How to open .onion sites (and WeTheNorth in particular)
.onion pages do not open in Chrome, Safari or Edge — they only resolve inside the Tor network. Five minutes of setup fixes that permanently.
Step 1 — Get Tor Browser
Download from torproject.org only. Versions exist for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. The download is free, signed, and small. Install with defaults.
Step 2 — Connect
Launch it and press Connect. The status screen walks through circuit creation; the first time takes up to 30 seconds. When it reads "Connected to the Tor network", you are inside.
Step 3 — Load the WeTheNorth onion link
http://hn2paw7zaahbikbejiv6h22zwtijlam65y2c77xj2ypbilm2xs4bnbid.onionPaste it whole — do not retype from memory. First loads can take 10–30 seconds; Tor is trading speed for privacy and it shows. When the market's page appears: bookmark it (Ctrl+D / Cmd+D), log in, verify your account details look right, and shop. New to the market itself? The buyer's guide at our sister site covers registration, 2FA, deposits and ordering end to end.
"The page won't load" — the troubleshooting ladder
- New circuit: click the padlock/site icon in the address bar → "New Tor circuit for this site". Fixes most stalls instantly.
- Restart Tor Browser — clears sticky circuits entirely.
- Try a mirror: wtnmarket.net, wtnmarket.ru, wtnmarket.store in any browser. If they respond, the market is healthy and your circuit was the problem.
- Check the forum: wtnforum.net announces real outages and maintenance.
- Slow network? Launch screen → Configure Connection → enable built-in bridges.
Good settings for market browsing
- Security level "Safest" (shield icon in the toolbar) — disables JavaScript on onion sites; pages render fine and the attack surface shrinks.
- Let it auto-update — Tor Browser updates fix relay and security issues quietly; always allow them.
- One browser for market, one for everything else — if you can spare the disk space, keep your Tor Browser for market use and your normal browser for social media. Compartmentalization costs nothing.
Can I open .onion on my phone?
Android: yes — the official Tor Browser from torproject.org or the Play Store. iOS: Tor Browser for iOS is third-party; most iPhone users open the market's clearnet mirrors on the phone and save Tor sessions for a computer.