Take Project Nova for a spin in Nightly!

[AshleyT]

Hi there! I'm Ashley, Senior Staff Product Manager for Firefox. After months of updates on Project Nova, it's finally in Nightly, ready for you to see for yourself. We're modernizing Firefox from the ground up to ensure it remains a fast, secure, and highly customizable companion for today’s internet.

This is still early days, so you'll notice some rough edges — a few things may look unfinished or inconsistent for now. Keep your Nightly up to date to see the latest. 

As a reminder, the Project Nova updates include:

• Simpler navigation and a redesigned Settings experience, now live in release
• Refreshed tabs, icons, spacing, and browser surfaces
• More ways to make it yours, with rich new themes, wallpapers, and personalization options that let Firefox match your style.

We're grateful for all the thoughtful feedback we got on our earlier Connect post, on social media, and through user research. Based on what we heard, we've made some changes:

• We'll be experimenting with corner roundness settings for tabs to give you more options — coming soon in Firefox Labs.
• We brought back Compact Mode so there’s more space for web content and tabs
• We added more neutral standard theme options.

You can learn more in our blog post.

See it first in Nightly

Nightly is where this work takes shape in the open, and we wanted you to be among the first to see where it's headed. Since much of what’s changed so far focuses on the look of the interface, keep an eye out for how these layouts feel during your day-to-day browsing. We're aiming for a clean, intuitive experience —so please look out for anything that feels off, like icons, spacing, alignment, or how things hold up across themes, window sizes, different languages, screen readers, and keyboard navigation. If something catches your eye, we'd love to hear about it.

Download the latest version of Nightly to see what's new.

Something's not right? File a bug.

If you find visual or functional issues with the Nova style changes in Nightly, please follow these steps:

1. Click this link to file a Bugzilla issue. We're asking everyone to file bugs this way, so we can easily keep track of all issues reported.
2. In the bug, please add steps to reproduce the issue, and if possible screenshots or screencasts. Please don't add severity and priority to the bugs — our triaging teams will handle that.
3. You can see all Nova testing bugs filed here.

Have overall feedback? Let us know here in Connect.

Drop a comment here to let us know your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks for being part of this.

[sosasees]

Yes.

The new bubbly Icons have a distinct Personality that fits Firefox’s Fox without distracting.
Firefox doesn’t need most of the other Design Changes to complement their Mascot.

[dftf]

> "Its one saving grace is that it brings back compact mode"

In previous versions, "browser.compactmode.show" set to "true" in about:config would restore this

> "The new sidebar panel design is clearly not finalized"

Indeed: if you went into the "Bookmarks" sections of the sidepanel, there was no down-arrow to change to a different section!  They are looking to release a 157.0.1 update to address this, but it's crazy no-one noticed this before shipping.

> "Make it [the UI] consistent with the operating system [...] people are [...] using"

They have... it fits right-in with macOS, the OS the Firefox team all use! 😂 They forget though that on Windows or Linux, it doesn't fit in.  They really need to test on other systems, not just the one they all use internally!

> "Cut down on the number of toolbar items"

To be fair, if you right-click an empty area of the toolbar or tab-bar, then click "Customise Toolbar...", you can drag nearly everything off if you don't want it there.  The extensions jigsaw icon and the hamburger menu are about the only exceptions.  Back, forward, refresh, home, VPN and sidebar can all be removed.  Some Chromium browsers don't allow as much to be removed as Firefox does.

[sosasees]

If you compare the Examples in this Article about CSS corner-shape,
you will notice that all of the live Examples — except the very last, most complex Example — look exactly like the Screenshots below.

It wasn’t always like this.
The previous Time i checked out this Page in Firefox Nightly, many of the live Examples looked broken.

This means that Firefox Nightly now can now display Squircle Corners correctly.

On that Note, please try switching the Circle Corners in the Browser Chrome with Squircle Corners.
That would make the Buttons much more normal-shaped without breaking the visual Style that Project Nova seems to shoot for.

[spiritschaser]

That's really cool!

Please, guys, don't stop and go ahead with the complete circular context and "burger" menus and may be circular window! (like old good K-jofol player). That's the point to be on the edge of the web browsing!

[robertwigley]

Please retain an option to disable the Nova UI. My main objection is the excessive use of rounded corners and pill-shaped UI elements throughout Firefox. I strongly prefer the cleaner, squarer appearance of the previous interface. A theme doesn't solve this because it doesn't restore the previous UI geometry. Please either retain browser.nova.enabled or provide an official option for the classic UI.

