Hello everyone, This is the report from the user support team for the month of August 2026. One correction in the last month's [report][]. I had accidentally mentioned:

7. 7(↑) tickets: instructions to use GetTor. [..] 9. 5(↓) tickets: instructions on how to get Tor Browser binaries from GetTor.

It must read: 7. 7(↑) tickets: instructions to use GetBridgesBot (our official Tor bridge distribution channel on Telegram). [..] 9. 5(↓) tickets: instructions on how to get Tor Browser binaries from GetTor. [report]: https://lists.torproject.org/mailman3/hyperkitty/list/tor-project@lists.torp... Note: (↑), (↓) and (-) are indicating if the number of tickets we received for these topics have been increasing, decreasing or have been the same from the previous month respectively. - Summary of updates from user support - General user support - Farsi-speaking user support - Russian-speaking user support - Frontdesk (email user support channel) - Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal user support channels - Highlights from the Tor Forum - Highlights from Google Play Store # Summary of updates from user support ## General user support * 426 tickets in total (↑68) * 295 tickets on Email * 73 tickets on Telegram * 11 tickets on Signal * 47 tickets on WhatsApp * In the aftermath of the Tor VPN 1.9.0Beta release we received [several reports][] that the app was crashing on their device. The rollout of the update was halted in the interim and we had been encouraging users who had already updated to revert to previous stable version of 1.8.0Beta. The issue stands resolved now and all users are encouraged to the update to the latest Tor VPN version of 1.9.1Beta. [several reports]: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/work_items/543 ## Farsi-speaking user support * 17 tickets in total (↓9) * 4 tickets on Email * 13 tickets on Telegram * There has been a dip in user support tickets from Farsi-speaking users in the last month. We received a mix of queries ranging between help with instructions to use bridges with Tor VPN Beta and Orbot. * Looking at [Tor Metrics][], there has been relatively stable number of users through August from Iran. [Tor Metrics]: https://metrics.torproject.org/userstats-bridge-country.html?country=ir&star... ## Russian-speaking user support * 441 tickets in total (↓1) * 134 tickets on Email (↓22) * 290 tickets on Telegram (↑7) * 5 tickets on Signal (↑2) * 12 tickets on WhatsApp (↑12) * In August, we started getting more requests from users from Belarus and we are currently investigating the [dropping number of Tor users][] from the country. [dropping number of Tor users]: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/censorship-analysis/-/work... # Frontdesk (email user support channel) * 453(↓) RT tickets created * 433(↑) RT tickets resolved Tickets by topics and numbers: 1. 181(↓) tickets: instructions to circumvent censorship for Chinese speaking users. 2. 134(↓) tickets: circumventing censorship in Russian speaking countries. 3. 31(↓) tickets: help with troubleshooting existing Tor Browser install on Desktop (Windows, macOS and Linux). 4. 13(↓) tickets: help with troubleshooting Tor VPN beta. Majority of these tickets have been about the [Tor VPN 1.9.0Beta crashing]. The issue is fixed with Tor VPN version 1.9.1Beta. 5. 11(↑) tickets: report of websites blocking Tor connections or not performing well in Tor Browser. 6. 6(↑) tickets: reports of fake apps on iOS AppStore masquerading as official Tor Browser. 7. 4(↓) tickets: circumventing censorship with Tor in Farsi. 8. 3(↑) tickets: queries about how onion services work. 9. 2(↑) tickets: instructions to change the default search engine on Tor Browser. 10. 2(↑) tickets: queries about ways to contribute to Tor. 11. 2(↑) tickets: reports of onion services offline. These onion services are not hosted by Tor Project and reporters are encouraged to report to the concerned onion service operators. 12. 3(↓) tickets: instructions to use WebTunnel bridges with Tor apps. 13. 2(↑) tickets: PII redaction request from Tor mailist list archives. 14. 2(↑) tickets: understanding how Tor Browser doesn't store persistent cookies and other browser information. 15. 1(↓) ticket: query about the privacy policy of Tor applications. 16. 1(-) ticket: instructions to download and install Tor Browser. 17. 1(↑) ticket: query about available job openings at Tor. 18. 1(↑) ticket: query about modifying the Tor circuit in Tor Browser. 19. 