# How to Access .onion Sites and Tor Hidden Services A guide to safely navigating the Tor network and accessing private hidden services. - **Source:** [How-To Geek](https://www.howtogeek.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [technology](https://brifing.si/c/technology) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/fb412916-1ddc-4abc-8351-b4b041bf9d39 ## Understanding the Tor Network The Tor network is an anonymizing system designed to protect user privacy by wrapping internet traffic in multiple layers of encryption. It routes data through entry, middle, and exit nodes to ensure no single point can identify both the user and their activity, effectively bypassing censorship in heavily monitored regions. ## Accessing Hidden Services .onion addresses represent hidden services that exist entirely within the Tor network. Unlike standard websites, these services do not rely on public IP addresses, meaning connections never leave the Tor environment. This architecture allows both the user and the server hosting the website to maintain anonymity and hide their physical locations. ## Official Browser Requirements To access .onion sites, users must utilize the official Tor Browser, which is a modified version of Firefox configured for the network. It is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android devices. For high-risk users, Tails OS provides a live operating system that forces all system connections through the Tor network. ## Bypassing Regional Censorship In regions where standard Tor connections are blocked by firewalls, users can configure bridges to disguise traffic as normal internet data. By selecting 'obfs4' or 'meek' in the Tor Browser settings, users can circumvent government-imposed restrictions. These bridges require specific addresses provided by the Tor Project to establish a successful, hidden connection. ## Mobile Device Limitations Official Tor support for mobile is currently limited to Android devices running version 7.0 or higher via the Tor VPN Beta app. The app does not support Chromebooks or tablets. For iOS users, there is no official Tor application, though some third-party clients are available through the Apple App Store. ## Risks of Proxy Services Accessing .onion sites through proxies like Tor2web is strongly discouraged. These services forward traffic over the regular internet, which destroys the anonymity that Tor provides. Using proxies allows ISPs or service providers to monitor your activity and identify the specific websites you are visiting, defeating the primary purpose of Tor. ## Navigating Hidden Directories While directories for .onion sites exist, many are hosted on the hidden web itself and are only accessible through the Tor Browser. Users should exercise extreme caution when browsing these lists, as many sites contain malicious content or scams. It is safer to connect directly to known, specific service addresses. ## Security Best Practices Browsing the hidden web requires strict security habits to remain safe. Avoid random exploration of .onion links due to the prevalence of scams and harmful content. By sticking to verified services like Proton or DuckDuckGo, users can leverage the network's privacy benefits while minimizing exposure to the risks of the dark web. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.howtogeek.com/272049/how-to-access-onion-sites-also-known-as-tor-hidden-services/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._