Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most about the analyzer and its results.
Is my fingerprint sent to your server?
No. The tests run in your browser's JavaScript, results are displayed on the page, and the page makes no network requests after loading its own files. There is no server-side processing on this site. See the privacy audit for the full accounting.
Why can't you tell me how unique my fingerprint is?
A uniqueness figure requires comparing your fingerprint against a database of other users' fingerprints. Building such a database means collecting and storing fingerprints — the exact practice this site avoids. Instead, each test is rated for potential distinguishing power (Higher, Moderate, Lower, Unavailable) with the reasoning stated, based on how the signal behaves, not on invented statistics.
What do the hashes mean?
A hash is a short, fixed-length summary of a longer value, computed with SHA-256 in your browser. Identical inputs always produce identical hashes, so a stable hash across runs means the underlying signal is stable — and a changed hash means something in the signal changed. The hash itself reveals nothing readable about the raw data.
Why did a hash change between two runs when I changed nothing?
Usually that means a protection is randomizing output — Brave and several extensions deliberately add per-run or per-site noise to canvas or audio, which is the defense working as designed. Occasionally a background change (a zoom adjustment, a display reconfiguration, a browser update mid-session) is responsible. Run the comparison a few times to see whether the change is consistent.
Does the Audio test use my microphone?
No. It renders a silent mathematical signal through the Web Audio API and reads the numbers that come out. Nothing is recorded, nothing plays, and no permission prompt appears — see audio fingerprinting for how that works.
Why didn't my VPN change any results?
Expected. A VPN changes network-level data — your IP address and apparent location — while these five tests measure your browser and device: rendering behavior, hardware strings, fonts, and screen values. Different layers. The change-detection guide covers what each kind of intervention typically changes.
A test says "Unavailable." Is that bad?
Not necessarily. It means the API returned no usable result — often because a privacy setting or extension blocked it, sometimes because the browser does not implement it. If you blocked it on purpose, it is working. Note that missing APIs can themselves be a minor signal, since most browsers do support them.
Can I compare results between two different browsers?
Within one page session, yes indirectly: results exist only in the page that produced them, so cross-browser comparison means running the analyzer in each browser and comparing what you see side by side yourself. The built-in comparison feature works within a single page session by design, because the baseline is never stored anywhere.
Is browser fingerprinting illegal?
The technique itself is not illegal, and it has legitimate uses such as fraud prevention. Privacy regulations in some regions impose transparency and consent requirements on tracking technologies, fingerprinting included. This site is educational and does not provide legal advice — see the disclaimer.
Which test should I worry about most?
Read the ratings on your own results rather than a general answer — exposure differs by system. That said, stable high-information signals like an unmasked GPU renderer string and a distinctive font set tend to contribute most, and the reduction guide addresses both.
How do I report a problem or ask something not covered here?
Email is on the contact page. Corrections are welcome; the goal of this site is accuracy in plain language.