[dftf]

You'll be able to use the Nova rollback until around late November

After that time, you have two choices:

1. Switch to the 153.4.0 "ESR" version of Firefox, which is a long-term support version aimed at businesses.  It has the old UI, and that won't change until the next ESR version.  It gets security fixes, but not new features.  Link: https://www.firefox.com/download/all/desktop-esr/ 

2. Consider moving to a "fork" of Firefox with a UI more to your liking.
Examples include: Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[Agentvirtuel]

Bonjour

Those articles
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/understanding-depth-profile-installation
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/dedicated-profiles-firefox-installation#w_what-happens-to-my-pr...

What happens to my profile if I downgrade to a previous version of Firefox?
For illustration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCwy5fouQ6A

[DontChangeStuff]

I can't tell you how ugly and disturbing your project nova looks!

First thing in the morning, I've spent half an hour of my precious free time learning how to disable the damned thing, and for the first time since Firefox exists, I found a way to log in here, just so I can let you know:

STOP CHANGING STUFF! Your design department lacks talent. I suspect it's rich in family / friendly connections, so they can have a cozy, well -paying job. You do not need a design department, or artists. The browser should simply follow whatever theme windows is set to.

In fact, never, ever change layouts, buttons, anything else either. I'm in my prime, I can at least figure them out so far, even if it is bad. There are old folks out there who spent the vast majority of their lives without computers, but the modern age prompted them to become users in their autumn years. For them, even minor changes are not mere discomforts, but roadblocks that prevent them from using whatever browser or website's misguided management felt like "lol, we haven't had a nice, flashy UI redesign in a while!"

The only reason to redesign any UI, ever, is if something's not working properly. As the current example would have it: Design project nova the hell away, along with the people responsible for it, and never let it and them return.

G'bye.

[tuva]

I have to agree with folks above: Please keep the `browser.nova.enabled` flag exposed forever, so that I can keep this redesign reverted, forever, like Reddit's "old reddit" opt-out. I really don't understand this obsession with pills and """modern""" anti-features.

I get that some people find it OK. 
But I do not like it. I will never like it. 

Thank you.

[ugthefluffster]

Please keep browser.nova.enabled, or replace it with a supported option for the previous Firefox UI. I specifically prefer the previous tab design: the selected tab is clearly distinguished by its fill/shadow without the Nova outline, and the less-rounded geometry makes tabs easier for me to distinguish. userChrome.css is not an adequate replacement because it relies on unsupported internal selectors that can change between releases. Please keep an official way to select the classic appearance.

[dftf]

Mozilla are looking to end support for the "browser.nova.enabled" rollback in late November

You could move to the 153.4.0 "ESR" version of Firefox, which only gets security-updates, but no new features or UI changes until the next major version, so that will buy some extra time.

Or long-term, see if a "fork" of Firefox has a UI you would prefer.  For example:
Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[utterBS]

Excellent idea.  Thanks

For others that may try this, the ESR version can be installed 'over' the existing version.

Prior to starting FF, find the Compatibility.ini in you Profile and delete it.  Otherwise when first start FF it will see it is an older version via the .ini file and not load.

Another hoop to jump through.

[utterBS]

FWIW, the new 157 version of FF just updated.  I have used FF for a long time and set it up for MY use.

I find the out of the box Nova with the 157 update disgusting. 

But Nova has had little effect on what i visually see with MY FF.

With Nova disabled

With Nova enabled

So while i think what has been done to FF totally sucks and was not necessary despite what the FF management might think, i can & will continue to use FF till i loose what control i seem to have in making it acceptable to me.

[akayanni]

The who cares what it is in away, what is needed to FF without any FF so web applications appears as applications and not something with all the FF stuff at all. The theme settings are nice. 

The mistake was to present it with ugly defaults. Or perhaps that was the plan to make us test the theme management. 

"I know how we will make them test it, we will default to the ugliest theme."

That worked here. 🙂

[olen]

I have disabled the new Nova .. It is not my taste. 

A user with name siffemcon also gave me another great tip 

To my userChrome.css I added

* {
border-radius: 0 !important;
}

It removed the rounded corner from tabs and the urlbar

Amazing why firefox tries to mimic chrome  😞

[utterBS]

Amazing why firefox tries to mimic chrome 

Exactly, so sad.

