Mozilla Firefox has just updated experienced one of its biggest updates in a while.
The redesign that built the browser down from the core, introduces an entirely different interface, which is also fast and secure. Initially launched to users in Europe, and later to the U.S., Mozilla's approach mimics what it previously did with Firefox Quantum desktop browser revamp.
This release, according to Mozilla in its blog post, is called 'Firefox Daylight', as it marks a new beginning for its Android browser.
Included with this new mobile experience are lots of new features, improved user experience with new customization options, as well as some changes under the hood.
One of the biggest updates in this release, is Mozilla in adding some popular Firefox for desktop features, to its Android app.
The most important change here, is the Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP), which has been turned on by default.
The feature is meant to prevent trackers from gathering users' browsing pattern and data and using it for ads. While Firefox for Android does allow these trackers to load when users visit a website, the browser however stops them from actually accessing users' cookies.
Without the ability to collect snippets of data that gather users' browsing habits, the trackers are turned powerless.
ETP is turned on by default at the Standard level. Users can choose to use the Strict for more privacy, or Custom to set a level according to their needs.
Mozilla has also integrated a few features from Firefox Focus into the browser's private mode. One of the most notable, is the one that allows users to set Firefox so that it will always open new links in a private tab.
And new to Firefox for Android, is a feature Mozilla calls the 'Collections'.
The feature allows users to save and organize websites for future visits. They are like bookmarks, which according to Vesta Zare, Firefox's project manager, were built on how users see tabs and bookmarks.
She said that the majority of Firefox users only bookmark the websites they think are really important to them. But when it comes to other things like recipes and trip planning, the company found people using tabs as their "short-term memory," leaving them open to clutter their tab bar.
"We saw the need for a middle ground," said Zare.
That's where Collections come into play. The interface Mozilla built means that they don't get lost like tabs, but they're also not meant to be permanent in the way people see bookmarks.
In the update, Mozilla also adds a dark mode, which wasn't available on Firefox on Android before. The feature allows users to toggle between Light and Dark Themes, depending on their preferences, vision needs or environment.
And design-wise, Firefox has moved the URL bar to the bottom of the screen.
The company said that the tweak is meant to accommodate phones that keep getting bigger. But Firefox is giving users the option, if they want to move the URL bar back to the top of the interface.
The other major feature in this release, is a better support for third-party add-ons.
Firefox has made it easy for users to install extensions on the previous version of Firefox for Android, but, in the majority of cases, they weren't optimized for mobile. With the update, users can see about 10 curated add-ons initially, but each has had its interface optimized for mobile and Mozilla has certified that they work with its new engine.
The company plans to add more add-ons as time goes on.
One other smaller but still notable new feature is the addition of picture-in-picture support for videos.
And lastly, Firefox for Android in this update is built on top of Mozilla's GeckoView browser engine.
According to Zare, most websites should load about 10% faster in this Firefox for Android compared to the previous release.
GeckoView also simplifies some of the foundations of the app that will make it easier for Mozilla to deliver timely updates. The company also makes a point of the fact Firefox for Android isn't based on Blink, Google's browsing engine. It says it built the engine with privacy in mind.
Previously: 'Restructuring' Mozilla Lays Off 250 Employees, And Shifted Its Focus To Make Money