How to set up a proxy in a browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari

Published Nov 7, 202611 min read

In short

Chrome and Edge take the proxy from the Windows or macOS settings, Safari from the macOS settings, and Firefox has its own connection settings. Chrome, Edge and Firefox ask for an HTTP proxy’s login in a sign-in window, but none of them can send a SOCKS5 login from its own settings. So for Proxeta proxies in a browser, use HTTP on port 8080 with a sticky session, then check the exit IP.

A browser can take a proxy from the operating system, from its own settings, from a command-line flag or from an extension. Below: where Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari keep these settings, which protocol works with a login and password, and how to check the result. Menu paths follow the official help for the browsers and operating systems as of November 2026; menus move between versions, so the steps also say what to look for.

Where each browser keeps its proxy settings

Browser	Where the proxy is set	HTTP proxy with a login and password	SOCKS5 with a login and password
Chrome, Edge	Windows or macOS settings, the `--proxy-server` flag, an extension	Yes: the browser asks for them in a sign-in window	No
Firefox	Its own “Connection Settings” window, or the system settings	Yes: Firefox asks for them in a sign-in window	No fields for them in the settings
Safari	macOS network settings	Fields in the macOS settings; not tested by us	Not tested by us

The main difference is scope. A proxy in the Windows or macOS settings applies to every program that follows them, such as other browsers and messengers. Firefox’s own settings, a Chrome flag or an extension change the browser only. Other Chromium-based browsers often behave like Chrome and Edge.

Why HTTP on port 8080, not SOCKS5

Proxeta residential and mobile proxies use port 8080 for HTTP and port 1080 for SOCKS5, with one login and password. Authentication is by login and password only, with no IP allowlist, so what matters is which protocol a browser can sign in to.

HTTP. For HTTP proxies, Chrome supports the same authentication schemes as for websites. When the proxy answers 407 Proxy Authentication Required, the browser shows a sign-in window. Edge and Firefox do the same.
SOCKS5. The Chromium documentation states that Chrome supports no authentication methods for SOCKS5. A proxy that requires a login refuses, and the page fails with an error such as ERR_SOCKS_CONNECTION_FAILED, without a sign-in window. Firefox’s connection settings have no username and password fields for SOCKS, and a Mozilla bug asking for them was still open in November 2026. A Firefox extension can pass a SOCKS login through the browser’s proxy API.

So in a browser, use HTTP on port 8080. SOCKS5 on port 1080 is for programs that can send a SOCKS5 login, such as curl or Telegram; see HTTP vs SOCKS5. Neither port carries UDP.

Where to get the proxy string

In the Proxeta Dashboard, open “Generate proxies” and choose the connection type and location. Set “Protocol” to HTTP (port 8080) and “Session type” to “Sticky session”, then copy a string in the host:port:login:password format:

proxy.example.invalid:8080:demo-country-us-sid-k7m2q9x4ab-filter-medium:demo-password

Browsers and system settings want separate fields, so split the string at the colons: host, port, login, password. The location and session are written into the login, so copy it whole, without spaces; see proxy string format and connecting a proxy. The example uses placeholders. A real string contains your password, so do not post it in public.

An ISP proxy is one dedicated IP for 30 days, with HTTP and SOCKS5 and a choice of country only. Its IP, port, login and password are in your order on the “My proxies” tab. In a browser, use HTTP for it too.

Chrome and Edge: the system proxy settings

The Chromium network stack uses the system network settings unless a command-line flag, an extension or a policy sets the proxy. Chrome and Edge have no proxy fields of their own, only a link to the system proxy settings: search the browser’s settings for “proxy”.

Windows

Open Windows Settings → “Network & internet” → “Proxy”.
Under “Manual proxy setup”, next to “Use a proxy server”, select “Set up”.
Turn on “Use a proxy server”, enter the host in “Proxy IP address” and 8080 in “Port”, then select “Save”.

