The *Tor Connection* assistant appears to help you connect to the Tor network.

<h12 id="bridges">Tor relays and bridges</h12>

<h2 id="bridges">Tor relays and bridges</h2>

**Public Tor relays**

**Tor bridges**

Tor bridges are secret Tor relays that keep yourhide that you are connectiong to the Tor
network hiddenTor.

Tor bridges are secret Tor relays that hide that you are connecting to Tor.

<h12 id="automatic">Connecting to Tor automatically</h12>

<h2 id="automatic">Connecting to Tor automatically</h2>

Tails learns the current time by connecting to the captive portal detection
service of [Fedora](https://getfedora.org/project.org/static/hotspot.txt), which is used by most Linux
distributions. This connection does not go through the Tor network and is an
exception to our policy of only making Internet connections through the Tor
network.

Tails learns the current time by connecting to the captive portal detection
service of [Fedora](http://fedoraproject.org/static/hotspot.txt), which is used by most Linux
distributions. This connection does not go through the Tor network and is an
exception to our policy of only making Internet connections through the Tor
network.

If public relays and default bridges don't work, Tails asks you to configure a **custom bridge**, if connecting using the default bridges fails.

If public relays and default bridges don't work, Tails asks you to configure a **custom bridge**.

See [[configuring a Tor bridge|tor#bridge]] below.

<h12 id="hiding">Hiding to your local network that you are connecting to Tor</h12>

<h2 id="hiding">Hiding to your local network that you are connecting to Tor</h2>

Our team is doing its best to help you connect to Tor using the most discreet types of Tor bridges. That is why, when you decide to hide that you are connecting to Tor:

Default bridges are not available.

<h12 id="bridges">Tor relays andConfiguring a Tor bridges</h12>

<h2 id="bridge">Configuring a Tor bridge</h2>

When *Tor Connection* fails to connect to Tor using public relays and default bridges, select **Configure a Tor Bridge** from the error screen.

<h12 id="troubleshoot-tor">Troubleshooting connecting to Tor</h12>

<h2 id="troubleshoot-tor">Troubleshooting connecting to Tor</h2>

<h12 id="status">Viewing the status of Tor</h12>

<h2 id="status">Viewing the status of Tor</h2>

To view the list of Tor circuits that are used by your different applications, click on the Tor status icon and choose **View Tor Circuits**. Learn more about [[managing Tor circuits|circuits]].