Firefox gets new design focused on privacy
Mozilla refreshes the browser with redesigned tabs, settings and personalisation, while giving users more control over AI features.
Mozilla is rolling out a new design for Firefox to users step by step. The refresh focuses on a more cohesive appearance, easier-to-find privacy settings and greater choice around features such as AI.
Mozilla refers to the design internally as Project Nova. According to the company, it is a refresh of the existing Firefox, not an entirely new browser. The biggest visible changes are coming to desktops, but Mozilla is also working on a more consistent experience on mobile devices.
The new interface will include softer tab shapes, redesigned icons and a warmer colour palette. Mozilla has also made Compact Mode available again and added new options for themes and personalisation. These elements were first tested in the Nightly version.
Privacy is given a more prominent place in the settings. Mozilla wants to make it easier to find features such as private browsing, the built-in VPN and protection against tracking techniques. Settings relating to data use are also being worded more clearly, according to the company.
One notable feature is the option to disable AI functions completely. This positions Mozilla's browser against services that are integrating AI ever more deeply into the standard experience. The company presents this choice as part of its broader emphasis on user control.
Mozilla also says that the loading time for important page content has improved by 9 per cent over the past year. That is a claim by the browser maker itself, not an independent benchmark. According to Mozilla, the new design should also make tab groups, split screen and vertical tabs easier to access.
The public test version shows that the design is still being refined. Mozilla is asking users to report problems involving keyboard navigation, screen readers, different screen sizes and languages. The Nightly version is therefore primarily a testing environment, and does not indicate that all users will see exactly the same interface.
Mozilla has not given a full date for when the design will become available worldwide. Its own timetable points to a broader rollout later in 2026. Users of stable Firefox versions can therefore expect a gradual introduction, with possible differences between desktop, mobile and test versions.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The technical features and timetable were checked directly against Mozilla and Firefox. Non-independent performance claims have been explicitly attributed to Mozilla.
- confirmed Mozilla refers to the new design internally as Project Nova. — This is stated in Mozilla's design blog. source
- confirmed The new interface includes redesigned tabs, icons, colours and Compact Mode. — These elements are described in the Nightly announcement. source
- confirmed Mozilla wants AI functions to be fully disableable. — The design blog mentions settings for this in Firefox. source
- confirmed The design will be rolled out more widely later in 2026. — Mozilla writes that the design will reach more users later this year. source
- confirmed Mozilla says important page content loads 9 per cent faster than a year earlier. — This percentage appears as a Mozilla claim in the design blog. source
Editor's note
The design choices, testing status and planned rollout are based on Mozilla's own publications. Performance claims have been attributed to the company; no independent benchmark was available.Sources
- Inside the new Firefox design: speed, privacy, and customization — Mozilla
- Try the New Firefox Design in Nightly — Mozilla Firefox Nightly
- Firefox 155.0 release notes — Firefox
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