Windows has no login fields: on the first connection, the browser shows a sign-in window for the login and password from the string. The setting applies to every program that takes the proxy from Windows, so turn it off when you are done.

macOS

Open the Apple menu → “System Settings” → “Network”, select the network service you use (Wi-Fi, for example), then “Details” → “Proxies”.
Turn on “Web proxy (HTTP)” and “Secure web proxy (HTTPS)”, and enter the host and port 8080 in both.
To store the login in macOS, turn on “Proxy server requires password” and enter the login and password.

Safari, Chrome and Edge on a Mac take the proxy from these settings. Chrome and Edge may still ask for the login in a sign-in window.

Chrome with the --proxy-server flag

To use a proxy in Chrome only, without touching the system settings, start Chrome with the --proxy-server flag. On Windows, in the Command Prompt (the usual path for a default install):

"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --proxy-server="http://proxy.example.invalid:8080" --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\ChromeProxy"

On macOS, in Terminal:

/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome \
  --proxy-server="http://proxy.example.invalid:8080" \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/chrome-proxy"

No login in the flag. Chrome does not use credentials written into proxy settings, so http://login:password@host will not work; it asks in a sign-in window.
Startup only. If Chrome is already open with the same profile, the flag is ignored. Quit Chrome first (open chrome://quit), or use a separate profile folder with --user-data-dir, as above. That profile starts empty.
Policies come first. In a browser managed by an organization, a proxy policy overrides the flags.

Edge also accepts proxy settings from the command line.

Firefox: its own connection settings

Firefox can use the system proxy or keep its own settings, which makes it the simplest way to use a proxy in one browser only.

In Firefox settings, find “Proxy settings” and click “Configure proxy”. As of November 2026, Mozilla’s help places them under “Privacy and security” → “Connection and software security” → “Advanced settings”; other versions may differ.
In the “Connection Settings” window, choose “Manual proxy configuration”.
Enter the host in “HTTP Proxy” and 8080 in “Port”, and tick “Also use this proxy for HTTPS”.
Leave “SOCKS Host” empty and click OK.

Firefox asks for the login and password on the first page. If you save them and tick “Do not prompt for authentication if password is saved”, Firefox signs in without the window next time. “Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5” only matters for SOCKS: an HTTP proxy receives the site’s name in the request anyway. The same window also lists any extension that controls Firefox’s connection.

Safari: the macOS network settings

Safari has no proxy fields of its own and uses the macOS settings above; the “Proxies” item in Safari → “Settings” → “Advanced” leads to them. Fill in “Web proxy (HTTP)” and “Secure web proxy (HTTPS)” with the host and port 8080, and enter the login under “Proxy server requires password”. The setting applies to the whole Mac, Chrome and Edge included. We have not tested Safari with a proxy login, over HTTP or SOCKS5, so check the exit IP after setup.

Proxeta Proxy Manager: a proxy for Chrome only

Proxeta Proxy Manager is a Chrome extension for HTTP proxies. It changes the proxy in Chrome and leaves the system settings alone.

Stores proxies. Add a proxy by hand, paste a proxy string into any field (the other fields fill in by themselves), or import a list or a .txt or .json file. List formats: host:port, host:port:login:password and login:password@host:port.
Signs in for you. It keeps the login and password with the proxy and answers the proxy’s authentication request itself.
Checks. A check shows whether a saved proxy works, its exit IP and, where available, the country.
Switches. You turn a saved proxy on and off from the popup.

It works with HTTP only, so take HTTP strings with port 8080. The extension is not linked to your Proxeta account: you paste the strings yourself, and they stay in your Chrome profile.

Sticky session or rotation in a browser

Even for one page, a browser opens several connections, to the site and to the servers of its images and scripts. With a rotating string, each new connection may get a new IP, so the site sees one visit from several addresses and may sign you out.

