[[!meta title="Connecting to the Tor network"]]

Everything you do on the Internet from Tails goes through the Tor network.

Tor encrypts and anonymizes your connection by passing it through 3 relays. Tor relays are servers operated by different people and organizations around the world.

[[!img tor.png link="no" class="svg" alt="A Tor connection goes through 3 relays with the last one establishing the actual connection to the final destination"]]

To update it:

<p>Because Tor routes your Internet traffic through 3 relays
before reaching its destination, the
connection is slower than when you are not using Tor.</p>

<p>See our documentation on
[[why Tor is slow|doc/anonymous_internet/tor/slow]].</p>

To connect to the Tor network:

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

[[!img tor-connection.png link="no"]]

Choose whether you want to:

Connect to Tor automatically

Hide to your local network that you are connecting to Tor

<h1 id="bridges">Tor relays and bridges</h1>

- **Public Tor relays**

Most of the time, your local network does not block access to the Tor network
and you can use a public relay as your first Tor relay.

- **Tor bridges**

Tor bridges are secret Tor relays that keep your connection to the Tor
network hidden.

The technology used by Tor bridges is designed to circumvent censorship
where connections to Tor are blocked, for example in some countries with heavy censorship,
by some public networks, or by some parental controls.

<h1 id="automatic">Connecting to Tor automatically</h1>