Proxy Settings in Chrome, Firefox, macOS, Windows

Configuring a proxy in Chrome, Firefox and at the operating-system level

For manual checks, account work or QA, a real browser through a residential exit is the most honest view of a site. Here is how each browser and OS takes the proxy, and the two settings that stop leaks.

3 min read 7 sections Updated Sep 21, 2026 Published Sep 21, 2026

Which credentials to use#

Browsers prompt for proxy credentials once per session and remember them. Use a sticky username so the whole browsing session stays on one household: USER-cc-de-city-berlin-sid-desk1-ttl-24h. Alternatively whitelist your public IP in the dashboard and no prompt appears at all.

Chrome and Chromium#

Chrome uses the operating system's proxy settings by default; change them there (below) and every Chromium browser follows.
For one dedicated profile, start Chrome with flags: --proxy-server=\"http://res.proxshift.com:9000\" --user-data-dir=/tmp/proxprofile. The first navigation asks for the username and password.
SOCKS5 with remote DNS: --proxy-server=\"socks5://res.proxshift.com:9001\" --host-resolver-rules=\"MAP * ~NOTFOUND , EXCLUDE res.proxshift.com\" keeps DNS from leaking (whitelisted IP required: Chrome cannot send SOCKS5 credentials).
Extensions such as SwitchyOmega switch profiles per site and store credentials, useful when you alternate between direct and proxied browsing.

Firefox#

Settings → Network Settings → Manual proxy configuration.
HTTP Proxy res.proxshift.com, port 9000, tick "Also use this proxy for HTTPS". Or SOCKS Host res.proxshift.com, port 9001, SOCKS v5, and tick Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5.
In about:config, set media.peerconnection.enabled to false to stop WebRTC from revealing your real address.
Firefox asks for the proxy credentials on the first request and can remember them per profile.

macOS#

System Settings → Network → your interface → Details → Proxies: enable Web Proxy (HTTP) and Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS) with res.proxshift.com and port 9000, tick "Proxy server requires password" and enter the sticky username and password. Safari and most apps follow the system setting; some command-line tools do not, use the environment variables instead.

Windows#

Settings → Network & Internet → Proxy → Manual proxy setup: address res.proxshift.com, port 9000. Windows has no field for credentials; Edge and Chrome will prompt on first use, or whitelist your IP. Add localhost;127.* to the exceptions.

A PAC file for selective proxying#

proxy.pac

function FindProxyForURL(url, host) {
  // Only these sites go through the German exit; everything else is direct
  if (dnsDomainIs(host, ".example.de") || shExpMatch(host, "*.shop-example.de")) {
    return "PROXY res.proxshift.com:9000";
  }
  return "DIRECT";
}

Point the browser or OS at the PAC URL (a local file works in Firefox; Chrome and Windows prefer an http:// URL). Credentials are still prompted or whitelisted.

Verify before you trust it#

Open an IP-echo page: the address must be the exit, in the country you asked.
Open a WebRTC leak test: only the exit should appear.
Check the browser's language and time zone match the exit if the site cares about consistency.

Questions people ask#

Why does the browser keep asking for the proxy password?

A wrong password, or a username with a typo in a parameter: the gateway answers 407 and the browser re-prompts. Test the same credentials with cURL to see the exact gateway code.

Can I use a different exit per tab?

Not with browser settings alone: the proxy is per profile or per system. Run separate profiles, or use an extension with per-site rules.

Proxies

Menu