Firefox for Android Will Soon Let You Lock Private Browsing Tabs for Better Privacy

Privacy-focused Mozilla Firefox on Android will soon allow users to lock and unlock private tabs open in Private Browsing using a screen lock, fingerprint, or PIN. The feature, available by default in Nightly, will soon be part of Firefox 141 beta, and if no issues arise, it will make its debut in the stable release version as well.

Like many browsing apps, Firefox for Android supports Private Browsing, where history, cookies, and session data are cleared but bookmarks and downloads are preserved. Firefox also allows taking screenshots in Private Browsing mode if needed—this option is available in the Private Browsing settings of the app.

Google Chrome and Apple Safari browsers support biometric authentication for Private Browsing. However, Firefox for Android doesn’t yet offer a way to lock private browsing tabs using Touch ID, Face ID, or a passcode, as Chrome and Safari do.

Mozilla has been experimenting with private tab locking in Firefox Nightly via Nimbus. The company has now decided to enable it in Firefox Beta and the release version after QA.

How to Lock or Unlock Private Tabs in Firefox for Android

1. Open Firefox.
2. Tap the three-dot icon to open the menu.
3. Select Settings.
4. Go to Private Browsing and enable “Use Screen Lock to Hide Tabs in Private Browsing.

The Private Browsing lock feature is completely optional—you need to enable it manually.

We tested this feature in Firefox Nightly, and it worked flawlessly as advertised—we were able to unlock locked private tabs by entering a PIN on our Android phone. If you’re privacy-conscious and want to prevent others from accessing your Firefox Private Tabs, this feature is worth trying.