This article explains how to use the PS4 web browser, including how to modify its configurable settings to your liking. Instructions apply to all PlayStation 4 models including the PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim.

What to Know

  • If the Internet Browser app doesn’t appear on your home screen, go to Library > Applications.Select R2 to open a new browser window, then select the address bar at the top of the page to enter a URL.To clear history, manage cookies, and turn off tracking, select Options on the PS4 controller > Settings.

How to Open PS4 Browser

Follow these steps to open the PS4’s web browser.

  • Power on your system until the PlayStation home screen is visible.
  • Navigate to the content area, which contains a row of large icons used to launch your games, applications, and other services.
  • Scroll to the right until the Internet Browser option is highlighted, accompanied by a www icon and a Start button. Open the browser by tapping the X button on your PS4 controller.
  • If you don’t see the WWW icon in the main navigation pane, you can find it in your Library, under Apps.

Common PS4 Browser Functions

  • To open a new browser window: Select R2.To move to a previously opened window: Select L2.To toggle Full-Screen mode on and off: Select square icon. The PS4 browser defaults to the desktop version of responsive websites.To zoom in on the active web page: Select R3—activated by pressing down on the right-hand stick on your PS4 controller.To enter a URL/web address: First, select R2 to open a new window. Navigate to the address bar at the top of the page, labeled Enter URL, and tap the X. The on-screen keyboard will now appear, prompting you to enter a web address. Once complete, select R2 on the controller to load the corresponding page.To perform a Google search: First, select the triangle on your controller. The blinking cursor should now be visible in the search box and the on-screen keyboard should pop out directly under it. Enter your desired search words or terms and select R2.

Bookmarks

The PS4 browser allows you to save your favorite web pages for quick access in future browsing sessions via its Bookmarks feature.

Power on your system until the PlayStation home screen is visible.

Navigate to the content area, which contains a row of large icons used to launch your games, applications, and other services.

Scroll to the right until the Internet Browser option is highlighted, accompanied by a www icon and a Start button. Open the browser by tapping the X button on your PS4 controller.

If you don’t see the WWW icon in the main navigation pane, you can find it in your Library, under Apps.

To Store the Active Web Page in Your Bookmarks

  • Select the OPTIONS button on your controller.
  • When the pop-out menu appears, select Add Bookmark.
  • A new screen should now be displayed, containing two pre-populated yet editable fields. The first, Name, contains the title of the current page. The second, Address, is populated with the page’s URL. Once you are satisfied with these two values, select OK to add your new bookmark.

To View Previously Saved Bookmarks

  • Return to the browser’s main menu via the OPTIONS button.
  • Next, select the option Bookmarks.
  • A list of your stored bookmarks should now be displayed. To load any of these pages, select the desired choice by using your controller’s left directional stick and then tap the X.

To Delete a Bookmark

  • First, select the bookmark from the list and select the OPTIONS button on your controller.
  • A sliding menu will appear on the right side of your screen. Choose Delete and select the X.
  • A new screen will now appear, showing each of your bookmarks accompanied by checkboxes. To designate a bookmark for deletion, first place a check mark next to it by tapping the X.
  • After you have picked one or more list items, scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Delete to complete the process.

View or Delete Browsing History

The PS4 browser keeps a log of all web pages that you have previously visited, allowing you to peruse this history in future sessions and access these sites.

Select the OPTIONS button on your controller.

When the pop-out menu appears, select Add Bookmark.

A new screen should now be displayed, containing two pre-populated yet editable fields. The first, Name, contains the title of the current page. The second, Address, is populated with the page’s URL. Once you are satisfied with these two values, select OK to add your new bookmark.

Return to the browser’s main menu via the OPTIONS button.

Next, select the option Bookmarks.

A list of your stored bookmarks should now be displayed. To load any of these pages, select the desired choice by using your controller’s left directional stick and then tap the X.

First, select the bookmark from the list and select the OPTIONS button on your controller.

A sliding menu will appear on the right side of your screen. Choose Delete and select the X.

A new screen will now appear, showing each of your bookmarks accompanied by checkboxes. To designate a bookmark for deletion, first place a check mark next to it by tapping the X.

After you have picked one or more list items, scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Delete to complete the process.

Access to your past history can be useful, but can also pose a privacy concern if other people share your gaming system. Because of this, the PlayStation browser provides the ability to clear your history at any time. The tutorials below show you how to both view and delete browsing history.

