Best for Tor Browser
Residential proxies
from $0.27/GB
Open blocked sites in a normal browser from a country you pick, or put a sticky session in front of Tor to hold one IP for up to 24 hours.
Browsers & operating systems
Tor Browser Proxy Tor Proxy Settings, Port 9150 and Bridges
Tor Browser works on
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android
Key facts
Where the proxy setting is
Settings > Connection, then Settings… under Advanced (desktop only). Websites still see a Tor exit IP, not the proxy's.
What the proxy provider sees
Your real IP and encrypted connections to Tor entry relays. Like your ISP, it can't see which sites you open, since Tor encrypts that on your device.
Exit IPs are public
The Tor Project publishes current exit IPs at check.torproject.org/torbulkexitlist. Any site can load that file to refuse Tor.
Proxy types and bridges in Tor Browser
Use a proxy when your network forces one, and a bridge when it blocks Tor.
| Name | Works In | Auth | Blocking Resistance | Best For | Where To Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOCKS5 | Desktop, in the Connection settings window | Username and password, or none | None. The proxy passes Tor traffic through unchanged | Networks that block Tor relays but let your proxy through | Geonode residential proxies on a SOCKS5 port |
| HTTP/HTTPS | Desktop, same window | Optional username and password | None | Office or campus networks that require their own proxy | Your network admin, or a Geonode HTTP port |
| SOCKS4 | Desktop, same window | None. Username and Password are greyed out | None | Older proxies with no login | An older proxy your network already runs |
| Bridge (obfs4, Snowflake, meek, WebTunnel) | Desktop and Android | A bridge line, except for the built-in bridges | Made for blocked networks. obfs4 may fail under heavy censorship, where meek may still work but is usually very slow | ISPs and countries that block Tor | Built in, or from bridges.torproject.org or @GetBridgesBot on Telegram |
Which proxy type to use with Tor Browser
Any proxy that lets connections through to Tor relays can carry Tor into the network. Type matters when a site refuses Tor and you visit it on a residential IP, whose provider sees who you are and what you browse.
Same IP before Tor
ISP proxies
from $1.25/IP
ISP plans come as a list of assigned IPs, so Tor's entry relays see the same IP for as long as it stays in your plan.
Gets past relay blocks
Datacenter proxies
from $0.14/GB
It gets Tor past a network that blocks relays but won't help with sites that reject Tor.
Avoid
Free public proxies
Free
A free proxy's owner could log your real IP next to your Tor use, and the free Tor Browser already includes bridges.
How to set up a proxy in Tor Browser
These desktop steps match Tor Browser 15.
Click Configure Connection… on the Connect to Tor screen. In a running browser, open the menu (≡) > Settings > Connection (about:preferences#connection).
Under Advanced, click Settings… beside Configure how Tor Browser connects to the internet.
In the Connection settings window, tick I use a proxy to connect to the internet.
Set Proxy type to SOCKS5, HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS4.
Type the host into Address and the port into Port. A host:port pasted into Address splits into both fields when you click away, but a full host:port:username:password line does not.
For SOCKS5 or HTTP/HTTPS, fill in Username and Password. With Geonode, use a sticky port (SOCKS5 12000-12010, HTTP 10000-10900).
Behind a strict firewall, tick This computer goes through a firewall that only allows connections to certain ports and fill in Allowed ports, such as 80,443.
Click OK, then click Connect if this is the first launch.
Check detailed instructions on our blog:
Read the blog postHow to check that Tor Browser uses the proxy
Restart Tor Browser so Tor connects from scratch, then click View log… in Settings > Connection.
Look for Bootstrapped 4% (conn_done_proxy): Connected to proxy, or with a bridge on, 2% (conn_done_pt): Connected to pluggable transport. If the log stops at 3% Connecting to proxy, Tor can't reach it.
Open check.torproject.org and confirm it says Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor.
How to remove the proxy from Tor Browser
In Settings > Connection, click Settings… under Advanced, untick I use a proxy to connect to the internet and click OK.
Switch any program you pointed at 127.0.0.1:9150 back to no proxy.
On Android, open Config Bridge and turn off Use a Bridge.
Tor Browser proxy problems and fixes
Tor won't connect after you add the proxy
- If Tor can't reach the proxy, the log shows The connection to the SOCKS5 proxy server at ... just failed. If the proxy refuses Tor, you see Proxy Client: unable to connect ... with a reason such as ("authentication failed"). Unusable values bring up the dialog Your Tor proxy settings could not be applied.
- Copy the host, port, username and password from your dashboard again and pick the Proxy type that matches that port. In the dialog, Undo changes restores the last working setup (it reads Clear if none worked).
CauseFixOK stays greyed out in Connection settings
- Address is empty, or Port is empty or outside 1 to 65535. With SOCKS5, Username and Password must be both filled or both blank.
- Fill in both, or clear both if Geonode whitelists your IP and lets it in without a password.
CauseFixApp set to 127.0.0.1:9150 gets connection refused
- Nothing listens on that port while Tor Browser is closed or waiting for you to click Connect, and its tor process exits with the browser.
- Keep Tor Browser open and connected while the app runs, or use the standalone Tor service.
CauseFixSites show CAPTCHAs or refuse Tor outright
- Thousands of people can share one exit IP at once, and abuse filters read that as bots. Some sites block Tor on purpose.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+L (Cmd+Shift+L on a Mac) to run New Tor circuit for this site and get a new exit. If every exit is blocked, open the site in another browser with a residential proxy.
CauseFix
More for Tor Browser users
Tor Browser proxy FAQ
It means one of two things: an ordinary proxy that Tor Browser connects through on its way to Tor, or Tor's own SOCKS proxy for other programs (127.0.0.1:9150 while Tor Browser runs, port 9050 with the Tor service).
Open the menu (≡) > Settings > Connection, click Settings… under Advanced and tick I use a proxy to connect to the internet. The Android app has no proxy option, only bridges.
There isn't one you can paste into an app. Tor picks its own relays, and check.torproject.org/torbulkexitlist exists so sites can recognize exit IPs. Bridges are unlisted on purpose, so you request them from bridges.torproject.org or @GetBridgesBot.
Keep Tor Browser running and point the app at SOCKS5 127.0.0.1, port 9150, with remote DNS on. Avoid this with other browsers, which the Tor Project says can leak your real IP.
Yes. Tor Browser is free and open source, built-in bridges included. The Tor Project calls any paid browser that claims to be Tor Browser a fake.
A website that opens pages through Tor for you works like a simple proxy, and the Tor Project says such a provider knows both who you are and what you browse. Use Tor Browser instead, or Onion Browser on iPhone, which has no Tor Browser.
Tor Browser sends all tabs through its single tor process on 127.0.0.1:9150, so the error means that process isn't answering. The Tor Project suggests checking your antivirus, moving a relocated Tor Browser folder back, trying port 9050 or 9150, or reinstalling into a new folder.
