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Mullvad Browser Extension

Mullvad Browser 

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The Mullvad Browser Extension improves your browsing experience while using Mullvad VPN. This guide shows you how to install and use it and what settings it provides.

What this guide covers

Installation

The Mullvad Browser Extension comes pre-installed in the Mullvad Browser. It is also compatible with Firefox and any other Firefox-based browser. It is not compatible with Chrome or Chrome-based browsers. To install it in Firefox follow these instructions.

  1. Go to the Downloads page.
  2. Click on the green Install button.
  3. In the popup in the top right part of the browser, click on Continue to Installation.
  4. Click on Add.
  5. Check Allow this extension to run in Private Windows. This is required when using a new private window or private browsing mode.
  6. Click on Okay.

The extension appears on the toolbar with a Mullvad icon in the top right corner of the browser.

Icon showing the Mullvad extension

Using the Mullvad Browser extension

Connection status

When clicking on the Mullvad extension button on the toolbar, the extension will check your connection and display the result.

Mullvad extension showing connected to Gothenburg and no DNS leaks

You'll see the following information:

  • Location
  • Whether you are using Mullvad VPN or not
  • Your IP address
  • Provider
  • Mullvad VPN server in use (if connected)
  • DNS server

You may also see some recommendations in the top. Read more about that below under Privacy recommendations.

SOCKS5 proxy

When you are connected to a WireGuard server with Mullvad VPN then you can click on Select location to connect through the SOCKS5 proxy on a Mullvad VPN server. This allows you to use another location (server, city or country) only in the browser. This creates a Multihop as your encrypted Internet traffic will first go to the Mullvad VPN server that you are connected to, and from there it jumps to another server.

Note that the DNS content blockers in the Mullvad VPN app won't work when using a proxy with Proxy DNS enabled.

Selecting a location

In the "Select proxy server location" window you can click directly on a country or click on the angle bracket ">" to expand the country to view the available cities. Click on the city or click on the bracket next to the city to show the available proxies, if you want to select a specific one.

Mullvad extension proxy select tab showing Australia expanded

When the proxy is connected you will see the country code of the proxy on top of the Mullvad icon.

Internet blocked

Keep in mind that if you disconnect Mullvad VPN then you can not reach our SOCKS5 proxy. The Mullvad Browser will appear to be blocking Internet access, however your DNS will be leaking (even if you have enabled "Proxy DNS").

Exit IP

The Mullvad VPN servers have multiple exit IPs, but if you use the proxy then you will always get the same exit IP address - that of the proxy.

IPv6

In addition to IPv4 the proxy also provides IPv6 connectivity with an IPv6 address, even if you have not enabled that for the VPN connection.

Note: Unproxied DNS requests

If another extension is using the dns API permission, then the Mullvad Browser Extension DNS requests might not be proxied. This is notably the case if Uncloak canonical names is enabled in the uBlock Origin settings. However since our proxy only works when you are connected to Mullvad, any DNS requests outside the proxy made by a third-party extension should not leak.

Note that both the VPN server DNS and the proxy DNS will be used and show up in our Connection check, unless you disable "Uncloak canonical names" in the uBlock Origin settings.

Privacy recommendations

The Mullvad extension checks some of your browser settings and shows a recommendation if a privacy issue is detected.

There are four recommendations:

1. Enable/Disable Mullvad DoH (encrypted DNS)

Mullvad extension showing warning to disable DoH

Depending on if you are connected to Mullvad VPN or not, the recommendation is to either turn off or turn on Mullvad DNS-over-HTTPS encrypted secure DNS.

Disable Mullvad DoH

If you are connected to Mullvad VPN then the Mullvad extension will recommend that you disable Mullvad DoH (encrypted DNS). It is faster to use the DNS server on the Mullvad VPN server that you are connected to. To turn it off, do the following in Firefox:

  1. Click on the menu button in the top right corner and select Settings.
  2. Click on Privacy & Security in the left side.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom.
  4. Under Enable secure DNS using select Off.

Enable Mullvad DoH

If you are not connected to Mullvad VPN then the Mullvad extension will recommend that you enable Mullvad DoH (encrypted DNS). It is better to use our non-logging privacy DNS than your Internet provider's DNS. To turn it on, do the following in Firefox:

  1. Click on the menu button in the top right corner and select Settings.
  2. Click on Privacy & Security in the left side.