To View Past PS4 Browsing History

  • Press the OPTIONS button. The browser menu should now appear on the right-hand side of your screen.
  • Select the Browsing History option.
  • A list of web pages that you’ve previously visited will now be displayed, showing the title for each.
  • To load any of these pages in the active browser window, scroll until the desired selection is highlighted and select the X on your controller.

To Clear PS4 Browsing History

  • Select the OPTIONS controller button.
  • Next, select Settings from the pop-out menu on the right-hand side of the screen. The PS4 browser’s Settings page should now be displayed.
  • Select the Clear Website Data option by selecting the X. The Clear Website Data screen will now appear.
  • Navigate to the option labeled OK and select the X on your controller to complete the history removal process.
  • You can also access the Clear Website Data screen by choosing OPTIONS from the aforementioned browsing history interface and choosing Clear Browsing History from the sub-menu that appears.

Manage Cookies

Your PS4 browser stores small files on your system’s hard drive which hold site-specific information such as your layout preferences and whether or not you are logged in. These files, commonly referred to as cookies, are typically used to enhance your browsing experience by customizing website visuals and functionality to your particular wants and needs.

Press the OPTIONS button. The browser menu should now appear on the right-hand side of your screen.

Select the Browsing History option.

A list of web pages that you’ve previously visited will now be displayed, showing the title for each.

To load any of these pages in the active browser window, scroll until the desired selection is highlighted and select the X on your controller.

Select the OPTIONS controller button.

Next, select Settings from the pop-out menu on the right-hand side of the screen. The PS4 browser’s Settings page should now be displayed.

Select the Clear Website Data option by selecting the X. The Clear Website Data screen will now appear.

Navigate to the option labeled OK and select the X on your controller to complete the history removal process.

You can also access the Clear Website Data screen by choosing OPTIONS from the aforementioned browsing history interface and choosing Clear Browsing History from the sub-menu that appears.

Since these cookies occasionally store data that could be considered personal, you may want to remove them from your PS4 or even stop them from being saved in the first place. You also may consider clearing browser cookies if you’re experiencing some unexpected behavior on a web page. The tutorials below show you how to both block and delete cookies in your PS4 browser.

To Block Cookies From Being Stored on PS4

  • Select your controller’s OPTIONS button.
  • Next, select the choice labeled Settings from the menu on the right-hand side of the screen.
  • Once the Settings page is visible, select the Allow Cookies option; located at the top of the list.
  • When activated and accompanied by a check mark, the PS4 browser will save all cookies pushed by a website to your hard drive. To prevent this from happening, select the X on your controller to remove this check mark and to block all cookies.
  • To allow cookies at a later time, simply repeat this step so that the check mark is once again visible. Blocking cookies can cause some websites to look and function in strange ways, so it is important to be aware of this before modifying this setting.

To Delete Cookies Stored on PS4 Hard Drive

  • Follow these same steps to return to the browser’s Settings interface.
  • Scroll to the option labeled Delete Cookies and tap the X.
  • A screen should now appear containing the message The cookies will be deleted.
  • Select OK on this screen and then select X to clear your browser cookies.

Enable Do Not Track

Advertisers monitoring your online behavior for marketing research and targeted ad purposes, while commonplace on today’s web, can make some people uncomfortable. The data aggregated can include which sites you visit as well as the amount of time you spend browsing each.

Select your controller’s OPTIONS button.

Next, select the choice labeled Settings from the menu on the right-hand side of the screen.

Once the Settings page is visible, select the Allow Cookies option; located at the top of the list.

When activated and accompanied by a check mark, the PS4 browser will save all cookies pushed by a website to your hard drive. To prevent this from happening, select the X on your controller to remove this check mark and to block all cookies.

To allow cookies at a later time, simply repeat this step so that the check mark is once again visible. Blocking cookies can cause some websites to look and function in strange ways, so it is important to be aware of this before modifying this setting.

Follow these same steps to return to the browser’s Settings interface.

Scroll to the option labeled Delete Cookies and tap the X.

A screen should now appear containing the message The cookies will be deleted.

Select OK on this screen and then select X to clear your browser cookies.

Opposition to what some web surfers consider an invasion of privacy led to Do Not Track, a browser-based setting that informs websites that you do not consent to be tracked by a third-party during the current session. This preference, submitted to the server as part of an HTTP header, is not honored by all sites.

