Mozilla has started rolling out a big new update for Firefox across supported platforms. Version 146.0 is now available for download from Mozilla"s FTP, and global rollout via the browser"s built-in update mechanisms and the official website is expected a bit later.
Some of the most notable changes in the update include the new backup tool for Windows 10 users (coming later to other operating systems). It can back up browsing data daily and encrypt it with a password so that you can restore everything once you set up a new device or a newer operating system.
For macOS users, Mozilla introduced a new dedicated GPU process, which takes care of WebGPU, WebGL, and WebRender. Once one of those parts crashes or encounters a fatal error, the browser continues running instead of going down altogether.
Additionally, Mozilla removed Direct2D, so those who still need to use this technology should switch to Firefox 140.0 ESR or higher, where Direct2D is still supported.
Here is the complete changelog:
- Windows 10 users can now automatically protect their passwords, bookmarks, and more by turning on backup in Firefox. Your browsing data is saved daily on your device and can be encrypted with a password. When you set up a fresh install of Firefox on any operating system for a new device or your current one, you can restore from this backup and pick up right where you left off. This feature is currently available on Windows devices and will be coming to other operating systems soon.
- MacOS users now have a dedicated GPU process by default. This includes WebGPU, WebGL, and Firefox"s own WebRender. With this feature enabled, fatal errors in graphics code will no longer crash the browser, and will instead transparently restart the GPU process.
- Firefox Labs is now available to all users, regardless of whether they choose to participate in studies or submit telemetry. This means more experimental features are now available to more people.
- Users can now skip the results page and see direct results as they type in the search bar for faster, simpler browsing.
- There is a New Tab Weather opt-in workflow available for users in the EU and some other countries, where they can choose whether to enable location detection or manually search for a location.
- Firefox now natively supports fractional-scaled displays on Linux (Wayland), making rendering more effective.
- For users of the English-language versions of Firefox in France, Germany, and Italy, the address bar now shows English-language suggestions for holidays and other important dates.
- The Colors dialog in Settings now uses clearer color picker controls that keep each color sample next to its label. It makes it easier to understand and adjust text, background, and link colors when using a forced colors palette to customize the default text, link, and page background colors, especially with or without screen magnifiers.
- Firefox removed support for Direct2D on Windows. If you still require Direct2D support, please use ESR 140.0 or higher.
Also, Mozilla fixed an issue that prevented Windows users from selecting a tab when the cursor was at the top of the screen, and Firefox was maximized on certain monitors. Finally, there are security updates that will be available here.
If you do not want to wait for Mozilla to push the update to all users, you can update the browser by downloading the executable from Mozilla"s FTP or Neowin"s Software page. Everyone else will get version 146.0 in the coming hours.