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Snowflake
For places where Tor is blocked, Snowflake provides a transport that helps people connect to the Tor network through apps such as Tor Browser and Orbot.
About Snowflake
Snowflake is a censorship circumvention tool developed by the Tor Project, part of the Pluggable Transports family designed to help users access the Tor network in regions where Tor access is blocked. It works by routing user connections through volunteer-hosted proxies located in uncensored regions, adding a layer of obfuscation to avoid detection by internet censors.
To use Snowflake for censorship circumvention, users need a Tor-powered application such as Tor Browser, Orbot, or Ricochet-Refresh, and can enable Snowflake in the app’s settings when unable to connect to the Tor network directly. The tool masks Tor traffic as ordinary video or voice call traffic using WebRTC technology, making it harder for censors to identify and block circumvention attempts without disrupting widespread legitimate internet services.
Unblocked users can also support the network by volunteering to host Snowflake proxies, via simple browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and Edge, standalone proxy deployments for technical users, or embeddable widgets for website owners. It is suited for people living in or traveling to heavily censored regions, as well as users who want to contribute to global anti-censorship efforts.
Key features
- Routes Tor connections through volunteer proxies to bypass censorship
- Masks Tor traffic as video/voice calls via WebRTC to avoid censor detection
- Integrated into Tor Browser, Orbot, and Ricochet-Refresh apps
- Offers browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, Edge for volunteer proxy hosting
- Supports standalone proxy deployment for technical users
- Provides embeddable widget for website owners to host proxies
Best for: It is most beneficial for users in regions where Tor is blocked, and unblocked users who wish to donate bandwidth to support anti-censorship access.
Good for
- Disguises Tor traffic as ordinary call traffic to reduce censor detection risk
- Offers multiple low-effort options for volunteers to host proxies
- Integrated into popular Tor apps for simple use by blocked users
Watch out for
- Browser add-on cannot be used to bypass censorship, only for volunteer hosting
- Connection availability depends on the number of active volunteer proxies
- It is a newer technology still under active development
Snowflake at a glance
- Website
- snowflake.torproject.org
- Category
- Privacy & Security › Censorship Circumvention
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Android, iOS, Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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Snowflake FAQ
What is Snowflake?
Snowflake is a Tor pluggable transport that helps users bypass internet censorship to access the Tor network in regions where Tor is blocked, by routing connections through volunteer proxies.
Can I use the Snowflake browser extension to bypass censorship?
No. The browser extension is designed for volunteers to host proxies to support other users; to bypass censorship, you must use a Tor-powered app like Tor Browser or Orbot with Snowflake enabled.
How does Snowflake avoid being blocked by censors?
Snowflake uses WebRTC technology to disguise Tor traffic as ordinary video or voice calls, making it difficult for censors to identify and block circumvention traffic.
How can I volunteer to host a Snowflake proxy?
Unblocked users can volunteer by installing the Snowflake browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, or Edge, running a standalone proxy, or embedding the Snowflake widget on their website.
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