Mozilla shows off new look for Firefox 29 as beta launches today
Improved sync features, a streamlined interface and a new menu and customisation mode
Mozilla has unveiled the new look for Firefox 29 on its company blog.
This coincides with today’s beta release of Mozilla’s latest web browser. New features include a streamlined user interface, improved sync features, a new customisation mode and a new Firefox menu.
When you first open the browser, the most obvious change will be the redesigned tab structure.
Firefox 29’s new tabs are now rounder and appear higher up on the page
Apart from their newly rounded corners, tabs now sit higher up on the browser and tabs that aren’t in use will be “visually de-emphasised”, as Mozilla puts it. In practice, this means they lose their boundaries and fade into the desktop’s background.
The bookmark manager has been moved, too. It will now sit next to the bookmark star in the Firefox toolbar.
The customisation menu makes it easier to access your favourite settings and options
Firefox 29 will also make it easier for you to personalise the browser with its new customisation settings.
“To enter customization mode click the new ‘Menu’ button and then click ‘Customize’,” the company wrote. “From there, you can manually drag and drop your favorite feature, add-on or tool anywhere in the browser based on your preferences. This makes it faster and easier to access the features you use the most.”
The new menu panel, on the other hand, will incorporate all the old browser controls, favourite features and add-ons into one place. Tools such as copy/paste, print, full page and save will all be here too. You’ll also be able to add icons for newly downloaded add-ons, making them more visible and easier to access.
Logging into your account will sync all your favourite features instantly between devices
The new sync feature is powered by Firefox Accounts. Much like Google’s Chrome browser, creating an account will let you take your Firefox settings with you when you log in on a different device.
“The new Firefox Sync makes it even easier to setup and add multiple devices while delivering end-to-end encryption.”
Firefox 29 is available to test now on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.