The new Firefox design lands in today. This is what you can expect

[AshleyT]

Firefox has evolved significantly over the past year and now, its look has evolved too. 

The design begins rolling out today, with Firefox 157, bringing a cleaner, more cohesive , and more adaptable experience. It is still the Firefox you know and trust, with the same commitment to independence, privacy, customization, and user control. 

The Mozilla Connect community has helped shape this work from the beginning by sharing feedback on the early designs, tested the experience in Nightly starting in July, filed bugs, and shared with us what worked and what didn’t.

Here’s what landed today.

A cleaner, more cohesive design

• Softer tab shapes
• Redrawn icons that hold up better across light and dark themes
• Rebalanced spacing throughout the interface
• A refreshed color palette featuring the glow of the active tab, deeper purples, and warmer light tones

The updated design brought bolder color choices to Firefox — and your feedback made clear that opinions on browser color run the full spectrum. In response, we created additional themes, accessible through add-ons and a new theme picker off Firefox Home, so you have greater control over how Firefox looks. 

More ways to make Firefox yours

Firefox is becoming more customizable, giving you more ways to shape the browser around how you browse. These options include:

• A new theme picker in the customization panel on the Firefox Home page. Additional community themes remain available through about:addons.
• New Firefox themes and wallpapers
• A dedicated space to pin and organize shortcuts so sites you use all the time stay put.
• Compact Mode for a denser browsing experience

Compact mode now officially supported!

Compact Mode is now available as its own dedicated setting. It will also switch on automatically on smaller screens, reducing the space between interface elements so more fits on the screen.

This is one of the clearest examples of how community feedback shaped Nova. Many of you told us that maintaining a denser interface was important, and we listened.

Faster performance

The refreshed experience also includes improvements to Firefox’s startup, page-loading, and scrolling speeds.

Frequently asked questions

Will my existing themes and add-ons continue to work?

Themes and add-ons should continue to work. Nova is built on the same Firefox foundation, and the extension and theming architecture has not changed.

Will my userChrome.css customizations continue to work?

Some customizations may require minor adjustments, depending on how closely they rely on element names or layout structures from the previous interface. 

But keep in mind that Mozilla does not officially support customizations made through userChrome.css. They can cause unexpected behavior or even break Firefox, and future updates may affect them as Firefox continues to evolve. If you choose to use userChrome.css, please proceed carefully.

You can learn more in Firefox advanced customization and configuration options.

Can I opt out of the update?

The new Firefox design becomes the default experience starting with Firefox 157. However, you have several ways to adjust how Firefox looks and feels, including Compact Mode, themes, wallpapers, and New Tab customization. 

Keep shaping Firefox with us

Nova may be shipping today, but the work doesn’t stop here. Many of these updates grew directly from the bugs you filed and the conversations you started while the design was being developed.

Update to Firefox 157 to try the refreshed experience, then let us know what works well and what could still be improved. Your feedback will continue to help shape what comes next.

[ent1]

"Claude, make our web browser look like the cheapest vibe-coded pile of junk out there.. fix no performance issues.  As a matter of fact, make the browser slower but give every edge a rounded corner.  Make no mistakes (on the design front)."

Please for the love of god just make a browser that works.  Make it look like it's 2002 and make the performance absolutely rip.  I DO NOT CARE ABOUT ROUNDED CORNERS ON MY STUPID TABS.  I DO NOT CARE ABOUT VAPORWAVE COLORED BORDERS AROUND TABS.  STOP PUTTING EFFORT INTO THIS GARBAGE AND JUST BE A WEB BROWSER THAT WORKS.   PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EvilEmpire]

I agree that forcing themes down our throats to make developers feel better is trash.  If you're going to make themes, they should be optional. I would much rather developers spend their time and effort on performance rather than trying to make stuff look pretty.  How much revenue was wasted on color design over performance updates?

