WHERE DO I START?

Welcome to r/darknet! I hope you enjoy your stay. Make sure to follow the rules and flair your posts!

If your post breaks the r/darknet rules, try posting it to dread instead. Dread is a reddit "clone" website only accessible accessible via TOR.

TOR can be downloaded here for any operating system. Windows 10 users be warned - your OS is a privacy nightmare. Macs are not much safer. Use Tails.

Tails is a special operating system which can run on (almost) any computer. It boots off of a USB thumb drive, and routes all network traffic through TOR. You do not need a burner PC. You do not need any special hardware at all to browse the darknet safely.

The DNM Bible is the most complete, and easiest to digest, source of darknet information. READ IT! You can download the DNM Bible as a PDF here. It is a very good guide, and contains section dedicated to setting up and using Tails.

Check out the FAQ. It answers hard hitting questions like "should I use a VPN" (No).

If you are looking for darknet sites to browse, a place to start is dark.fail. This site is up to date with links for many popular .onion websites. It is not affiliated with this subreddit, and we are not responsible for its content.

Try to avoid using a phone to browse the darknet. Mobile operating systems are strange beasts that have yet to be tamed, and it is best to assume whatever you do via a mobile TOR browser is not anonymous. The best way to keep your identity hidden is to always update TOR, set your TOR Browser safety slider to 'Safest' and to use Tails.

Simply installing the correct software does not make you safe on its own. You need to know how each program in your setup works, and how to properly configure it to be sure you are safe. r/privacytoolsIO is an unaffiliated sub packed with great information on how to stay safe online. Their website, privacytools.io, is worth a look as well.

As far as Crypto goes, the safest way to use it is through Tails. The DNM Bible has a great guide on how to use BTC (Bitcoin). XMR, or Monero, is a newer currency that is briefly mentioned in the DNM Bible and is often recommended because of its privacy focus. Read this guide to learn more about it.

If you have any beginner questions, ask them below!