Firefox 152 Adds Tab Mute Shortcut and JPEG XL
Firefox 152 arrives after an unusually busy month for its predecessor. Firefox 151 received no fewer than four minor patches in quick succession, and this new release focuses on making the browser more convenient in everyday situations, such as the moment sound suddenly starts playing from somewhere among dozens of open tabs.
A Redesigned Settings Page
Mozilla has reworked the Firefox settings page for this release. Developers reorganized the layout of various sections, making it easier for users to locate the options they need and adjust the browser to their liking more quickly. Firefox has long built its reputation on more than just raw speed or user habit; flexibility has always been part of the package. As a result, clearer settings are not merely a cosmetic touch, but a meaningful piece of that core advantage. You can find the complete breakdown of these changes in the official Firefox 152 release notes.
A Quick Way to Silence Noisy Tabs
The most immediately useful everyday feature in this release deals with sound playing from tabs. When one tab, or several at once, starts playing audio unexpectedly, users can open the address bar and type mute, sssh, or hush. Firefox then displays a quick-action button that silences every tab and window with a single click. For certain streaming services, Mozilla also improved playback controls accessible through the tab’s context menu.
Experimental Support for JPEG XL
Firefox 152 introduces experimental support for JPEG XL. This image format has long attracted attention from advocates of more efficient image compression, though Google removed JPEG XL support from Chromium and Chrome several years ago. In January, Google softened its stance on the format, and Mozilla has now joined in with its own experimentation. For everyday users, this addition may not feel like a headline feature just yet, but for web developers and image enthusiasts, JPEG XL support remains a notable signal of where the format is heading.
A Timely Contrast With Chrome’s Extension Changes
Against the backdrop of ongoing changes in Chrome, this new Firefox release feels particularly well-timed. Google continues closing off the remaining workarounds that have kept powerful Manifest V2 ad blockers functional. Chrome 150 is expected to eliminate the last working loopholes for fully featured blockers, while Chrome 151 will finish off the old mechanism entirely. For users who care about maintaining control over their extensions, Firefox holds onto a clearly more appealing position.
Chrome 150 will also mark the final version of Google’s browser to support macOS versions older than 13 Ventura. Owners of older Macs still running macOS 12 Monterey will soon face a choice: rely on unofficial workarounds to upgrade their operating system, or switch browsers entirely. In that scenario, Firefox stands out as a straightforward fallback option, since it doesn’t force owners of older hardware to overhaul their entire operating system just to keep their browser current.
Easier Tab Sharing and Link Copying
Mozilla has also improved the tools for sending tabs to other devices and copying links. Firefox 152 introduces an optional Send Tab button on the toolbar. Users can right-click a tab to send the page to a chosen device or copy its address for sharing elsewhere. The same logic extends to groups of tabs: simply select multiple tabs using Ctrl or Cmd, right-click any one of them, and either send the entire group or copy all the links in a single action.
Security Fixes and Other Additions
This release bundles in dozens of fixes, closing roughly 40 vulnerabilities, alongside several new capabilities for developers. Firefox’s built-in translation feature now supports Basque and Galician. Mozilla has also launched a public Firefox roadmap, giving users visibility into upcoming changes to the browser.
A Fast Release Pace With a Clear Purpose
Firefox’s frequent release cadence occasionally frustrates users, especially when a steady stream of small patches arrives between major version bumps. For anyone who prefers not to live constantly on the bleeding edge, Mozilla still offers its Extended Support Release channel as an alternative. Still, this rapid pace reveals another side of the story. Mozilla continues actively developing Firefox, fixing bugs, and shipping new features at precisely the moment Chrome is closing off long-standing extension capabilities and nudging a growing share of its users toward looking elsewhere.
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