Sending data to the server by Yandex Browser

Yandex Browser sends data to the server in order to:

  • Perform technical tasks, such as increasing the data transfer speed or phishing protection.
  • Collect statistics on Yandex Browser usage and debugging data.

The data is sent to the server:

  • By default.
  • When the user turns on a Yandex Browser feature (for example, statistics collection).
  • When the Yandex Browser feature is activated.

All the situations when data transfer to the server is enabled are listed below. If you want to disable data exchange with the server in any of the scenarios described below, disable the corresponding function in the settings (you can open them by clicking  → Settings).

Sending data by default

Data transfer is enabled by default for the following browser features:

  • Crash reports. If Yandex Browser or its components close unexpectedly, crash reports are sent to the server.

    Disable sending crash reports

    Alert

    We recommend keeping this setting enabled. Crash reports help developers fix bugs.

    1. Click  → Settings → System requirements.

    2. At the bottom of the page, click Personal data settings.

    3. Disable the Send crash reports to Yandex option.

  • Protection against malware and malicious sites. If you visit a suspicious site, Yandex Browser sends the hash prefix of this page to the server.

    Technical details

    The Yandex condensed database of malware and phishing sites is downloaded to your computer. It contains the hash prefixes of addresses of dangerous pages. Before opening a page, Yandex Browser calculates the address hash and checks the hash prefix against the local database. If there is a match, Yandex Browser sends the server the prefix of the page and gets the full hashes of malicious pages that start with this prefix. If the list of pages contains the hash of the requested page, the page is blocked.

    When downloading a file, Yandex Browser checks it for malware. When checking the file, information about the file, the history of the tab the file was downloaded from, and other data is sent to the server.

    Disable protection against malware and malicious sites

    Alert

    We recommend keeping this setting enabled. If Yandex Browser stops blocking pages on infected and phishing sites, malware may get into your computer.

    1. Press  → Settings.

    2. Go to Security.

    3. Disable security options.

  • Navigation error help. If you enter a nonexistent website address, Yandex Browser sends this address to the Yandex server. Yandex will help you find the page or suggest viewing its saved copy if the page was deleted.

    Disable navigation error help

    1. Click  → Settings → General settings.

    2. In the Search section, disable the option Offer corrections for typos in site addresses.

  • Making suggestions. When you enter a search query or a website address in the SmartBox, it's sent to the default search engine and is used for generating suggestions for addresses and queries.

    Disable suggestions

    1. Click  → Settings → General settings.

    2. In the Search section, disable the option Show suggestions when entering addresses and queries.

  • Autofill forms. When you enter information in a form (such as your name, address, email, or phone number), Yandex Browser remembers it so that later you save time and complete forms in just one click. This information is not sent to the server. However, if Yandex Browser asks the server for information about what the form fields mean, the form's address may be sent to the server.

    Turn off form autofilling

    1. Click  → Settings → Tools.

    2. Disable the Suggest form autofill option.

Sending data after activating a feature

If you activate these features, they will start sending data.

  • Syncing. When syncing devices, Yandex Browser sends bookmarks, passwords, history, autofill data, extensions, and open tabs to the Yandex server. You can turn off syncing or adjust the list of data to sync at any time when using the browser.
  • Sending statistics. If you enable sending statistics, depersonalized data about Yandex Browser usage will be sent to Yandex. This data will help identify problem areas in the Yandex Browser interface, kernel, and other components, along with problems in other Yandex servers.

Sending data when the feature is used

The following features send data only while they are in use:

  • Page language detection. To detect the language, Yandex Browser uses local tools alone or both local and server tools. The second method is more accurate. It requires part of the page text to be sent to the server. To use only local tools, go to Tools in settings and deselect the Send text snippets to Yandex to improve translation quality option.
  • Page translator. If the page language is different from the browser interface language, the browser suggests page translation. If you agree, the text on the page is sent to the server, which returns it translated. You can disable translation on the Tools page in Settings.
  • Word and phrase translator. Yandex Browser can also translate individual words and phrases on the page for you by sending them to the server. You can disable the translation of words and phrases on the Tools page in Settings.
  • User location. Some websites request information about your location. You can view and edit the list of websites that you allow to track your location, or block location tracking on all websites.
  • Sending information about suspicious files and websites to Yandex. In particular, Yandex Browser sends the hash prefix of the opened page and information about downloaded files. You can disable this feature in the Security tab.

Collecting statistics

  • Install the browser. Yandex Browser sends information about the installation, such as the time needed to download a file.
  • Updates. The browser periodically requests information about updates from Yandex servers and transfers some technical data to the server.
  • Calculating the number of users. Completely depersonalized information is periodically sent to the server to count the total number of Yandex Browser users.
  • Making Tableau and tabs. The browser periodically sends addresses of your visited websites to the server in order to get their logos for the Tableau and tabs.
  • Uninstall the browser. Yandex Browser sends anonymized technical information about the system to the server.
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