How to Switch to Firefox From Chrome

Google has been the user favorite since time immemorial; however, its move against ad blockers is extremely concerning for users. This could result in corporate overreaches, which is compelling the users to think about switching to Firefox. This not so popular browser could be a major competitor for Google Chrome as it promises more privacy, security, and usability as compared to Chrome. In case you have made your mind and are planning to switch to Firefox from Chrome, go through this guide.

The Difference

The best thing about Firefox is the easy to understand interface, which can be used even by your grandma. The goal of the Mozilla Foundation with Firefox is to deliver a secure, private, and user-friendly Internet with the added benefit of various options to configure. Plus, this browser provides most of the security and privacy-related updates for free to the standard users. If you are fed up with the surveillance operations run by Google, then Firefox will be the right choice for you. Firefox provides a similar browsing experience as with Chrome but with lesser invasion.

Add-ons and Extensions

Unlike Chrome, Firefox has limited options for add-ons and extensions. Since Google Chrome is presently flourishing globally as a browser, it keeps up its user base by packing all sorts of extensions. On the other hand, Firefox is also adding up to its decent list of extensions. It already includes the popular ones, like UBlock Origin and AdBlock Plus. So, it’s a good idea to confirm that Firefox’s extension library has all the extensions crucial for you. And even if it doesn’t, you can always look for a functional replacement.

How to Import the Browser Data from Google Chrome

Switching the browser is no more difficult, as you can choose to “import” the data to access it all on the new one. This feature will efficiently fetch all the browsing data from Chrome and feed it more efficiently to Firefox. Follow the steps below to prepare yourself to make the switch from Chrome to Firefox!

Step 1. On Firefox’s browser window, navigate to the menu bar and click “File” followed by “Import from Another Browser.”

Step 2. A list will appear; select “Chrome” from it. Don’t forget to exit the Chrome browser before proceeding.

Step 3. Now click on the user profile that you wish to import.

Step 4. On the next window, checkmark both “Bookmarks” and “Cookies,” and then hit the “Continue” button to import all the data.

Syncing Across Devices

The fluid sync process in Google Chrome syncs the browser data in the background via Google account. While this feature is super-convenient, it is invasive as well. But since you are switching to Firefox, you can enable its Sync to import data with a secured account and password layer. Firefox’s Sync will make sure that the items to be imported are encrypted with a unique password preventing others from viewing them, including those who run Mozilla’s servers.

We hope these methods helped you switch from Chrome to Firefox easily.

Source:-    How to Switch to Firefox From Chrome

 

How to Set up a Double VPN

A double VPN helps you add another layer of privacy to your standard VPN service. A few VPN providers have started offering the new double VPN feature; if your provider hasn’t, there are many other methods to achieve this. Another question that arises here is whether setting a double VPN offers any gains, or is it just hype? Also, do you know how to set it up? Keep reading to get all your questions solved.

What Is Meant by a Double VPN?

A VPN adds an encrypted and secure tunnel between your destination server and a device. On the other hand, a double VPN is set to provide an extra layer of security. These types of VPNs are also known as “VPN cascades,” “multihop VPN,” or as “VPN chains.”

Look for a Provider Who Offers Double VPN Feature

Only a few VPN providers have a double VPN feature designed to route the traffic between the destination and source. For instance, Nord VPN has a specially designed category for “double VPN” on its app. When this feature is enabled, the first VPN server stays hidden, and the second one acts as your default VPN. In case your provider doesn’t offer the double VPN service, you can still use it. Keep reading ahead to know-how.

Get Access to Two Different VPN Providers

It is always a good idea to protect both your VPN servers from their providers to make sure all your data on the internet is completely safe. If both your VPNs are from different providers, then you can use them one after the other. You can use the first VPN while making sure the IP address has changed and download the app for the second VPN. Also, check if the IP address of the first VPN is reflected in the second VPNs app. The only downside to this method is that the browsing speed reduces exponentially.

Use a VPN that has a Browser Proxy or an Extension

A standard VPN with a VPN extension or a browser proxy works most efficiently.  All you need to do is download a Chrome extension named uVPN and start a remote protocol on your standard VPN. This will reflect a new IP address for the Chrome extension. However, your original IP address will remain hidden.

Use VPN on a Virtual Machine

The best method to improve your anonymity on the internet is using the VPN on a virtual machine. The process of creating a virtual machine can be time-consuming on Windows 10, but it isolates all your online activities from the system.