1(↓) ticket: report of Google's "My Location" feature showing their location as "Tehran" while using Tor Browser. Google's geolocation service has been flagging some Tor exit nodes in Europe as being from Tehran. 20. 1(↑) ticket: using Tor Browser on Arm architecture (Linux) 21. 1(↑) ticket: help with troubleshooting Tor blocked by a firewall. 22. 1(↑) ticket: Tor Forum related help. 23. 1(↑) ticket: help with post-install steps for running a Tor bridge. 24. 1(↑) ticket: query about about Tor's [trademark][]. 25. 1(↑) ticket: help with installing Tor Browser on Linux. 26. 1(↑) ticket: query about finding official documentation for Tor Browser (support.torproject.org) 27. 1(↑) ticket: query about the official Tor app to install for iOS (Onion Browser & Orbot). 28. 1(↑) ticket: query on how to check ExoneraTor. 29. 1(↑) ticket: help with setting up a Snowflake proxy. 30. 1(↑) ticket: help with instructions to download Tor Browser. 31. 1(↑) ticket: report of anti-virus software wrongly flagging Tor Browser. 32. 1(↑) ticket: query on how one can support relay operators and donate to [relay associations][]. [Tor VPN 1.9.0Beta crashing]: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/work_items/543 [trademark]: https://www.torproject.org/about/trademark/ [relay associations]: https://community.torproject.org/relay/community-resources/relay-association... # Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal user support channels * 451(↑) tickets resolved Breakdown: * 376(↓) tickets on Telegram * 16(↑) tickets on Signal * 59(↑) tickets on WhatsApp Tickets by topics and numbers: 1. 307(↑) tickets: circumventing censorship in Russian speaking countries. 2. 20(↑) tickets: help with troubleshooting Tor VPN beta. Majority of these tickets have been about the Tor VPN 1.9.0Beta crashing. The issue is fixed with Tor VPN version 1.9.1Beta. 3. 14(↓) tickets: instructions to circumvent censorship for Chinese speaking users. 4. 13(↓) tickets: circumventing censorship with Tor in Farsi. 5. 16(-) tickets: help with using censorship circumvention methods on Onion Browser (iOS) or Orbot (Android / iOS). 6. 8() tickets: instructions to fetch and use bridges from our official Tor bridges distribution channels. 7. 6(↑) tickets: reports of fake apps on iOS AppStore masquerading as official Tor Browser. 8. 6(↓) tickets: instructions to use GetTor. 9. 6(↓) tickets: help with troubleshooting existing Tor Browser install on Desktop (Windows, macOS and Linux). 10. 5(↑) tickets: help with using bridges with Tails. 11. 5(↓) tickets: query about Tor Browser support legacy operating systems. 12. 3(↓) tickets: questions about onion services and how to access them. 13. 2(-) tickets: report of websites blocking Tor connections or not performing well in Tor Browser. 14. 2(↑) tickets: newly installed app [automatically gets protected] even if "Protect all apps" is off on [Tor VPN][]. 15. 1(↑) ticket: instructions to update little-t tor. 16. 1(↑) ticket: instructions to configure [Exit location on Tor VPN][]. 17. 1(↑) ticket: help with troubleshooting existing Tor Browser install on Android. [automatically gets protected]: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/work_items/529 [Exit Location on Tor VPN]: https://support.torproject.org/tor-vpn/features/exit-location/ # Highlights from the Tor Forum * What information is visible to a [Snowflake proxy]. * [Persistent Storage] error on Tails. [Snowflake proxy]: https://forum.torproject.org/t/snowflake-proxy-volunteer-confusion/22045 [Persistent Storage]: https://forum.torproject.org/t/persistent-storage/21617 # Highlights from Google Play Store ## Tor Browser for Android * Tor Browser for Android (TBA) had a Google Play rating of 4.437 stars in August, which is higher as compared to in July. * Tor Browser for Android (TBA) got 583(↓46) new reviews. The total count of reviews for the app stands at 70,230. * For Tor Browser, the most common issue mentioned on reviews were the censorship against Tor in countries like Russia, China, Iran and Tor Browser being slow to browse. ## Tor Browser for Android Alpha * Tor Browser for Android Alpha app had a rating of 4.115 in August which is the same compared to July. * Tor Browser for Android Alpha got 8(↑4) new reviews. The total count of reviews for the app stands at 8,787. ## Tor VPN Beta * Tor VPN beta number of unique daily users is around 71,000 at the end of August. * The top 5 countries by the number of installations being (in descending order): Russia, India, Iran, the United States, and Turkmenistan. Thanks! -- ebanam