Tor Browser 11.5 Adds Automatic Censorship Detection With HTTPS-Only Mode as Default

Tor Browser is the de-facto standard for users looking to utilize Tor network, and want strict privacy settings on their web browsers.

With the latest 11.5 update, Tor Browser made some major improvements to secure the experience for users.

Tor Browser 11.5: What’s New?

Let me give you a quick overview of the features introduced with this release.

Automatic Censorship Detection and Circumvention

Tor Browser helps users fight back against censorship. However, not every user can configure or set it up for a hassle-free experience.

So, to help you with that, Tor Browser 11.5 introduces “Connection Assist“, which lets you automatically set a location for the bridge to connect to Tor, resolving any error.

The developers mention more about it in the official blog post:

Connection Assist works by looking up and downloading an up-to-date list of country-specific options to try using your location (with your consent). It manages to do so without needing to connect to the Tor Network first by utilizing moat – the same domain-fronting tool that Tor Browser uses to request a bridge from torproject.org.

Sounds good so far! Also, the developers noted that it is just the first version of the feature. So, they will be looking forward to user feedback on this.

Redesigned Tor Network Settings

While it is good to make things easy, Tor Browser developers know that improving the manual configuration options is equally important.

So, with this update, users who prefer to customize their connection can find some improvements in the settings that include:

Renaming Tor Network Settings to “Connection Settings” for clarity.
The last known connection status can be found at the top of the tab.
Ability to test your Internet connection without Tor for troubleshooting.
Connection Assist.
New bridge cards for the ease of sharing bridges, with a QR code readable by Tor Browser for Android.

In addition to the bridge cards, you can also notice a new emoji-packed ID to help you identify a bridge

HTTPS-Only Mode

Starting with Tor Browser 11.5, you will no longer find HTTPS Everywhere plugin bundled.

Instead, the browser will prefer HTTPS-only connections for every web page, just like Mozilla Firefox.

Other Improvements

Every Tor Browser update is crucial for users who rely on it for privacy and security. So, naturally, there are various bug fixes and subtle changes along with this update that include: