Mozilla has updated its Firefox browser with the emphasis on speed improvements. However, speed isn't the only improvement under the bonnet in Firefox 67, there are compelling improvements to Firefox Quantum's already stand-out privacy features and customisation options.
To make the browser faster and more responsive, Mozilla has smartly prioritised browser task management. The browser deprioritises less commonly used features of the pages you visit. For example it promoted script processing on the likes of Instagram, Amazon and Google to execute between 40 and 80 per cent faster. Furthermore, it scans for alternative style sheets after page load, and doesn't load the auto-fill module unless there is an actual form to complete.
Further ammo to speed up browsing comes from suspending idle tabs when memory runs low (under 400MB), and providing faster start-ups after browser customisations such as adding your favourite themes and extensions.
Avoid fingerprinting and cryptomining
Speed is nice to have but Firefox 67 brings along some other attractions. In particular, new privacy protections are worthy of highlight. As the 'white hat' developers deliver smarter and richer experiences to the browser, there are others developing complex and devious methods to monetise everyday web users. The new Firefox allows users to block recent nefarious practices of user fingerprinting and sneaky cryptomining using visitor CPU/GPU resources. The toggles to separately enable such blocks are situated under content blocking in Firefox settings (see screenshot).
If you ever use Private Browsing in Firefox there is a nice new feature introduced in the latest version of the browser. First of all, the Private Browsing now offers the convenience of other browsing sessions, as it can now register and save website passwords. The next time you seek to use this browsing method you won't have to remember and type in passwords to your favourite 'private' sites anymore. For further Private Browsing customisation there is a new option to Enable or Disable add-ons/web extensions in this mode.
In other updates applied to Firefox 67 you will find that accessibility features have been improved (browser toolbar is now fully keyboard accessible), users with Windows 10 and Nvidia graphics cards will get a WebRender Update, and smoother video playback is touted by way of the 'dav1d' AV1 codec update.
