Concealing unique aspects of Tor Browser's UI from an observer while browsing

A user has inquired about the ability to hide the fact that he/she is using Tor Browser from a casual observer looking at the user’s screen. There are at least a couple of feature requests:

  1. The ability to toggle off/suppress the “.onion available” toolbar message
  2. The ability to replace the Tor Browser icon on a new tab

In essence the user seems to want the ability to change TB’s ‘skin’ to resemble a regular Firefox browser.

I’m posting this under Feedback as I’m not aware of this specific user request having been discussed before.

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some relevance for you - Tor Browser should be visually distinguished from Firefox to prevent user error (#10399) · Issues · The Tor Project / Applications / Tor Browser · GitLab

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also relevant for some backstory - Don't use site's icon as window icon in Windows when in private browsing mode (#33855) · Issues · The Tor Project / Applications / Tor Browser · GitLab

edit: actually this has nothing to do with it, ssb was scrapped

This is unreasonable. A user of multiple browsers at once who wants to easily differentiate between them should seek his own way and not ask browsers themselves to be of different themes. The user should use different colors for the different browsers; the approach taken for this exact purpose by the security-oriented Qubes OS. Read Introduction | Qubes OS. Colors and not icons are seen appropriate here.

Add: “3. The ability to replace the Tor Browser window icon.” 2 and 3 are not of same approach as explained here: Change my Tor Browser icon to hide it's Tor Browser


Most of this ability already exists! By default Tor Browser looks the same as Firefox when only two buttons of sheild and brush are removed (which can be removed easily by right-click). Only Tor icon next to “New Tab”, “.onion available” button and the icon of Tor Browser window itself are Tor-specfic and need to be changed. It should be easy.

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Outrageous! Here’s some advice. Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. ( Then criticize them, because 1: you’ll be a mile away and 2. you’ll have their shoes!)

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