[Tip] Access Hidden Secret Advanced Configuration (Experiments) Page in Your Web Browser
UPDATE: This tutorial was posted long time back in year 2012. Now we have updated the tutorial with new screenshots and latest information applicable to newer versions of web browsers. Also added new method to access advanced configuration or experiments page in new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge web browser.
We here at AskVG love finding hidden secret stuff in software. We have posted about hidden secret features present in Mozilla Firefox, secret debug menu in Windows games, secret about pages in Google Chrome and much more in past.
Today in this tutorial, we are going to tell you how to access hidden secret “Advanced Configuration” or Experiments pages in popular web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.
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All these web browsers come with a secret page which allows you to enable or disable many advanced settings which are not generally available to configure from browser Options window.
Using these hidden configuration pages, you can enable many new experimental features which are disabled by default in the browser. You can also disable many unnecessary features which you don’t need or don’t like in your browser.
So if you also want to access these hidden pages, check out following simple steps:
Table of Contents
- 1. Access Hidden Secret “about:config” Page in Mozilla Firefox
- 2. Access Hidden Secret “chrome://flags” Page in Google Chrome
- 3. Access Hidden Secret “opera://flags” Page in Opera
- 4. Access Hidden Secret “edge://flags” Page in Microsoft Edge
- 5. Access Hidden Secret “about:flags” Page in Old UWP Microsoft Edge
- 6. Access Hidden Secret Configuration Page in Internet Explorer
You must be already aware of this page because we have posted so many tutorials about this secret page of Firefox.
“About:config” page allows you to tweak lots of hidden settings of Mozilla Firefox. You can enable or disable many features and options on the fly.
1. To access this page simply type about:config in Firefox’s addressbar and press Enter. It’ll ask for confirmation, click on “Accept the Risk and Continue” button. It’ll open Advanced Preferences page.
2. The page contains 3 types of preferences:
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- String
- Boolean
- Integer
3. You can double-click on the desired preference and change its value.
PS: You can find various interesting about:config tweaks in following exclusive articles:
[Tip] How to Restore Old About:Config Page in Mozilla Firefox
[Did You Know] Ultimate Collection of Mozilla Firefox Hidden Secret Features
Ultimate Collection of Best “about:config” Tweaks for Mozilla Firefox
Related: [Tip] How to Access “About:Config” Page in Mozilla Thunderbird
If you are a Google Chrome user, you can access a similar secret configuration page using following steps:
1. Type about:flags or chrome://flags in Chrome’s addressbar and press Enter. It’ll open the advanced configuration or Experiments page.
2. This page contains many experimental features and other advanced tweaks which can be enabled or disabled by clicking on Enable or Disable link given below the option description.
3. As soon as you enable or disable an option, a new “Relaunch Now” button automatically appears at bottom which can be used to restart Google Chrome to take effect.
PS: There are many such secret pages in Google Chrome which can be found at following link:
Ultimate List of Hidden Secret “About” Pages in Google Chrome
If you use Opera web browser, you can access its secret configuration page using following steps:
1. Type opera://flags in Opera addressbar and press Enter. It’ll open Opera Experiments page.
2. Here you can tweak various settings and features in Opera.
Also Check: Opera Secret Power User Settings Mode and Konami Code
NOTE: In older versions of Opera, you’ll need to use opera:config to access the advanced configuration page.
PS: There are many more similar secret pages in Opera. Just type opera: in Opera’s addressbar and a drop-down list will automatically appear showing all secret pages such as opera:cache, opera:debug, etc.
The new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge web browser also comes with a secret configuration page which can be accessed using following steps:
1. Type edge://flags in Microsoft Edge addressbar and press Enter. It’ll open the advanced configuration or Experiments page.
2. This page is similar to Google Chrome’s advanced configuration page and contains many experimental features which can be enabled or disabled by clicking on Enable or Disable link given below the option description.
3. As soon as you enable or disable an option, a new “Restart” button automatically appears at bottom which can be used to restart Microsoft Edge to take effect.
