Firefox is becoming faster than ever: Here's how
Mozilla's Firefox browser is getting a major update, one that would make it faster and snappier than ever. The community-driven organization has sifted through all browser elements and tweaked/removed those that made it slow. The changes mean that Firefox will load web pages as much as 40-80% faster than they did before. Here are the details.
Idle tab suspension, script delay with Firefox 67
To deliver the promised performance boost, the latest iteration, dubbed Firefox 67, will suspend idle tabs if 400MB RAM is left on the system. This would help with browsing on multiple tabs even on a low-end PC, giving you the option to bring suspended tabs back to life by clicking on them. The browser will also delay unnecessary scripts to boost page load times.
Firefox will also launch more quickly
Along with script delays and tab suspension, Mozilla has also ensured that Firefox starts in a flash. This, as the company says, will be done by skipping a bunch of unnecessary processes that take place when the browser first starts up. And, apparently, the capability will boost launch times even for those who have plenty of add-ons installed on Firefox.
New privacy features added
Speed isn't the only thing that comes with the latest Firefox update; the browser is also getting some handy privacy features. First of all, the browser will have a content blocking feature that would block cryptomining scripts to stop people from using your computer to mine cryptocurrency. Secondly, it will block browser-fingerprinting, which allows companies to track your web activity for pushing online adverts.
Improvements in private browsing
Firefox's private mode will also improve with enhanced personalization options like those for selecting which add-ons should or should not run in the mode and those for saving and auto-filling passwords for websites, just like one does in the normal mode.
Move to catch up with Chrome
The latest improvements in Firefox come just as the browser continues to catch up with Chrome, which already dominates as the most popular browser. We still have to test the performance of the latest update, but one thing is pretty much clear: Firefox is playing the privacy and speed card to compete with Google Chrome. You can download Firefox 67 from here: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/.
