What happened
Mozilla announced on 10 November that the free VPN built into its Firefox browser no longer has a data limit. The offer applies to everyone who uses it and runs through 31 January 2027. Mozilla presents it as an end-of-year gift to its users.
What a VPN does
A VPN (virtual private network) sends your connection through another server. According to Mozilla, this makes it harder for websites to use your IP address to work out where you are or to link your visits together.
Mozilla gives two everyday uses:
- On shared Wi-Fi (a café, a hotel, a relative's home): the VPN helps hide the sites you visit from whoever runs the network.
- When travelling: you can change the location your connection appears to come from, for example to read news from home while abroad.
Mozilla also states that Firefox does not sell browsing data, does not interrupt users with ads and does not keep a record of the websites visited.
What it does not do
Mozilla itself lists the limits:
- A VPN does not make you anonymous. Websites can still recognise you through cookies or when you sign in to an account.
- It does not hide the browsing history stored on your own device.
- It only covers browsing inside Firefox, not the other apps on your device. For that, Mozilla sells a separate paid service, Mozilla VPN.
How to turn it on
The free VPN is available in Firefox on computers and on Android. Mozilla says a version for iPhone is coming soon. Availability depends on the region.
- Create a Mozilla account, or sign in to yours.
- On a computer, select the VPN icon in the Firefox toolbar. On Android, open the three-dot menu, then Settings, then VPN.
- Follow the steps and switch the VPN on.
What remains unclear
The announcement does not say what the usual data limit is, nor what will apply after 31 January 2027. This article relies on a single source, Mozilla's own announcement; its privacy claims have not been independently checked here.
