Tor Browser users have likely already seen alerts about version 7.0, but anyone who has never tried it before has an excellent opportunity to explore the most polished build yet. The official announcement for Tor Browser 7.0 covers both the switch to Firefox 52 ESR as its new base and the addition of multiprocess support, which improves performance and security.
The Tor network is without doubt the first choice for anyone who wants to browse anonymously and privately. Connecting directly to the network can be complicated without the right technical knowledge, but the Tor Browser is the user's main ally, reducing the process to one or two clicks. Obviously, Tor Browser does not solve every privacy detail on its own, and requires the user to make several adjustments to their browsing habits. Simply not using plugins or not downloading documents (if they are handled by an external application they could reveal the IP address) is enough to keep many people away, but that is one of the prices to pay. The other is staying up to date with any major browser update, which brings us to the latest build, 7.0.
What's new in Tor Browser 7.0
The most important point in the announcement of Tor Browser 7.0 is the adoption of Firefox 52 ESR as the reference for its design. Firefox's ESR builds prioritize security fixes, and as a side note, Firefox 52 ESR is the last version compatible with Windows XP. This change allowed its maintainers to enable multiprocess support, better known as Electrolysis or e10s. Full sandboxing of content is only available on Linux and macOS, but work is already underway to bring it to Windows. The jump to Firefox ESR 52 also changes Tor Browser's minimum requirements. Processors without SSE2 extensions can no longer run it, while on Apple computers, the minimum accepted OS version is 10.9 (Mavericks).
Known issues in Tor Browser 7.0
If we have to talk about three bugs in Tor Browser 7.0, they are the following: First, Mozilla dropped ALSA support on Linux, so anyone who wants sound in the browser needs to use PulseAudio. Second, the download button in the PDF viewer doesn't work, although you can use the right-click button and choose the 'Save As...' option. Finally, some sites are hanging due to a bug in NoScript, which will be fixed in the coming days.