However, the list of those who do acknowledge this setting and adhere to its rules continues to grow. To enable the Do Not Track flag in your PS4 browser, follow the instructions below.

  • Select the OPTIONS button on your PS4 controller.
  • When the browser menu appears on the right-hand side of the screen, select Settings by tapping X.
  • Your browser’s Settings interface should now be displayed. Scroll down to the Request that Websites Do Not Track You option is highlighted, located towards the bottom of the screen and accompanied by a checkbox.
  • Select the X to add a checkmark and activate this setting, if it is not already enabled. To disable Do Not Track at any time, simply select this setting again so that the check mark is removed.

Disable JavaScript

There are multiple reasons why you might want to temporarily disable JavaScript code from running on a web page within your browser, ranging from security purposes to web development and testing. To stop any JavaScript snippets from being executed by your PS4 browser, follow the steps below.

Select the OPTIONS button on your PS4 controller.

When the browser menu appears on the right-hand side of the screen, select Settings by tapping X.

Your browser’s Settings interface should now be displayed. Scroll down to the Request that Websites Do Not Track You option is highlighted, located towards the bottom of the screen and accompanied by a checkbox.

Select the X to add a checkmark and activate this setting, if it is not already enabled. To disable Do Not Track at any time, simply select this setting again so that the check mark is removed.

  • Select the OPTIONS button on your controller.
  • When the menu appears on the right-hand side of the screen, choose Settings by tapping the X. The PS4 browser Settings interface should now be visible.
  • Find and scroll to the Enable JavaScript option, located towards the top of the screen and accompanied by a checkbox.
  • Tap X to remove the check mark and disable JavaScript, if it is not already disabled. To re-enable it, select this setting once more so that the check mark is added.

PS4 Web Browser Pros and Cons

As is the case with its desktop and mobile counterparts, the PS4 browser presents its own set of positives and negatives.

Select the OPTIONS button on your controller.

When the menu appears on the right-hand side of the screen, choose Settings by tapping the X. The PS4 browser Settings interface should now be visible.

Find and scroll to the Enable JavaScript option, located towards the top of the screen and accompanied by a checkbox.

Tap X to remove the check mark and disable JavaScript, if it is not already disabled. To re-enable it, select this setting once more so that the check mark is added.

  • Provides the ability to browse the web on your big screen TV.

  • Allows you to easily switch back and forth between a website and your game.

  • Lets you access web pages without the need for a computer or smartphone.

  • JavaScript performance benchmarks note that the PS4 browser is faster than similar applications found on several other popular gaming systems.

  • Upgrades to the latest version automatically as part of your PlayStation 4 firmware/system updates.

  • Does not offer amenities found in most modern browsers such as tabs or extension support.

  • No Flash support, limiting functionality on certain websites.

  • Sluggish performance was seen at times when several windows are open.

  • Typing with the on-screen keyboard and PS4 controller can prove to be a slow process.

  • How do I save pictures from the PS4 web browser?

  • Launch the PS4 browser and find a picture you want to save. Press the right thumbstick and zoom in on the image. Select share and take a screenshot of the image with the PS4. Go to the Share Factory, navigate to the screenshot, and crop and edit it to your satisfaction.

  • How do I copy and paste on the PS4 web browser?

  • Place your cursor at the start of the text you want to copy and select Options (three dots). Choose Select and move your cursor to the end of the text you want to copy. (Alternatively, choose Select All.) Select the X > Copy > select Options where you want to place the text > Paste.

  • How do I add a web browser to the PS4?

  • To add another web browser in addition to the built-in browser, go to the PlayStation Store and search for the word browser. Select the browser you want, such as Chrome or Firefox, and download it to your PS4.

Launch the PS4 browser and find a picture you want to save. Press the right thumbstick and zoom in on the image. Select share and take a screenshot of the image with the PS4. Go to the Share Factory, navigate to the screenshot, and crop and edit it to your satisfaction.

Place your cursor at the start of the text you want to copy and select Options (three dots). Choose Select and move your cursor to the end of the text you want to copy. (Alternatively, choose Select All.) Select the X > Copy > select Options where you want to place the text > Paste.

To add another web browser in addition to the built-in browser, go to the PlayStation Store and search for the word browser. Select the browser you want, such as Chrome or Firefox, and download it to your PS4.

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