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Firefox 140 brings a host of improvements aimed at enhancing user experience, boosting performance, and adding new functionalities to the browser. From the highly anticipated search experience to new updates for add-ons, web extensions, and developer tools, there are plenty of changes in this release. Let’s dive deeper into the main updates and what they mean for users and developers alike.
New URL Bar Search Experience 🎯
One of the standout features in Firefox 140 is the new URL bar search experience, which is now enabled by default. This update ensures a smoother, more efficient search directly from the URL bar. Users can also customize the experience, with the added option to hide the Extensions button on the toolbar. With just a right-click, users can remove the Extensions button if it’s not needed, allowing for a cleaner interface.
Despite its simplicity, getting this feature right was a complex task, with several bugs and patches going through rigorous testing. Some of these can be found under bugs like 1967857, 1967721, and others. These were pivotal in ensuring that the layout of the action mode was perfectly optimized.
Customization & Visual Updates 🎨
Firefox 140 introduces a long-awaited customization feature for New Tab pages. Users can now choose custom wallpapers or background colors, enhancing their browsing experience by adding a more personal touch. This feature is being rolled out across all channels, giving users a more dynamic and engaging way to interact with the browser’s homepage.
Volunteer Contributions & New Contributors 🌟
The Firefox team continues to encourage open-source contributions. Notable volunteers such as Magnus Melin, Jilvin Jacob, Matthias Riffard, and others have played a vital role in fixing numerous bugs and introducing useful features, including stability improvements for Windows background image settings and resolving hardcoded issues in test files.
Key Updates for Developers 🛠️
For developers, Firefox 140 brings a wealth of updates related to the WebExtensions framework and Developer Tools. The WebExtensions API now supports better compatibility with Chrome, and several fixes related to extension iframes have been made. Firefox 140 also fixes a regression that affected access to DOM storage APIs within extension iframes, making it easier for developers to build powerful, secure extensions.
The Developer Tools section has seen performance optimizations, including improvements to the Debugger, the addition of new breakpoints in the CloseWatcher, and a better search function for HTML elements. These changes will streamline workflows and enhance the debugging process, making it easier for developers to spot issues and fix them efficiently.
WebDriver & Marionette Improvements 🚀
For automated testing, Firefox 140 brings significant updates to WebDriver and Marionette. The new changes will allow for asynchronous running states between the parent and web content processes, improving stability and performance for automated testing.
Add-ons & Extensions Updates 🔌
Several updates have also been made to the Add-ons and Extensions manager. Firefox 140 introduces enhancements to the Local AI models UI in the about:addons section. The browser also fixes a number of issues related to XPIProvider async shutdown timeouts and stale add-on data.
What Undercode Says: An In-depth Analysis 🔍
The recent updates in Firefox 140 reflect a strong commitment to improving user experience and developer accessibility. By enabling the URL bar search by default and allowing for customizations to the New Tab page, Firefox has positioned itself as a more user-centric browser. The integration of these changes highlights a shift toward providing a more personalized browsing experience without compromising performance.
On the developer side, Firefox’s attention to compatibility and bug fixing is commendable. The improvements in the WebExtensions framework, such as addressing Chrome compatibility issues and improving API support, make it easier for developers to build cross-browser extensions. The enhanced Developer Tools and WebDriver updates are also game-changers for testing and debugging, ensuring that Firefox remains an indispensable tool for web developers.
One of the key takeaways from these updates is Firefox’s focus on collaboration and community. Volunteers continue to play a crucial role in making Firefox a more robust browser. The recognition of contributors shows how the browser’s success is built on a vibrant ecosystem of open-source developers working together to solve problems and introduce innovative solutions.
As Firefox continues to evolve, it’s clear that the focus on both user experience and developer tools will remain a driving force behind the browser’s development. Users can expect smoother, more customizable browsing, while developers can look forward to an even more powerful environment for building, testing, and deploying web applications.
Fact Checker Results ✅
- URL Bar Search Experience – Verified: Firefox 140 introduces the new URL bar search experience by default, a welcomed enhancement for all users. ✅
- Custom New Tab Backgrounds – Verified: Custom backgrounds for the New Tab page are indeed being rolled out to enhance personalization options. ✅
- Developer Tools Fixes – Verified: Numerous fixes related to developer tools and debugging performance have been implemented in this release. ✅
Prediction 🔮
With Firefox 140, we expect even greater strides in browser customization and performance optimization. Future releases may build on the WebExtensions framework to further bridge the gap between Firefox and other browsers, providing developers with more powerful APIs for cross-platform compatibility. As Firefox continues to refine its developer tools, we could see more advanced features aimed at enhancing debugging, automation, and testing in future versions. Users can anticipate a more seamless, customizable browsing experience as these changes continue to roll out across all channels.
References:
Reported By: blog.nightly.mozilla.org
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