The Best New Features in Firefox 84 for Desktops and Android

The latest Firefox update, version 84 , is now available for desktops and Android. While you’re updating your browser, let’s take a quick look at everything that’s new – especially important if you’re on a brand new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac Mini.

The latest build adds new features to Android and fixes bugs across all platforms, but the most notable update is native support for Macs and laptops with Apple M1 processors. This makes Firefox the third-largest desktop browser natively powered by Apple’s M1 processors; As a result, Mozilla improved browser performance : “Firefox launches more than 2.5 times faster, and web applications are now twice as responsive (as measured by SpeedoMeter 2.0).”

However, there is an annoying bug that prevents Firefox from streaming video and other media to the Mac M1, including content from Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Hulu, and Netflix. We hope Mozilla fixes this in a future update, but for now, you can restore streaming rights by installing Rosetta 2, an application that allows M1 Macs to run applications that are not yet officially supported . (You probably already have Rosetta 2 installed, but Apple has an easy guide if you don’t or aren’t sure.)

New Android features in Firefox 84

Native support for Apple processors is very important for the desktop version of Firefox, but Firefox 84 is an even more significant update for Android. You will see several highly anticipated changes in the mobile browser, including:

  • A completely new look for the grid for tabs.
  • Ability to delete downloaded files directly from the application interface.
  • Improved scrolling control and performance, including improved precision, smoother animations, and fixes to prevent sudden scrolling speeds.
  • Tons of minor bug fixes.

Firefox’s new grid view on Android displays larger tab previews that are easier to see at a glance. It’s an interesting option, but you have to manually enable it to see it:

  1. Click the three-dot menu button to the right of the URL bar and tabs shortcut.
  2. Select “Settings”.
  3. Scroll down and click Tabs.
  4. Select “Grid” in the tab view options.
  5. Go back to the app home screen, then open the tabs window to see the new layout.

Android users can install and update Firefox from Google Play .

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