Firefox will look a little different the next time you launch it: bubblier and with some new pops of color. The latest browser update brings a design overhaul for all desktop and mobile users, aimed at modernizing Firefox with bubble-shaped tabs, a rounded address bar, and updated colors, icons, and themes. The desktop and mobile versions of the browser will now also share the same design language. According to Mozilla, the design changes “will have no cost to your browser’s performance.” Mozilla says the revised design is a “refresh” for Firefox, following major updates over the last year such as home page widgets, split view, a built-in VPN, and controls to disable the browser’s AI features. Firefox isn’t shying away from AI, however: it also launched its Smart Window AI mode earlier this year, which could help it compete with rivals’ AI browser features, such as those in Chrome. With its rounded UI elements, Firefox now also looks a little more visually like Chrome. The design revamp also introduces more customization options, including more themes and wallpapers to choose from. Mozilla shared a look at some of the updated theme options in May, including a dozen different colors to choose from, each with a light and dark mode. Along with the design overhaul, Firefox 157 brings the return of an old feature: compact mode, after user requests. This condensed version of Firefox “reduces the size of the tabs and toolbar to give more space to the web, with an auto-compact option for smaller screens.”