[dftf]

I know, to think of some of the stuff they could be improving:

1. Make it so "Fix major site issues and "Fix minor site issues" actually work -- currently embedded YouTube videos rarely work for me on many sites
2. Revisit the "Privacy and Security" section in the recently-revamped Settings UIs, as it's a mess of endless sub-screens
3. Allow the exporting of bookmarks in the Android version to a HTML file, as both Brave and Vivaldi offer
4. Improve the site bookmarking experience, so you can edit the URL when you click the star on the Location Bar (as Chromium browsers all allow)
5. Make it so we can disable certain Tracking Protections, like trackers, on a per-site basis, rather than the current "everything blocked, or nothing" on/off approach
6. Make "Check spelling" actually stay on, and not randomly turn-off at times
7. Improve the UI for bookmarks in the Android version: I'd prefer an Opera-style Speed Dial, where it is laid-out like a homescreen within the app, not desktop-style lists
8. Improve the "Firefox Home" screen so news stories can be dismissed easier, and entire sites (not just categories) could be blocked

Probably more I could think of, but you get the idea: there are definitely areas I wish Mozilla would focus more-on than the look of the browser

[e14]

I have to disagree here - Even though I'm of the same mind regarding the redesign as apparently everyone here, I think it's fine to try new things, just don't force it on us as if we were French geese.

Why not add an immediately documented and obvious way to switch back? There already is a "What's new" landing page with lots of available space. Could even combine it with immediate "Feedback" feature (Just ask first and anonymise?). Then they'd know how popular it is - Maybe my opinion is even wrong and the vast majority of users love the new design!

[dftf]

I agree that not all UI changes are bad, and even the changes they've made here I could easily just live-with.

But that doesn't change the fact there are clear functionality issues or user-experience improvements that really should be being prioritised over changing the look, introducing new wallpapers or yet more different designs for the "Kit" mascot.

[Doodler]

I totally agree, new UI looks really ugly. Would've switched to another browser if I couldn't revert the UI.

[verydispleased]

Why rounded corners? For 20 years the browser had rectangle - no need to change it. If you want options add options I do not want rounded tabs - waste of time of developers. Wrong, change it back or give options. With these changes Firefox makes it harder and harder to use it. You are chasing new users who wont come but pushing long time user away.

[Gena]

The update is absolute crap.

[axol]

I don't like this rounded corner design. It looks very uncomfortable and awkward. I hope the square tab design can be changed back, or at least allow us to choose.

[dftf]

Web-address bar -> about:config -> ENTER -> search for nova -> double-click the line "browser.nova.enabled" -> "true" should change to "false"

UI should get reverted, until a future Firefox update removes that setting, or stops it working

[fo]

Thank you so much! I also turned off auto updates.

[dftf]

I wouldn't recommend turning-off the updates, as there could be a security issue then that you won't get patched for.

You'd be better off downloading the "ESR" version of Firefox from https://www.firefox.com/download/all/desktop-esr/ , uninstalling your current Firefox v157.0, restart your PC, then install the ESR version.  Then you'll still get security-fixes, but you won't get the new UI for around a year.

Might be worth backing-up your passwords, bookmarks and history before doing this, just in case: Menu > Settings > Account and Synchronisation > Turn on backup (unless you're already using it).  Then if your stuff is missing after you first start the ESR version, go back to that screen and use the "Restore your data" option to bring it back in

[tmkspm]

I wish they had two branches: one for their design crap and one for security and you can subscribe to either.

The way now you either get their design crap trojan horsed with security or you reject it all and go naked security wise.

[dftf]

Technically, they do: "beta" (one version ahead), "developer edition" (two versions ahead) and "nightly" (the most aggressively up-to-date) is where they test stuff.

Once they get feedback from those versions and something seems okay, it then makes it into the stable release.  The ESR versions are for those who want change less-often.

[odintsaq]

Thanks a lot! That was an eye-saver!

[verydispleased]

Why should users hack their own browser, profiles, power users use more than one profile and hack each of them to make Firefox regular again? Such option must be in UI and change optional. not this. This is wrong.

[dftf]

I agree, but it's unlikely Firefox will revert the new UI so you have two choices:

1. Make the change I suggested in about:config

2. Download the latest 153.4.0 "ESR" release of Firefox, uninstall your current 157.0, restart your PC, then install the ESR version.  Then you won't have the new UI for around a year from now, until you get moved to a newer ESR.  Clearly that is more work though, and probably best to use the "Backup" option in Menu > Settings > Account and Synchronisation before removing 157.0 to ensure you don't lose anything in the move!

[RenoxDashin]

Not all heroes wear capes my guy. I hope you stub your toe on a winning lottery ticket or a gold bar or something.  Stay frosty mate ❤️

[LaiLaiHei]

Thank you so much. The design still looks awful (I think an UI UX school dropout designed it) but at least now the ridiculous rounding is more tolerable.