For browsing, use the “Sticky session” session type: its login contains -sid-. It keeps one IP for as long as possible, until the provider drops the connection; the duration cannot be set, so check the IP after a reconnect. For another address, take another string. For the same address over weeks, an ISP proxy keeps one IP for 30 days. See sticky session vs rotation; for antidetect browser profiles, see how to set up a proxy in an antidetect browser.

How to check the exit IP

Before you turn the proxy on, open https://api64.ipify.org or any “what is my IP” page and note the address.
Turn the proxy on, sign in when the browser asks, and open the same page in a new tab.
The address should change and match the location you chose.

IPv6. api64.ipify.org answers over IPv4 and IPv6; without ipv4-true in the login, the exit address may be IPv6.
Geolocation. IP checkers use different databases, so the city may differ between them.
Old connections. Pages and connections opened before the change may still show the old address. Reload; if nothing changes, close the browser completely and open it again.

To test a string outside the browser, see curl with a proxy.

WebRTC

WebRTC, used for calls and video chats on websites, mostly runs over UDP, which passes through neither an HTTP proxy nor the Proxeta gateway. By default, Chrome lets WebRTC use all of the computer’s network interfaces, and RFC 8828 notes that WebRTC connection checks can bypass a configured proxy and reveal the device’s public IP. So a page with WebRTC may see more than the proxy’s address; how much depends on the browser, its version and its settings.

Common problems

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
The sign-in window keeps coming back	Wrong or incomplete login or password	Copy the login again in full, without spaces, and the password from the same string
`ERR_SOCKS_CONNECTION_FAILED` or a connection error, no sign-in window	A SOCKS5 string with port 1080	Use the HTTP string with port 8080
`ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED`	Wrong host or port, or your network blocks the port	Check the host and port 8080, try another network
The IP is the same as without the proxy	The browser uses other settings: Firefox has its own, an extension or policy controls Chrome, or Chrome was open before you added the flag	Check where the browser takes the proxy from; quit Chrome before using the flag
A new string, but the same IP and country	All Proxeta strings share one host and port, so the browser may keep using the login it accepted or saved before	Close the browser completely, reopen it and enter the new login; if the browser saved the old one, change it in its saved passwords
The IP changes and sites sign you out	A rotating string	Create a string with “Sticky session”

Use proxies within the law, the rules of the sites you open and the Acceptable Use Policy.

Frequently asked questions

Does Chrome support SOCKS5 with a username and password?

No. According to the Chromium documentation, Chrome supports no authentication methods for SOCKS5. With a SOCKS5 proxy that requires a password, Chrome shows no sign-in window, and pages fail to load. Use an HTTP proxy instead: at Proxeta, that is port 8080 with the same login and password.

Why does Chrome use the system proxy settings?

Chromium, which Chrome and Edge are built on, takes its network settings from the operating system, so that all programs on a computer are configured in one place. Chrome has no proxy fields of its own, and the --proxy-server flag, an extension or a company policy can override the system settings.

Where do I enter the proxy username and password in Chrome?

Chrome’s settings have no fields for them, and neither does the Windows proxy setting. Chrome asks for the username and password in a separate window when it first connects through an HTTP proxy. The Proxeta Proxy Manager extension stores them with the proxy and answers that request itself.

How do I use a proxy only in the browser, not in the whole system?

Set the proxy in Firefox’s own connection settings, start Chrome with the --proxy-server flag, or connect the proxy through the Proxeta Proxy Manager extension for Chrome. A proxy in the Windows or macOS settings applies to every program that relies on them.

Which port should I use for Proxeta proxies in a browser?

Port 8080, which is HTTP. Port 1080 is SOCKS5: Chrome and Edge cannot send it a login and password, and Firefox’s settings have no fields for one. For an ISP proxy, take the IP, port, login and password from your order on the “My proxies” tab and enter them as an HTTP proxy.

Why does my IP keep changing in the browser?

Most likely, the string was created in rotation mode: each new connection may get a new IP, and a browser opens many connections. Create a string with the “Sticky session” session type in the Dashboard: it keeps one IP for as long as possible, until the provider drops the connection.