What is browser fingerprinting?
Updated · Independent guidance
Browser fingerprinting combines observable browser and device characteristics into a pattern that can help recognize an environment. It can work without setting cookies, but a fingerprint is not a permanent or universal identity.
Run the free fingerprint test →How does browser fingerprinting work?
A page can read information exposed by browser APIs and combine the results. Examples include language settings, display dimensions and graphics information. Rendering a known canvas image and comparing its output provides another observation. MDN describes this process as combining distinguishing browser and operating-system features.
On this site, the fingerprint check reads 18 local signals and computes a versioned digest in page memory. It also shows additional network and consistency observations separately. Our implementation is a diagnostic tool, not a cross-site recognition service.
Fingerprinting, cookies and IP addresses
| Mechanism | What it uses | Limit of this test |
|---|---|---|
| Browser fingerprint | A combination of browser observations. | We show current signals, not cross-site tracking history. |
| Cookie | A stored value returned in subsequent requests within its scope. | The local scan sets no cookies; the cookies-enabled row only reads a browser capability flag. |
| IP address | The network address visible to the receiving service. | Our endpoint reports the address seen by this site, not every possible network route. |
What is a canvas fingerprint?
In this implementation, a script draws text and shapes on a small canvas, converts the image to a data URL and hashes it with SHA-256. The raw output panel shows that canvas digest. It summarizes this particular drawing operation; another test with a different image or algorithm may return a different value.
Why do websites collect fingerprints?
Browser observations can contribute to fraud checks or tracking. This test cannot inspect other websites' behavior or establish how any service uses a signal. It lets you inspect what this page can read in the environment you are using now.
What does a privacy comparison measure?
A useful comparison starts with a recorded baseline and one controlled change. A missing value shows that the observation was unavailable; a changed value shows a different observation. Neither is sufficient to prove that every tracking technique is prevented. Read the results guide for an example and a comparison procedure.
Browser defenses also differ in their goals. See our Brave testing guide and Tor Browser testing guide for browser-specific interpretation and official documentation.
Is this a fingerprint scanner?
This is a browser fingerprint test. It does not scan a finger, access a biometric sensor or test a phone's fingerprint reader. Here, “fingerprint” describes a collection of software-visible signals.
Sources and scope
Browser behavior is described using official documentation. Test-specific details describe this site's implementation. No browser benchmark or population study is claimed.