I've been trying to cut down on how much websites can track me, so I installed a couple of privacy extensions in Chrome and started using a VPN. Out of curiosity, I ran a few browser fingerprint tests and noticed that some of my browser details changed every time I refreshed the page. I thought that was supposed to make tracking harder, but one of the tests actually flagged my browser as unusual. Now I'm wondering whether all these extensions are doing more harm than good. Is it better to block fingerprinting altogether, change certain browser settings, or just leave most things alone? Has anyone found a way to reduce fingerprint tracking without making their browser stand out even more?

A couple of privacy extensions can start stepping on each other's toes pretty quickly. One changes canvas data, another touches WebGL, and something else alters fonts or browser headers, so you end up with a combination hardly anyone else has. I'd make a fresh Chrome profile and add the protections back one at a time, running the same fingerprint test after each change. That should show which extension is making the browser unusually distinctive without forcing you to disable everything at once.

Those fingerprint tests can also send people chasing every single value that looks different, even when the real issue is the overall combination of signals. A browser that changes too much from one refresh to the next may be easier to single out than one that simply blends into a common setup. There's an article about device fingerprint spoofing here: https://gologin.com/blog/browser-fingerprint-spoofing-how-to-prevent-tracking/ . Read through it before adding more extensions or changing another batch of settings. Then run the same tests again and look specifically at whether your setup has become less unique and more consistent.