Find a VPN with Onion Routing

Using the double VPN service can sometimes lead to speed issues, and the best way to avoid that is by using a standard VPN with an onion routing service like the Tor network. All you need to is enable the VPN server and then download the Tor software on your OS to click “Connect.” This will enable the double VPN feature. Usually, when you enter in or out of the Tor nod, you are the most vulnerable at that time. Your ISPs may track your down at this very moment. However, by setting up the double VPN service, they would hardly get any chance.

We hope this article helped you understand what a double VPN is and how to set it even if your VPN server doesn’t provide one.

Source:-    How to Set up a Double VPN

 

This Big Microsoft Edge Change Might Render Your Antivirus Ineffective

Microsoft has decided to implement the Manifest V3 changes of Google in its Chromium-based Edge browser’s extensions system. On the other hand, many significant browsers have completely neglected Google’s Manifest V3 changes, but after announcing it in October 2018, Microsoft has now decided to implement it.

The Manifest V3 of Google is a certain set of changes used in Microsoft’s Chromium-based open-source Edge browser. Also, these changes will apply to the Web Extensions API. This will straightforwardly update the working method of the browser extensions on the Edge browser.

Google, under the Manifest V3, stated that they did it to improve the performance and security of the extensions and to give users more control over the extensions.

Soon after Google announced the proposed changes under Manifest V3, the extension developers immediately backfired concerning that the updates of the Manifest V3 had several other changes that can make the antivirus and other parental control software, ad blockers, and other privacy-focused extensions void.

Also, a vast number of users and even the browser makers backlashed due to this decision. They saw that Google’s move to have a more effective grip on the ad blockers was effectively hurting their primary business, Online Advertising.

However, other browsers like Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi announced to ignore the Manifest V3 updates to let their users continue the use of ad blockers.

Implementation of the Manifest V3 Changes

Google took a step back for some of the changes had planned on how Chromium would be handling the extensions. The reason for this back off was the criticism it faced over Manifest V3.

However, those changes have now started to roll out in Google’s Chrome browser. It has started making the ad blocker developers worried about their products, which won’t work effectively after these changes start to appear on the browser’s stable versions.

Google has planned to bring the preview/alpha changes of the Manifest V3 to the stable version of Chrome this year after it began last year in October.

Now you will also be able to see these changes in Microsoft’s Chromium-based Edge browser, where they are currently operating in beta and stable versions.

Even though the developers of the ad blockers are still worried about their products due to these changes, Microsoft has reassured the extension developers that these changes will not affect the ad blockers operating on the browser. The software giant has asked the extension developer to rest assured by stating this statement in its blog post:

“We believe that these changes will not compromise the capabilities of your extension or reduce the potential that the extension ecosystem has. These changes should reduce the time taken to review each submission, and improve certification turnaround time, thus reducing the overall cost of developing and maintaining extensions. We recognize the value of content blocking extensions and appreciate the role they play in honoring user’s choice by blocking advertisements and enhancing privacy by blocking cookies, and we want developers to continue to offer these capabilities.”

Conclusion

So, this was all about the Manifest V3 changes that Microsoft has bought up in its all-new Chromium-based Edge browser. Even though Microsoft has assured that these changes won’t minimize the extension ecosystem’s potential, the extension developers are still concerned about these changes.

Source:-   This Big Microsoft Edge Change Might Render Your Antivirus Ineffective

How to Fix Common Google Hangouts Problems

 

How to Fix Common Google

Hangouts Problems

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced people throughout the world to stay inside their homes. And the video conferencing apps such as Google Hangouts have been very useful to continue with the work and keep in touch with family and friends. Although the classic Google Hangout and Hangout Meet for business experienced an increase in the users through this time, however, it seems that the users are recently experiencing certain problems with the app. So, here we are with the workarounds to fix some of the common issues that are being faced by the users. 

Unable to Send Messages

If there have been times that you were trying to send a message but it didn’t go through and showed a red error icon with an exclamation mark, here are a few things to try.

• Check to ensure, if you are connected to the internet or not.
• Try to sign out of Hangouts, and then sign in again.

No Notification Sound When Receiving a Message or Call

Have you missed an important call or a message on Hangouts because there was no notification sound when you received that? If yes, there is a simple workaround for this bug that seems to have worked for smartphone users. Here is what to do:

Step 1. Navigate to the app and tap on the hamburger menu at the top left corner.

Step 2. Tap on Settings followed by the primary account name.

Step 3. Select Messages under the Notifications section, and then go to the Sound settings.

