Firefox: Change search engine in the address bar

Mozilla has revised the Firefox search and address bar. It is now more focused on searching for web content and browser data. The search terms remain in the bar during the search and are not replaced by the URL of the search engine. Users can also select the desired search engine via a drop-down menu in the bar. Bookmarks, open tabs or the history can also be used for the search. Alternatively, this is also possible by entering the shortcuts @bookmarks, @tabs and @history in the address bar.

Launch browser functions from the address bar

Individual browser functions can also be called up via the drop-down menu or the @actions shortcut. These include taking screenshots or managing themes, add-ons and bookmarks. For some websites, Firefox offers a search from the address bar as soon as they are opened, such as Stack Overflow. According to a blog post, Mozilla promises greater productivity from these new features. Firefox also hides the HTTPS part of URLs and instead points out unencrypted transmissions.

The Mozilla developers had already previously added tab groups to their web browser. These allow users to drag and drop their open tabs on top of each other and combine them into a group. To achieve this, a menu opens automatically, in which users can define a name for the group and assign a color to it. Tabs can be moved together as a group in the tab bar or moved to a new window. Users can also add or remove additional tabs using drag-and-drop.

Most recently, the Mozilla Foundation also announced that it would be shutting down its Pocket bookmark service. Instead, the foundation wants to concentrate on the further development of the browser. It is no longer possible to reinstall the add-on, but it is still available for existing users. Mozilla will discontinue the service on July 8, 2025. After that, users will have three months left to export saved bookmarks, notes, and articles. On October 8, access to the service will end for good.

(sfe)