diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/DropDownListPreference.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/DropDownListPreference.kt
index 9a14caa55..159cb4752 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/DropDownListPreference.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/DropDownListPreference.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import android.content.Context
 import android.util.AttributeSet
 import android.widget.ArrayAdapter
 import androidx.preference.DropDownPreference
+import androidx.preference.ListPreference
 import org.mozilla.fenix.R
 
 class DropDownListPreference @JvmOverloads constructor(
@@ -23,3 +24,19 @@ class DropDownListPreference @JvmOverloads constructor(
         return ArrayAdapter(context, R.layout.etp_dropdown_item)
     }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Return the (human-readable) entry that is matched to the (backing key) entryValue.
+ *
+ * E.g.
+ *   entryValues == listOf("private", "normal")
+ *   entries == listOf("Use private mode", "Use normal mode")
+ *
+ *   findEntry("private) == "Use Private Mode"
+ */
+fun ListPreference.findEntry(key: Any?): CharSequence? {
+    if (key !is String) return null
+
+    val index = entryValues.indexOf(key)
+    return this.entries.getOrNull(index)
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/StringSharedPreferenceUpdater.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/StringSharedPreferenceUpdater.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d6945294
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/StringSharedPreferenceUpdater.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+ * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+
+package org.mozilla.fenix.settings
+
+import androidx.core.content.edit
+import androidx.preference.Preference
+import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.settings
+
+/**
+ * Updates the corresponding [android.content.SharedPreferences] when the String [Preference] is changed.
+ * The preference key is used as the shared preference key.
+ */
+open class StringSharedPreferenceUpdater : Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener {
+
+    override fun onPreferenceChange(preference: Preference, newValue: Any?): Boolean {
+        val newStringValue = newValue as? String ?: return false
+        preference.context.settings().preferences.edit {
+            putString(preference.key, newStringValue)
+        }
+        return true
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/TrackingProtectionFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/TrackingProtectionFragment.kt
index d1af9b88d..f99dbdbb0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/TrackingProtectionFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/TrackingProtectionFragment.kt
@@ -227,17 +227,20 @@ class TrackingProtectionFragment : PreferenceFragmentCompat() {
             }
         }
 
-        customCookiesSelect.onPreferenceChangeListener = object : SharedPreferenceUpdater() {
+        customCookiesSelect.onPreferenceChangeListener = object : StringSharedPreferenceUpdater() {
             override fun onPreferenceChange(preference: Preference, newValue: Any?): Boolean {
                 updateTrackingProtectionPolicy()
-                return super.onPreferenceChange(preference, newValue)
+                val newValueEntry = (preference as DropDownListPreference).findEntry(key = newValue)
+                return super.onPreferenceChange(preference, newValueEntry)
             }
         }
 
-        customTrackingSelect.onPreferenceChangeListener = object : SharedPreferenceUpdater() {
+        customTrackingSelect.onPreferenceChangeListener = object : StringSharedPreferenceUpdater() {
             override fun onPreferenceChange(preference: Preference, newValue: Any?): Boolean {
                 updateTrackingProtectionPolicy()
-                return super.onPreferenceChange(preference, newValue)
+                val newValueEntry = (preference as DropDownListPreference).findEntry(key = newValue)
+
+                return super.onPreferenceChange(preference, newValueEntry)
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/arrays.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/arrays.xml
index 6f49bd9da..27c046c7d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/arrays.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/arrays.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <resources>
+
+    <string name="social">social</string>
+    <string name="unvisited">unvisited</string>
+    <string name="third_party">third-party</string>
+    <string name="all">all</string>
+    <string name="private_string">private</string>
+
     <string-array name="cookies_options_entries">
         <item>@string/preference_enhanced_tracking_protection_custom_cookies_1</item>
         <item>@string/preference_enhanced_tracking_protection_custom_cookies_2</item>
@@ -8,10 +15,10 @@
     </string-array>
 
     <string-array name="cookies_options_entry_values">
-        <item>social</item>
-        <item>unvisited</item>
-        <item>third-party</item>
-        <item>all</item>
+        <item>@string/social</item>
+        <item>@string/unvisited</item>
+        <item>@string/third_party</item>
+        <item>@string/all</item>
     </string-array>
 
     <string-array name="tracking_content_options_entries">
@@ -20,7 +27,7 @@
     </string-array>
 
     <string-array name="tracking_content_options_entry_values">
-        <item>all</item>
-        <item>private</item>
+        <item>@string/all</item>
+        <item>@string/private_string</item>
     </string-array>
 </resources>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/tracking_protection_preferences.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/tracking_protection_preferences.xml
index 31e4c8865..1c9d514e8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/tracking_protection_preferences.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/tracking_protection_preferences.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-<!-- This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!-- This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
    - License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
    - file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. -->
 <androidx.preference.PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@
         android:layout="@layout/checkbox_left_preference_etp"
         android:title="@string/preference_enhanced_tracking_protection_custom_cookies" />
     <org.mozilla.fenix.settings.DropDownListPreference
+        android:defaultValue="@string/all"
         android:dependency="@string/pref_key_tracking_protection_custom_cookies"
         android:entries="@array/cookies_options_entries"
         android:entryValues="@array/cookies_options_entry_values"
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
         android:layout="@layout/checkbox_left_preference_etp"
         android:title="@string/preference_enhanced_tracking_protection_custom_tracking_content" />
     <org.mozilla.fenix.settings.DropDownListPreference
+        android:defaultValue="@string/all"
         android:dependency="@string/pref_key_tracking_protection_custom_tracking_content"
         android:entries="@array/tracking_content_options_entries"
         android:entryValues="@array/tracking_content_options_entry_values"
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/DropDownListPreferenceTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/DropDownListPreferenceTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4f6ba52fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/settings/DropDownListPreferenceTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+ * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+package org.mozilla.fenix.settings
+
+import io.mockk.every
+import io.mockk.mockk
+import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+
+import androidx.preference.ListPreference
+import org.junit.Assert.assertNull
+import org.junit.Before
+import org.junit.Test
+
+class DropDownListPreferenceTest {
+
+    private lateinit var preference: ListPreference
+
+    @Before
+    fun before() {
+        preference = mockk()
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `WHEN findEntriesValue is called with a non-string THEN it returns null`() {
+        assertNull(preference.findEntry(null))
+        assertNull(preference.findEntry(1))
+        assertNull(preference.findEntry(Object()))
+        assertNull(preference.findEntry(listOf<Char>()))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `GIVEN newValue is not found in entryValues WHEN findEntriesValue is called with newValue THEN it should return null`() {
+        val newValue = "key"
+        every { preference.entries } returns arrayOf()
+        every { preference.entryValues } returns arrayOf()
+
+        assertNull(preference.findEntry(newValue))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `GIVEN entryValues and entries contain values WHEN findEntriesValue is called THEN it should return the entry`() {
+        val entries = arrayOf("use private mode!", "use normal mode!", "use something else!")
+        val entryValues = arrayOf("private", "normal", "other")
+
+        every { preference.entries } returns entries
+        every { preference.entryValues } returns entryValues
+
+        assertEquals(entries[0], preference.findEntry(entryValues[0]))
+        assertEquals(entries[1], preference.findEntry(entryValues[1]))
+        assertEquals(entries[2], preference.findEntry(entryValues[2]))
+    }
+}