Enable Dark Theme in LibreWolf
LibreWolf, a privacy-focused fork of Firefox, aims to resist browser fingerprinting by default. One of its protective measures is enforcing a light theme for all websites to prevent revealing the system’s theme preference. However, sometimes browsing with a forced light theme can be a bit annoying, especially if you prefer dark mode for more comfortable nighttime browsing.
So, how can you enable a dark theme while maintaining your privacy on the internet?
FPP Over RFP
Using RFP (Resist Fingerprinting) in LibreWolf makes it impossible to apply a dark theme because it locks the browser’s settings, including color schemes, to avoid giving away any identifiable preferences. However, there’s a workaround! By switching to FPP (Fingerprinting Protection) and tweaking a few settings, you can enable the dark theme without sacrificing all your fingerprinting protection.
How to Enable Dark Theme with FPP
Follow these steps to set it up:
Open LibreWolf and go to about:config.
Modify the following configuration settings:
privacy.resistFingerprinting = false
privacy.fingerprintingProtection = true
privacy.fingerprintingProtection.overrides = +AllTargets,-CSSPrefersColorScheme,-JSDateTimeUTC
By disabling resistFingerprinting and enabling fingerprintingProtection with the proper overrides, you can restore the color scheme preferences while still retaining the majority of the anti-fingerprinting features.
This tweak allows you to enjoy a dark theme without losing all the protections against browser fingerprinting.
Why Does This Work?
The fingerprintingProtection option in LibreWolf is more flexible than resistFingerprinting.
It allows users to adjust specific fingerprinting aspects while keeping others in place.
By overriding the CSS prefers-color-scheme, you permit websites to detect your theme preference (light or dark), while still protecting against other types of fingerprinting.
Additionally, by including -JSDateTimeUTC, you prevent the browser from manipulating the timezone, which could otherwise lead to issues where websites display the wrong time or date.
Source: Mozilla Bugzilla Issue #1732114
With this setup, you can have the best of both worlds—comfortable dark mode browsing and decent privacy protection!