Microsoft’s latest OS Windows 10 comes with a UWP based version of “Microsoft Edge” web browser built-in. This old Microsoft Edge web browser also comes with a hidden secret experimental features page which can be accessed using about:flags URL in addressbar.
Microsoft also provides ways to disable this secret about:flags page in Edge web browser. Check out following tutorial for more details:
[Windows 10 Tip] Disable “About:Flags” Page in Microsoft Edge Web Browser
Unfortunately there is no such hidden secret configuration page available in Internet Explorer but you can always use Group Policy Editor to tweak various settings of Internet Explorer as well as other Windows components.
1. Just type gpedit.msc in RUN or Start Menu search box and press Enter. It’ll open Group Policy Editor.
2. Now go to following sections:
- Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer
- User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer
3. Now you can customize and tweak various interesting and hidden settings of Internet Explorer.
So you can see almost all web browsers allow users to tweak many advanced settings using these built-in but hidden configuration pages. Take your time and enjoy tweaking your favorite web browser.
…But what about IE, doesn’t Internet Explorer have any such settings-pafe???
R u kidding me u didn`t knew ’bout “about:config” in FFox?
Hi,
FYI… I tried the Opera address (you list above) opera:config=works as [ opera: ]=doesn’t… an error occurs. Either you are in error or they changed their system since you last updated this?
Would like the new address (if there is one…)
Thank you,
Charles
^^ You don’t need to press enter after typing opera:. Just wait a little and Opera will show the pages list in auto-complete drop-down box.
Group Policy Editor is not included in a lot of versions of Windows.
Opera: Does. NOT. Work. at. all.
Opera:config Does WORK
Chrome:flags cant compare to FF and Opera’s advanced config, just a few alpha/beta options there.
Is it possible to modify some of these parameters to improve the performance of online games? There are many games that do not run optimally, even with a graphics card, good processor and enough ram, still there now may be assigned more resources to optimally run these games?
^^ You can try to disable/enable GPU related options such as hardware acceleration, etc.
could you tell me how to set complex script in opera mobile browser. I know how to set it in opera mini browser but it is not there in opera mobile browser pls help.
There’s a manner to TOTALLY hide the tab bar? I’d like to use veritabs (extension), only.
(I’m searching since I switched to chrome)
I tried with this script, but it only creates a new window without tabs:
javascript:window.open(location.href, “detab”, “toolbar=1”); window.close()
Seems that chrome also hide toolbar and lock (literally) omnibar/address bar when you de-tabize it.
Strangely, with toolbar=1, the extensions works in the new window (the script uses toolbar=0), but anything releated to tabs, including extensions, works with windows which hasn’t been de-tabized…
Any suggestion, script and exotics solutions/workarounds are welcome 🙂
I don’t know what version of Chrome you are talking about but after looking at the entire list, twice no such Enable Instant Extended API exists in the list.
Go figure Captain Computer.
Hi
Opera has a “Power User Settings” which can be enabled by going to Settings (Alt+P), and clicking anywhere on the page (other than search bar). Then press Konami Code, that’s
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A
Enable Instant Extended API
Yeah… it’s nowhere to be found, and I really DON’T want recently viewed sites to show up on the google search page. What a pain.
please help. Living in an area were the isp only allows browsing via opera mini.i’m sure theres a method i can use to use my phone as a modem and connect using fire fox.please help.thank you
when I type in “”about:flags or chrome://flags”” and hit “”ENTER”” nothing happens…
about:config
For me I don’t know anything about google chrome congfiguration settings. If there’s a way you can make it easier I’d greatly appreciate please
It should be noted in most blink based web browsers typing “chrome:flags” will take you to the same page.
For instance, typing “chrome:flags” in the new edge will take you to the flags page.
You missed SeaMonkey (it is an integrated browser/email/etc). It is continually updated , free, etc.
Poor investigation of EMail clients, IMO
good
Is there a hidden secret advanced config access for the browser Brave?
Figured it would be the same as Firefox but I’m still probing for it
^^ Did you try chrome://flags ?
Yeah, that did it
Thanks