Firefox is winning back former users through a series of recent and upcoming features, according to a detailed account from a ZDNET contributor who had previously abandoned the browser. The writer, who left Firefox over concerns about bloat, missing features, and disagreements with Mozilla, says the browser has gradually transformed over the past year into the tool he now prefers. The shift became clear while testing a new Smart Window feature, and it was driven by several improvements that came together over time, including some currently available only in the pre-alpha Nightly build.
One of the key changes is a new theming engine in the Nightly version, which addresses a long-standing aesthetic gap compared to rivals like Opera, Vivaldi, and Zen Browser. Unlike those browsers, Firefox does not offer granular controls for gradients or custom color pickers, but it does provide a selection of gradients that now apply to toolbars, menus, and messages, rather than just toolbars as before. The writer notes that applying a theme takes only seconds, which he finds more efficient than adjusting color wheels or sliders.
Vertical tabs are another feature highlighted as a major draw, offering a more efficient layout than traditional horizontal tabs. Users can keep many more tabs open and still identify each one, and they can reorder tabs, open them in new windows, or direct them into a specific Firefox container. The vertical tab bar can be expanded fully or collapsed into a narrow sidebar, depending on how much screen space the user wants to dedicate. The writer adds that the only missing piece is a Workspaces feature, which he says would make Firefox unbeatable.
Containers, an older feature, is also emphasized for its privacy and security benefits. The system prevents one tab from accessing information from another tab, so a tab opened for banking in one container cannot pull data from a tab in a different container. Users can create containers for categories like banking, shopping, work, or personal use, and they can run multiple accounts for the same service, such as separate Google accounts for work and personal use, in different containers.
Firefox is also testing a built-in VPN, currently in beta and available only on the Nightly and Beta versions, with a slow rollout. Access requires logging into a Firefox account, and the VPN is controlled through a toolbar button that opens a pop-up for enabling or disabling the service. The feature also allows users to add sites that are exempt from the VPN, which is helpful for sites that do not function properly when the VPN is active. The writer reports that the VPN works well and is among the most convenient browser-based options he has tried.
Finally, the article covers Firefox鈥檚 approach to AI, which the writer appreciates despite his own limited use of AI for research. Smart Window can be enabled or disabled, and it supports local AI models, including one he tested on a server on his home network. The browser also includes an AI chatbot in the sidebar, with provider options that include ChatGPT, Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and Mistral Vibe, and it learns from user chats through a feature called Moments.
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