Tor Browser finally gets Apple Silicon support in a new update
A new version of the anonymous Tor Browser has been released, bringing native support for Apple Silicon devices as well as optimizations for Android devices.
The updated Tor Browser uses a universal binary that includes both the x86-64 and ARM64 architectures, so it can decide which to use depending on whether an Apple M1, M2 or Android device is being used – which means Tor should now perform better on Apple Macs.
Track 12.0 is built on version 102 of Mozilla Firefox, meaning it comes with many of the same improvements and security fixes. The browser is focused on keeping users private and anonymous online, promising not to track your activity as well as preventing others from doing the same.
Android also attracts attention
Android was a system Tor didn’t seem too keen on developing, with occasional browser updates on that platform, though Tor says it’s fixing that.
Announcing the release of Browser 12.0, Tor commented that the company is “working hard to resume regular Android updates, improve app stability… The next phase of our Android roadmap is to start porting select high-priority features that have recently launched to Android desktops.” .
Another new feature in Tor 12.0 is the HTTPS-only mode for Android. This allows the browser to automatically connect to websites using HTTPS, which is encrypted by default, as opposed to HTTP, which is not encrypted.
The Android versions now also have the option to prioritize .onion sites, which means users will be automatically redirected to versions of .onion sites if they are compatible. These domains were created by Tor to make it impossible to track connections to and from the site.
In addition, language packs are now available in version 12.0, allowing users to switch between languages on the fly. Previously, individual instances of Tor had to be downloaded for a specific language.
