Mozilla Firefox has been around for a long time and is a competitor to other major browsers such as Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. If you've used a different browser and want to switch to Firefox, we've got answers to some questions you might have as you start exploring Firefox for Windows.
Note: this version of the FAQ was written primarily for Firefox versions 56 and 57, aka Firefox Quantum.
What is Mozilla Firefox?
Firefox is a free open source web browser available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. It is available in more than 70 languages. The Firefox interface is highly customizable, and you can expand its functionality with a selection of over 8.000 free Firefox add-ons.
What is the latest version of Firefox?
The latest version of Firefox, is Firefox 57 Quantum as of this writing. It's faster, leaner, and uses less memory. It is the biggest update since 1.0 version 2004.
Mozilla claims that Firefox Quantum is "twice as fast as Firefox six months ago" and that it is better in every way. Quantum uses fewer resources than previous versions of Firefox.
and see if it is better than other browsers.
What version of Firefox do I have?
Knowing which version of Firefox you are using can help you fix a problem as well as tell you if Firefox is up to date. There are three ways to find out your version of Firefox.
Prevent Firefox from updating automatically
The Firefox version control method discussed in the next section automatically updates Firefox by default. To avoid this, click the Firefox menu and then click options .
Scroll down to the section Firefox updates . Here you can see which version of Firefox you are using.
To prevent Firefox from automatically updating, select It looks for updates, but lets you choose to install them o Do not check for updates , although the latter is not recommended.
You can also update Firefox right below the button Show update history .
Check your Firefox version with "About Firefox"
By default, this method causes Firefox to update automatically, unless you changed the update settings using the steps in the previous section. But this is the easiest way to find out which version of Firefox you are using.
Click the Firefox menu button, click the icon Guide . If you are using Firefox 57 Quantum, your Firefox menu will look different. The option will be help with a question mark icon.
In the menu ?, Select About Firefox . The Information on Mozilla Firefox the window appears. The version number is listed under the Firefox name.
In the dialog box Information on Mozilla Firefox , the version number is displayed under the name of Firefox . You can also update Firefox here manually, if you've set Firefox to not update automatically.
Check your Firefox version with "Troubleshooting Information"
Another method to find out which version of Firefox you are running is on the Troubleshooting Information page.
Click the Firefox menu button and click the option Guide . Then click Information on troubleshooting in the menu Guide .
You can also type about: support in the address bar and press Submit to open the page Information on resolution of the problems .
Your Firefox version is listed next to version in Basic information.
How can I download Firefox?
If you are already using Firefox, you can automatically upgrade to the latest version of Firefox by accessing the dialog Information on Mozilla Firefox , as discussed in the previous section.
If you have turned off automatic updates, click the button Update in the dialog box Information on Mozilla Firefox .
If you're installing a fresh copy of Firefox, you can download it at.
Why is Firefox so slow?
The first thing you should check is if you are using the latest version of Firefox. Refer to What version of Firefox do I have? section above.
Some extensions may also require too many resources. Reset Firefox, which we'll talk about later in this article, can help.
If you open many tabs in one browsing session, this can slow down Firefox. You can automatically suspend or hibernate inactive tabs to free up resources using the Tab Suspender add-on, which will work in Firefox 57 Quantum.
How can I set the home page in Firefox?
By default, the page New tab is set as the start page in Firefox. Page New tab show thumbnail links to the main sites you visit the most. You'll also see sites recommended by Pocket, now part of Mozilla and included with Firefox. Highlights of sites you've recently visited or bookmarked are listed at the bottom of the page New tab.
If you don't want to use the page New tab as a home page, you can easily change it.
Set up a single home page
To set a specific web page as your home page, go to the web page you want to use in a tab. Then, drag and drop the tab onto the button Home . click on Yes in the confirmation dialog that appears.
Set multiple web pages as home pages
You can also set more than one web page as your home page. Each page will open in a separate tab when you click the button Home .
To set multiple web pages as home pages, open as many web pages as you want in separate tabs. Make sure any tabs with web pages that you don't want to use as your home page are closed. Then, click on the Firefox menu button and select options.
On the screen General in First page , click on Use pagine correnti.
All URLs of all open tabs are added to the box First page , separated by vertical bars. Close the tab options .
The next time you click the button Home , each URL in the box First page opens in a new tab.
Set your home page to a blank page
If you don't want something on your homepage, you can set it to a blank page. To do this, click on the Firefox menu and select options . Enter about: blank in the box Home Page and close the tab Options .
Now when you click the button Home , the current tab will become empty.
Restore the default home page
To go back to using the page New tab as the default home page, click the Firefox menu and select options . click on Restore default settings in pagina iniziale , then close the tab options .
The next time you click the button Home , the page will be displayed New tab.
How can I reset Firefox?
The function Restore in Firefox (called Reset in previous versions) restores Firefox to its factory default state, preserving your browsing and download history, bookmarks, cookies, passwords, open windows and tabs and other browsing data.
When you reset Firefox, you will lose items like add-ons and themes, toolbar customizations, added search engines, website permissions, and changed preferences.
To reset Firefox, open the page Information on resolution of the problems using one of the following methods.
- Click on the Firefox menu. Then click Guide and select Troubleshooting information .
- To type about: support in the address bar and press Submit .
The screen Troubleshooting information yes opens in a new tab.
click on Reset Firefox in the dialog box that appears.
Firefox reopens with a screenshot Mission accomplished in a tab asking if you want to restore all windows and tabs or just the ones you want. Select an option and click starts .
That's all these are the usual questions we are asked about FireFox.