Step 4. Open the notification sound section and change the alert tone. You should now be able to get notification alerts.

If you are facing the same problem with incoming calls, then repeat the same steps until you reach the Notification section. In this section, this time, select Incoming calls instead of Messages. In case, you are facing the same problem on a computer, try to uninstall and then install the Hangouts Chrome extension back again.

The Camera Isn’t Working

It has been noticed that a lot of users have been facing issues with that camera which gets stuck during a video call. Here are a few fixes that you can try to get rid of this issue.

• For some users, merely updating the browser to the latest version has worked.
• Updating the video drivers has also worked for a lot of users.
• Simply, using a browser other than Chrome has worked for many. That said, remember that the Firefox only supports Hangouts Meet and not the classic extension. That means you will have to use Microsoft Edge for the classic Hangouts extension.

Browser Freezes on Screen Sharing

A lot of users have come across a frozen web browser while sharing screens with others. Although there could be many reasons for the occurrence of this issue, however, it is commonly a problem with video/audio drivers. So, updating the drivers could be your best bet to get rid of this bug. Here is how you can update your drivers on Windows:

Navigate to Start > Device Manager > Display Adapters > Update Driver.

Choppy or Pixelated Video

A stuttering or pixelated video can be caused due to a slow Internet connection. Also, video calls require a lot more data as compared to audio calls. So if you are facing issues with the quality of the video, lowering the video settings might be a good idea. Here is how to adjust video settings on Hangouts

Step 1. First of all, to get to video settings,  you need to make a call.

Step 2. While on call, take your mouse over the call window until the call controls show up.

Step 3. Select the cog icon to open the video settings.

Step 4. Now, click on Bandwidth.

Step 5. Here, you will get two options to adjust the video quality of both the incoming and outgoing streams. Those are: HD (720p) and SD (360p). Select the lower setting if you want to save data or the internet connection is poor. Please know that by doing so, you won’t see the best video, but the video won’t lag and the audio will be stable.

These were the fixes to the common issues that are being faced by the users on Hangouts. All of the aforementioned fixes seem to be working for a lot of users. However, you will find the app working at its best only after a software update.

Source:-  Fix Common Google Hangouts Problems

 

Here’s How You Can Set Safari as a Default Web Browser on a Mac

When you set up your new Mac computer for the first time, Safari is the default web browser. Safari is the most commonly used web browser among Apple devices users. But, all the Apple gadgets allow you to use other browsers as well. So, when you install some different browsers on your Mac computer, it automatically becomes your default web browser. It might be fine for some people. But, not all users prefer to use other browsers all the time. After some time, they prefer coming back to Safari. You can easily set other browsers as a default web browser on any of your Apple devices. But, here, the main topic is to make Safari as a default web browser on a Mac computer. Many Mac users don’t know the procedure to set Safari as a default browser. And this article is for those users.

Do you also own a Mac? Want to make Safari as your default browser but don’t know how to do it? If yes, then we have got you covered. Now you don’t have to go anywhere. Here, you will get to know the ways through which you can set Safari as a default browser on a Mac computer. In this article, we have mentioned the procedures to do that. So, go and keep reading the article.

The Methods to Set Safari as a Default Browser on a Mac

There are multiple ways that you can follow to set Safari as a default web browser on your Mac computer. The procedures are easy and include some simple steps that you can easily follow. Here, we have mentioned the two different methods that you can apply. So, here’s how the procedures work. Let’s start with the first method.

Method 1: Setting the Default Browser on a Mac Computer through the System Preferences

• To begin with this method, firstly, turn on your Mac computer and then go to the Apple menu that you can see located in the top left corner of your screen.
• And now, click on the option of “System Preferences”.
• After reaching the next screen, go to the “General” tab.
• And now, click on the “Default web browser” drop-down menu, and from there, choose the option of “Safari” to make it as your Default web browser. And that’s it. This way, you can change your default web browser at any time on your Mac.

Method 2: Changing the Default Web Browser on a Mac from the Browser’s Settings

• According to this method, firstly, you will need to launch the Safari browser on your Mac.
• And now, go to the browser’s menu and then select the option of “Preferences”.
• After this, select the “General” tab and click on the “Set as Default” option.
• Click on the option “Use Safari” to confirm the changes.

So, these were the two most straightforward methods to set Safari as a default browser on a Mac computer. Try any of these methods and let us know if you face any issues. And for more information like this, please stay connected to us and visit our website.

Source:-  How To Set Safari as a Default Web Browser on a Mac