Quiet by default
Telemetry, remote experiments, Pocket, crash reporting, and background updates are removed or compiled out.
Firefox ESR 128 · macOS arm64
A browser that
keeps quiet.
NordFox is a hardened LibreWolf build for Apple Silicon—stripped of noise, locked down for privacy, and wrapped in a calmer kind of web.
M1 or later · Ad-hoc signed · No analytics
NordFox
● Quiet mode active
The premise
The web works better when
the browser does less.
No growth loops. No remote experiments. No invisible audience in the room. Just pages, tools, and the person using them.
NordFox starts with Firefox ESR and LibreWolf, then removes more network-facing machinery at the source. Sensible protections are on before the first tab opens—and every tradeoff stays yours to change.
What’s inside
Small surface.
Strong defaults.
Privacy is a property of the build, not a button tucked into settings.
Private network
Quad9 DNS-over-HTTPS runs in TRR-only mode, with Encrypted Client Hello enabled to conceal more of each connection.
Less fingerprintable
Resist Fingerprinting, letterboxing, canvas randomization, and a 100 μs timing floor reduce identifying signals.
No DRM
Widevine and EME are compiled out. NordFox stays a browser, not a locked media appliance.
Local safeguards
Malware and phishing lists are checked locally, without per-download remote lookups.
Deliberately familiar
Classic square tabs, a status bar, and a focused start page bring back the browser chrome that stayed out of your way.
A familiar place
Chrome with
a memory.
NordFox borrows the clarity of early Firefox and the cool restraint of the Nord palette. Controls look like controls. The start page is useful. Your browser feels like a tool again.
- Classic menu and status bars
- Square tabs and a boxed address field
- A script-free, local start page
Build it yourself
Trust, but verify.
The entire patch and branding pipeline is readable. A full build fetches Firefox ESR, applies LibreWolf and NordFox patches, compiles, brands, signs, and packages the DMG.
Python 3NodeRustLLVM 18Xcode CLI
$ git clone <repo> nordfox
$ cd nordfox
$ ./build.sh all
# 30–90 min: fetch → patch → build → DMGFirst launch
Three steps.
One extra click.
NordFox is ad-hoc signed and not notarized by Apple, so macOS asks for an explicit first launch.
- 1Open the DMG
Double-click the downloaded NordFox-128.11.0-1-arm64.dmg.
- 2Move to Applications
Drag NordFox.app into the Applications folder.
- 3Open once manually
Right-click NordFox.app, choose Open, then confirm.
Questions, answered
Before you switch.
Why Apple Silicon only?+
NordFox currently targets aarch64-apple-darwin. The build toolchain and every release are tested on M-series Macs only.
Why are automatic updates disabled?+
An updater is also a remote-code channel. NordFox ships deliberate, inspectable releases as DMG files; install a newer release by replacing the app in Applications.
Will some websites break?+
Yes. Strict DNS, WebRTC, WebGL, service-worker, and anti-fingerprinting settings can expose brittle sites. Every hardening choice is a documented preference that you can adjust in about:config.
How is this related to LibreWolf?+
NordFox applies LibreWolf’s patch set to Firefox ESR, then adds source-level de-bloat, tighter timing precision, a stricter user.js, custom branding, and its Nord-inspired interface.
NordFox 128.11.0
Make the web
a quieter place.
Download for Apple Silicon79 MB · macOSSHA-256785af2e9b9190d274009f5a51eb172a2971a5c14bbdac3d1e1d49e8c07413d45