[JimmyKills]

This is terrible

[utterBS]

Man of few words   🙂

[dftf]

For now you can reverse the change:
URL bar -> about:config -> ENTER -> accept warning -> search nova ->
double-click line "browser.nova.enabled" to change to "false"

From late November this year, they are looking to remove this option

[Hades_]

Why go to all that trouble to copy Chrome when you already have something really great! For heaven's sake, stop with the round interface—it's just awful.

My only wish is to be able to turn it off.

[dftf]

You won't be able to reverse the change from late November, but for now, you can:
URL bar -> about:config -> ENTER -> accept warning -> search nova ->
double-click line "browser.nova.enabled" to change to "false"

[mtnsnp]

Please leave it optional. I love firefox, this new theme makes me want to remove it. The previous theme is great, which is, I don't even see it, I just use it and it disappears. This new theme takes over and I just can't get used it. Can't stop seeing it. I don't want the visual noise.

[DirkOmmen]

Since the introduction of the Nova interface, I experience noticeably more visual discomfort when using Firefox. The rounded buttons, softer shapes, and the new color gradients make the interface feel much busier and less calm to me. After using it for a while, I actually experience headaches and stress.

Switching Nova off through about:config immediately makes Firefox feel more comfortable again.

Interestingly, my 7-year-old daughter thought the new design looked nice, so I understand that some users may prefer it. But for others, including me, the old interface is much easier on the eyes. Please keep the classic interface available as a permanent, officially supported option instead of eventually forcing everyone to use Nova.

[dftf]

The ability to reverse Nova is set to end Nov 24th, with the release of Firefox 161.

Your options:

Move to a "fork" of Firefox with a UI you prefer.  Common examples include:
Basilisk, Floorp, Librewolf, Pale Moon, Waterfox

Or move to the "ESR" 153.4.0 release of Firefox, which will avoid the new UI for around a year, as those versions only get security-fixes, but not new features or UI changes between major releases.

You can download the ESR release here: https://www.firefox.com/download/all/desktop-esr/ 

Backup your current data first: Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and Sync. -> Backup
Then if on starting the ESR you have none of your data, you can bring it back in:
Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and Synchronisation -> Restore your data

[mtnsnp]

Thank you for this! I'll have to consider these options.

Thinking about making my own browser, not out of the realm of possibility these days ^_^

[dftf]

You can also follow the progress of the new Ladybird browser: https://ladybird.org/ 

It will use its own rendering engine, totally separate from WebKit, Chromium or Gecko.

Initially it'll only be on macOS and Linux though.
Will be a while before Android, iPhone/iPad and Windows versions arrive.

[IronEleven]

I am no longer just annoyed but calm about this update.

[reukiodo]

"so you'll notice some rough edges"

and yet I see so many rounded corners... soo so many...

[sosasees]

It’s ironically abrasive when the previous design was perfectly good to look at.

The rounded edges are too smooth, that makes the borders too easy to overlook.

[covex]

Every update of Firefox I hope for it to solve the problems, that it eats up a 16GB of precious RAM in a few days and needs to be restarted. Instead I do get .... rounded corners. What a waste of time for all of us.

[sosasees]

Firefox was originally an Alternative to avoid the Badness of Internet Explorer.

Now, it seems, we need an Alternative to avoid the Badness of both Firefox and Chromium Browsers.

[utterBS]

One thing i have learned in my life that nothing ever stays the same.  Find something that is excellent in every way, be it a product, software etc  and eventually it will disappear or be changed (most times for no reason other than for the Change people to be seen to earning their pay) and not be excellent anymore.

The engagement by Mozilla with users about the changes to FF is nothing more than going thru the motions.  The decision had been made and no amount of negative feed back was going to prevent Nova happening.  They ticked the engagement box.

[timidbit]

Da-a-am. I hate this Nova "design" so much, but I guess it's here to stay, so I'm going to try to revert it through the official settings.

I can make my peace with pill-tabs (I still hate it, because it's a "design" just for a "design" sake), but give me options to change this eye-soaring accent color and remove this ugly tabs gradient! Or make an official theme without this gradient and with grey accent color (modified Ash theme)!

For now, I guess, I'll have to use userChrome.css 🤬

P.S. OK, Proton theme removes this ugly gradient, but doesn't change this awful purple accent color, and of cause it doesn't remove all the f**king rounding everywhere (those pill-tabs... 🤦‍)