Guides/Browser fingerprinting basics
Browser fingerprinting basics
Beyond cookies, websites can combine technical signals—canvas drawing, WebGL renderer strings, screen metrics, timezone, and more—to recognize a browser configuration. This guide explains those ideas at a practical level and how our educational tools fit in.
Fingerprints vs cookies
Cookies are storage the site sets (when allowed). A fingerprint is inferred from how your environment behaves or identifies itself. Clearing cookies does not always reset fingerprint-like signals. Privacy browsers and strict tracking prevention aim to reduce both.
Our cookies and JavaScript checks show basic capability; they are not fingerprint scores.
Canvas and WebGL
Canvas fingerprinting hashes how your stack draws graphics. WebGL may expose GPU vendor/renderer strings useful for debugging and discussed in fingerprinting research. We compute these in your browser for education—see canvas fingerprint and WebGL report.
Do not treat hashes as passwords or post them next to personal data.
Screen and environment signals
Resolution, viewport, color depth, and similar APIs help sites lay out pages—and can add entropy to a fingerprint. That dual use is why we explain each metric on its tool page rather than only dumping numbers.
Try screen resolution and viewport.
Practical takeaways
Use updated browsers, review extension permissions, and prefer built-in tracking prevention over random UA spoofing that breaks sites. IP-based identity (VPN on/off) is separate from browser fingerprinting—both matter in different threat models.
See Privacy for how getwhatismy.com handles data.