com/yokoffing/BetterFox
Side Note:
Phones are also general computer systems. Fuck this bullshit of pretending they're anything less. If you don't have control over your computer, your computer is broken. You don't have to be forced to adhere to Big Tech's short comings.
Read the rest
> Andriod:
- Install Termux (from F-droid, not Playstore)
- It is trivial to write scripts to handle a lot of things that work through third parties. Less than 100 lines. I find these scripts *better* than many app alternatives and infinitely more trustworthy. We're on HN, everyone here should be able to write basic scripts. Hell, the AI could probably do these things easily (make it use functions! Bash needs functions!)
Some ideas to show scope of what you can do:
- Automated backups: just a fucking rsync to your folders (god fuck Apple, why can't I rsync my pictures on an iPhone!!!!)
- I have my script check for WiFi. If on my SSID I rsync locally. If not, I go through Tailscale. If not on WiFi I don't backup, minimizing my data usage. I'm lazy and just set the cron job to run once a day, making each backup usually pretty small but can cause larger backups when traveling
- rsync can also remove files from your phone if you're concerned about storage.
- You can backup to multiple locations! Even if you use google drive or whatever you should still rsync to your local machine. Remember, Google photos doesn't save full resolution.
- Loss Prevention: Your phone hasn't accessed a set of predetermined WIFI SSIDs in a set time period? Send a file to a known computer (Tailscale), email yourself, or something else with the device's coordinates. Add an easing function, check battery health, and whatever info you want. Hell, even take pictures. You can also make it play music or whatever to help find it.
- Replicate Apple's Check In:
- You can read GPS coordinates, SSIDs, and send SMS messages. This is a lot easier than you think
- Enforce the actual WIFI SSID you want!
- Phone sometimes jumping on the wrong SSID? Have no fear a few lines of code can tell it to fuck off!
- I had this issue living in graduate housing where a university AP was near my unit. My phone would randomly decide to join the uni's connection despite sitting a few feet from my router and having better signal strength...
- Install Tailscale and get access to your local machines remotely
- Setup a raspberry pi at home and make an exit node that uses pihole (suggestion: check out systemd-nspawn)
Nah, [BetterFox](https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox) still works fine
In No AI* Here – A Response to Mozilla's Next ChapterGood work. There are some hardening options that you may be able to glean from ArkenFox [1] and Betterfox [2]. Another addon to consider listing is CSS Exfil protection [3a] CSS Exfil Test Site [3b].
[1] - https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js
[2] - https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox
[3a] - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/css-exfil-pro...
[3b] - https://www.mike-gualtieri.com/css-exfil-vulnerability-teste...
In Hardening Firefox – a checklist for improved browser privacyI would also advise people to use user.js such as arkenfox / betterfox.
Also available on mobile
https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox/issues/240
In How to FirefoxFirefox only updates on its own if installed outside of the package manager. This applies to Debian and its forks. If I click on Help -> About it says, "Updates disabled by your organization". I personally would like to see distributions suggest installing Betterfox [1] or Arkenfox [2] to tighten up Firefox a bit.
[1] - https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox
[2] - https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js
In Why does Debian change software?Betterfox - about:config tweaks to enhance Mozilla Firefox
25 points · Open discussionFirefox ESR [0] with Arkenfox [1] on one machine and BetterFox [2] on another. To watch the telemetry I sometimes force all traffic through a Squid MitM SSL Bump proxy.
[0] - https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/
[1] - https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js
[2] - https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox
In Ask HN: What browser are you using?Yokoffing/Betterfox: Firefox user.js for speed, privacy, and security
4 points · Open discussionhttps://github.com/yokoffing/BetterFox
I set this up once, sometimes do a git pull, and honestly, I can't see "annoyances" others always complain about. Maybe I look at the wrong places / learned to ignore them. Or maybe it's BetterFox removing them. Worth a try.
Edit: https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox/wiki/Common-Overrides...
They already included instructions on how to disable it. However, since the defaults also disable most of the new tab clutter, it wasn't shown to me in the first place.
In Firefox update added more sponsored content on new-tab pageYes, beta version for sure(just go to about:config), possibly it works on the normal version with the following method (which allows you to insert a user.js)
Instructions: https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox/issues/240
Other option is to use another gecko based browser check this
https://divestos.org/pages/browsers
In Make Firefox Private Again> Most of the preferences in this will actually reduce the target-able attack surface
Can you point to anything specific that reduces the attack surface?
When looking at the "securefox" config, it does a bunch of strange things, like enabling embedded TikTok links (https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox/blob/443710b0738ebc8f...) and disabling UITour (https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox/blob/443710b0738ebc8f...) which Firefox uses to highlight menus and is only accessible by approved Mozilla domains (https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/browser/app/per...).
It's a very strange mix of configs.
In Betterfox: User.js to harden Firefox and optimize privacy, security, and speed…assuming you don’t use assistive technology: https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox/blob/443710b0738ebc8f...
In Betterfox: User.js to harden Firefox and optimize privacy, security, and speedBetterfox: User.js to harden Firefox and optimize privacy, security, and speed
142 points · Open discussionShowing the 15 most recent of 16 sources. Enable JavaScript to search and browse every indexed mention.