Digital Guru: Mozilla Firefox
A COMPETITOR THAT’S ACTUALLY WORTH CONSIDERING.
IT’S EASY TO take for granted how much we rely on our browser to learn, communicate and remain entertained. As the gateway to a range of digital activities, it’s important to find a browser that best meets your navigating needs. Last month ( TLA 86) we looked at Google Chrome – currently the most popular web browser on the market. But there’s something to be said about its competitors. Mozilla Firefox 1.0 launched publicly in 2004, reaching over 100 million downloads in less than a year. A program that’s open-source, Firefox quickly became a serious contender in browser land, with its heavy emphasis on speed and security. With many features from other browsers also present in Firefox, you’ll find the transition a largely seamless experience. Assuming most readers are familiar with the basics of web browsing, in this guide we’ll focus on the key tools and features that make Firefox a worthwhile contender when it comes to your browser of choice.
THE BASICS
CHROME VS. FIREFOX. ‘But why should I switch from Google Chrome?’ It’s a debate that’s divided web users for years. Both Chrome and Firefox are very capable browsers, but there are some key differences worth pointing out. In recent years, Google Chrome has been labelled by some as a memory and performance hog, especially when working across a large number of tabs. On the other hand, Firefox claims to be 30% lighter, providing a smoother experience regardless of how many tabs are open. Firefox also promises faster page loading by automatically blocking certain scripts and advertisements. With all this in mind, we’d definitely recommend giving Firefox a go.
GETTING STARTED. To join the animal revolution, visit www.mozilla.org/en-US/ firefox/new/ and follow the prompts to download and install Firefox on your computer. Similar to other programs, at the top of your browser you’ll see an address bar (or what Firefox calls the Awesome Bar) where you can enter web URLs along with conduct searches using Google or Bing. To open a new tab, click the plus icon also at the top of your browser – you’ll then be taken to a new page listing recently and regularly visited websites.
SYNCING. In order to get the total browsing experience, Mozilla will encourage you to register for a Firefox Sync account. Doing so will send things like bookmarks, passwords and open tabs securely to the cloud to be accessed across your range of devices.
To set it up, click the main menu icon (represented by three bars in the right-hand corner of the browser) and select Sign in to Sync. You can adjust what information is shared to the cloud by clicking your username which will be displayed in the main menu dropdown list.
TRACKER PROTECTION. It’s amazing how easy it is for our browsing habits to be tracked by the websites we visit. While this may be great for advertisers, for the average consumer... not so much. Privacy is a key focus of Firefox, with a number of anti-tracking tools available. In the left-hand corner of the Awesome Bar you’ll see a small shield icon which indicates when anti-tracking is active for a particular website. To change when and what cookies or trackers are blocked by Firefox, select Content Blocking from the main menu dropdown list.
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
POCKET. There’ll be times whilst browsing the web that you come across an interesting story, only to scroll past it due to lack of time. Read-it-later service Pocket lets you save interesting content from the web so it’s ready for viewing at a time convenient to you. After being acquired by Mozilla in 2017, Pocket is
now conveniently built directly into Firefox. To set it up, click the Pocket icon shown in the Awesome Bar and follow the prompts. Every time you come across an article you’d like to save, just click the Pocket icon to add it to your reading list.
TAB SHARING. In today’s digitally-connected world, it’s unlikely all your browsing will be done from a single device. Included with Firefox Sync is the ability to see and share tabs across multiple devices. To access a list of open tabs on other laptops or smartphones, click the library (books) icon at the top of your browser and select Synced Tabs. You can even send tabs to another device by right-clicking on a website and selecting Send Page to Device.
TOOLBAR. With an emphasis on customisation, Firefox lets you change the layout of its interface to best suit your browsing needs. To make adjustments, from the main menu dropdown list click Customize. You’ll then be taken to a page where you can drag-and-drop menu items in and out of your browser window.
PINNING. Keep tabs on important tabs by pinning them to the corner of your browser. It’s the perfect way to ensure one-click access to sites you visit on a regular basis. To pin a website, right-click on a tab and select Pin Tab.
TAB ORGANISATION. Too Many Tab Syndrome (TMTS) is condition rapidly spreading across the online community. In late 2018 Firefox introduced better tab management tools. By holding down either the Ctrl or Shift key you can select multiple tabs that can then be moved, bookmarked, rearranged or kept open whilst other tabs are closed. PRIVATE BROWSING. There will be times when you’d prefer Firefox not to track your browsing activity. Whether it’s online banking or Nickelback music videos, using a private browser ensures your tracks are covered. To start a new private session, from the main menu dropdown list select New Private Window.
GOING PRO
SCREENSHOTS. A feature you mightn’t realise you need is Firefox’s image-taking tool. To take a screenshot, right-click on a webpage and select the screenshot option. Your snap can include everything that’s displayed on a website, or alternatively click-and-drag to select a smaller portion of what’s on the page. Clicking the blue save button will send your snap to the Firefox Cloud where you can then crop, type and draw on your image before sharing.
SEARCHING. From the Awesome Bar you can conduct web searches using sites such as Google, Duck Duck Go and Wikipedia by clicking their respective icon at the bottom of the search window. To add additional search engines, visit a compatible website and click the three-dot icon within the Awesome Bar.
CLICKING THE BLUE SAVE BUTTON WILL SEND YOUR SNAP TO THE FIREFOX CLOUD WHERE YOU CAN THEN CROP, TYPE AND DRAW ON YOUR IMAGE BEFORE SHARING
DARK MODE. Firefox comes complete with three themes pre-installed – a default, light and dark mode. Each theme modifies the appearance of your browser, with the exception of what’s displayed on a webpage. To switch between modes, from the main menu dropdown list click Customize.
READER VIEW. While the web may offer a never-ending stream of content, it won’t always be in a presentable format. Even popular news sites can force a number of distractions in the form of videos, flashy ads and intrusive alerts. It’s for these websites then that Mozilla’s Reader View comes in handy. Accessed via the document icon displayed in the Awesome Bar on compatible websites, Reader View presents articles in a clean, legible format whilst stripping away distracting content.
LOCKBOX. Like other browsers, Firefox features a password management tool for storing usernames and passwords securely in the cloud. But Mozilla goes one step further with it’s new experimental Lockbox app, enabling one-touch access to your online account information from an iOS device.
Similar to LastPass or 1Password, you can quickly browse, search and copy usernames and passwords, along with auto-fill login information without needing to open the app. You can download it here: https://itunes.apple. com/au/app/firefox-lockbox/ id1314000270?mt=8
EXTENSIONS. Like Chrome, within the Firefox community you’ll find a wide range of themes and extensions ready to be installed. Available at
https://addons.mozilla.org, you’ll find extensions capable of ad blocking, website translating, even ones to enhance your YouTube-watching experience. Themes are also available to personalise your browser’s look and feel.