Mozilla has released Firefox 156. The new version is intended to primarily accelerate the integrated PDF viewer. The browser also optimizes memory and CPU usage when downscaling large JPEG images.
Further changes affect the address bar, macOS, and Windows on ARM devices. Firefox 156 is now available for download; Mozilla lists all new features in the Release Notes.
Faster PDFs and Hardware H.264 Decoding
Firefox’s PDF viewer is among the most visible changes in this version. Mozilla promises a startup speed increase of up to 45 percent. Mozilla has also addressed large JPEG files: If a website displays a high-resolution photo scaled down within a page, Firefox should require less RAM and processor time for it.
For Windows devices with ARM64 processors, Firefox also extends hardware acceleration for WebRTC video conferences. The browser can now decode H.264 videos using hardware where possible instead of resorting to software decoding. WebRTC is the technology behind many browser-based video chats; offloading to specialized hardware is intended to reduce processor load and energy consumption.
Firefox Suggest in Germany
In Germany, France, and Italy, Firefox 156 displays localized Wikipedia suggestions and occasional sponsored results in the address bar. The feature is part of Firefox Suggest and supplements typed entries with relevant suggestions. According to Mozilla, these suggestions can be disabled in the Firefox Suggest settings.
On Macs, Firefox can now also open automatically when the computer starts. The option can be found in the “Start” section of the browser settings. With this, Firefox takes over a function that previously had to be set up via macOS system settings or comparable workarounds.
Corrections for Image Editing, PiP, and Network
Mozilla has also fixed several bugs. In rich text editors, moving an image could previously replace it with a long line of text. Subtitles in picture-in-picture windows also did not function reliably. If they were only activated after the separate video window was already open, they sometimes remained invisible.
Further corrections affect bookmarks and the new split view. If a folder and its contained bookmarks were dragged simultaneously in the bookmark sidebar, the entries could be moved out of the folder. After swapping the two areas in the split view, the search bar of a tab could also become permanently unavailable.
With DNS over HTTPS enabled, Firefox 156 also fixes loading issues for websites that do not support HTTPS themselves, according to Mozilla. Additionally, there are bugs with the integrated VPN function, which could interrupt all network connections for individual users, as well as a Windows issue with auto-hiding taskbars.
As usual, the update also includes several security fixes. For enterprise environments, Mozilla also refers to its Release Notes for Firefox Enterprise 156.
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