Following Google Chrome 109 and Microsoft Edge 109 updates, Mozilla released its own "109" update. Firefox 109 is now available in the Release channel, bringing Manifest V3 extensions support, improved accessibility, security fixes, and other improvements. Although Mozilla has implemented Manifest V3 in its browser, developers have no immediate plans to drop Manifest V2 support. On the other hand, Google (and Microsoft) recently decided to extend Manifest V2 support and give developers more time before enforcing the transition to Manifest V3.
What is new in Firefox 109?
New features:
Manifest Version 3 (MV3) extension support is now enabled by default (MV2 remains enabled/supported). This major update also ushers an exciting user interface change in the form of the new extensions button.
The Arbitrary Code Guard exploit protection has been enabled in the media playback utility processes, improving security for Windows users.
The native HTML date picker for date and datetime inputs can now be used with a keyboard alone, improving its accessibility for screen reader users. Users with limited mobility can also now use common keyboard shortcuts to navigate the calendar grid and month selection spinners.
Firefox builds in the Spanish from Spain (es-ES) and Spanish from Argentina (es-AR) locales now come with a built-in dictionary for the Firefox spellchecker.
Various Changes:
- Effective on January 16, Colorways will no longer be in Firefox. Users will still be able to access saved and active Colorways from the Add-ons and themes menu option.
- On macOS, Ctrl or Cmd + trackpad or mouse wheel now scrolls the page instead of zooming. This avoids accidental zooming and matches the behavior of other web browsers on macOS.
- The Recently Closed section of Firefox View now equips users with the ability to manually close/remove url links from the list.
- The empty state messages and graphic components surfaced in Firefox View for the Tab Pickup and Recently Closed sections have been updated for an improved user experience.
You can also check out the list of security fixes in Firefox 109 in the official documentation. Full release notes, including developer, web platform, and developer changes, are available on the Mozilla website.
Firefox will update itself automatically, but you can force-update the browser by navigating to the Menu > Help > About Firefox.