Tor browser is an open-source, free web browser that helps users protect their privacy while surfing the web. It does a great job of blocking ads and plug-ins and making sure they can browse safely. However, figuring out how to watch videos on it can be challenging. How can you watch videos in Tor Browser?
Watching videos in Tor can take place in three ways:
- Changing the security level
- Trying a new circuit or identity in the browser to reset the page
- Using an alternative browser or program to watch videos
Updates to the browser can create issues with video playback that make it hard to enjoy this type of content. So, read on to find out more about how you can watch videos inside the Tor browser.
How Can You Watch Videos in Tor Browser?
Due to recent updates to the browser software, users have been experiencing trouble watching video content. Here are some ways you can continue watching videos despite these tech issues.
Adjusting the Security Settings of the Browser
Tor has a wide range of security settings for users to customize their experience. Sometimes, the security settings you have on your browser can impact your ability to view videos. These are the steps you can take to change your security settings within the Tor browser and get back to watching the content you love.
- Click the shield icon at the top of the browser to enter the Tor security settings
- Go to the Advanced tab within these settings
- Adjust your settings to the Safer option or whichever one suits your preferences
Once you change the security settings, you should be able to view videos that weren’t playing because they were blocking them. The settings on our browsers can censor content without our knowledge, so it’s important to check them especially if you cannot see content that used to be visible.
Selecting a Different Circuit or Identity for Your Browsing Experience
Changing the IP address that the Tor browser is using will help you access videos that can only be viewed by those with a certain IP address, especially if they are restricted by country. The Tor browser has two ways to change the IP address: New Circuit and New Identity
New Circuit
Access this option from the hamburger menu in the browser toolbar or by clicking the broom icon in the top right of the browser. The new circuit option is best if the page you are using is not loading or the connection to the network is lost. When you choose a new circuit, the tabs you have open will transfer to the new circuit, and hopefully, things will load better.
Moving to a new circuit does not affect your privacy or browsing activity, it just gives everything a refresh so you can start surfing again.
New Identity
You can access the New Identity option from the hamburger menu or from the site information menu. This option is best if you want to start fresh and prevent your current and past browser history from being connected, As the name suggests, choosing a new identity will close all tabs, clear browsing history, and open new circuits so that you can have a clean slate.
Creating a new identity will also stop downloads, so make sure that you download everything you need beforehand to avoid losing anything important.
No matter which one you choose, either of these options will give you what you need to have a good connection. A fresh web connection will give videos another chance to load and they will likely play if they were not before.
Using Another Software or Website
If following the other suggestions does not improve video playback, it may be in your best interest to find other solutions by using different software or website to watch the video content you want.
One of the best alternatives to help you watch videos is Invidious, a free and open-source version of Youtube. There are no ads and the platform is focused on privacy and security just like the Tor browser. You can watch all your favorite videos in multiple languages without the necessity of a YouTube account,
Another great software to try is Whonix, which works within the operating system already to run apps and websites anonymously. All of the things you love to do on a computer such as a web browsing, watching videos and movies, and talking to friends are possible on Whonix, with privacy built-in.
With Whonix, you can watch videos directly using the Tor browser or Invidious application. You can also download them to your computer and watch them through the default media player that came with it. This way, you can watch the content you want without interruptions and censorship.
Has the Bug Affecting Video Playback in Tor Browser Been Patched?
Back in 2020, a workaround for the playback issues on Youtube was released while the developers worked together to create a more permanent patch for the bug, Users would have to set the option media.rdd-opus.enabled as false in about:config setting
Based on blog posts regarding new updates to the Tor browser on their official website, it is unclear if a patch to this issue as been made. If they have continued updating the software regularly, it is possible that the bug has gone through a cycle of appearing and reappearing, as they do.
Also, since the Tor browser is managed by a team of volunteers, it may take longer for bug fixes to come out as the team juggles these releases with all the other aspects of their lives. It takes a village to keep a software up and running properly.
Conclusion
Video playback on Tor can be affected by bugs in the software that arise as the team makes updates. Three ways you can watch videos on the Tor browser in spite of these bugs are: updating the security settings of the browser, changing the circuit or identity, or using a different software altogether.
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