[Blah]

You absolute legend. Actually looks a Firefox browser again after following your suggestion!

[Yvonne]

I hate the rounded corner tabs that have a red outline.  It looks like there's an error on that tab.  Please go back to the current tab just being highlighted in white.

[anonymousfox]

I am really not a fan of this UI refresh. The color bars added by multi-account containers look super awkward now, but even if that were not the case, this design iteration feels much less polished than the previous one. I wish I could go back.

[dftf]

Not sure what OS you use, but assuming Windows, you could download the ESR release of Firefox from here (https://www.firefox.com/en-GB/download/all/desktop-esr/), the latest being 153.4.0, uninstall your current Firefox, then install that one.  That will then reverse the change, and I believe will get updates until next October.

You may want to check if you use any new features introduced between then (in Firefox versions 154, 155 and 156), as you'll obviously lose those in the 153 ESR, as the ESR releases only get security updates and bug-fixes after release, but rarely any new features

[ent1]

Shouldn't be on the user to have to do all that.  This is on Firefox.  The user shouldn't have to work around a horrible design force fed to us.  Firefox needs to revert this garbage ASAP.

[dftf]

Sure, but we know they're not going to, so at least what I've suggested is a viable workaround which may buy around a year of the old UI for them

[verydispleased]

They seem not to want users. I though with new management "unwise" changes would stop, unfortunately not needed changes for changes sake continue. Bad. Very bad. Joke of a changes to UI, no rounded tabs, no colorful - how to you call it, the upper  thing between web adress and the top. No. No. No. No. Waste of developer time, money, resources. If you must make such changes optional. My patience with Firefox is lower and lower by every such not needed unwise update. And I am long time user!

[Agentvirtuel]

Bonsoir

An subject 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...

[dftf]

Hi Mozilla.  In the new look in the v157.0 stable release, the "Bookmarks" in the side-panel is broken: when you switch to the "Bookmarks" section, there is no down-arrow / down-chevron to change section again:

To fix this, type about:config in the web-address bar, then press ENTER.  Accept any warning, if shown.  Type updatedb into the search box, and you should see sidebar.updatedBookmarks.enabled appear.  Double-click that line to change it from "false" to "true".  The down-arrow should then be back!

[dftf]

Apparently this is a known-issue the developers are aware of:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2076296

[JappeOdB]

Hi, can you please make the new UI optional? These rounded corners are too weird.

[dftf]

To revert it, type about:config in the web-address bar, then press ENTER
Search for nova and on the line "browser.nova.enabled", double-click it to change it to "false"

[ETEcco]

Thank you, you're a hero.

[MZconn]

Mozilla's September 2026 GUI redesign is incredibly bad and, worse yet, totally unnecessary. How did this unfortunate mistake happen?

[dftf]

Intentionally, as clearly someone had to design it, and sign off on it.

To revert it, type about:config in the web-address bar, then hit ENTER
Search for nova and on the line "browser.nova.enabled", double-click it to change it to "false"

A future Firefox version will eventually stop that setting from working though, or just remove it

[verydispleased]

Sorry to say but it seems they have way too much money, when they can spend time on not needed, bad, totally unnecessary UI changes. If changes to UI they have to be optional, that is UI 101. Please! Oh, please!

[Torcer]

Not a fan of the new UI changes. The rounded corners look off, and having a color gradient added to the default Dark Mode Theme is distractingly annoying. I cannot find how to disable the color gradient. At the very least the new changes should be it's own separate theme, and the old look could be a 'Classic' theme if you insist upon the changes.

[dftf]

In the address / location bar, type about:config
Press ENTER
Accept the warning, if shown
Search for nova in the search box
Double-click the "browser.nova.enabled" line to change it from "true" to "false"

The UI change should get reverted. In a future Firefox update, this setting will be removed, at which point reverting back from the new UI won't be possible

[tykysCZ]

thx for this, the ugly **bleep**les new UI 🤢

[coldharmonics]

This update is objectively worse, relying on thin lines which clutter the ui. Preexisting themes have been overridden, and switching back to them reveals just how difficult it can now be to tell which tab is selected. Furthermore, there's no reason to add ambiguity between tabs and buttons, a change which permeates across the browser and its settings. If you're going to keep copying other browsers, you might as well copy the right things from them.