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.

[cephirosx]

Same here I refuse to use edge or chrome, at first I tried if I'll get used to the new design but I folded a day after by turning off nova on about:config

[dftf]

Address bar -> about:config -> ENTER -> accept warning -> search nova -> double-click the line "browser.nova.enabled" -> should say "false" after.  That will undo most of the new changes.

You may also wish to recommending your IT team there move to the "ESR" release of Firefox (https://www.firefox.com/download/all/desktop-esr/), as that gets security fixes and bug fixes, but no UI changes and rarely any new features between major updates, which are around a year apart

[Anonymous]

It's nice, but you can no longer quickly switch between bookmarks and history when the bookmarks sidebar is open. You used to be able to do this quickly using a small arrow—a feature I used ALL the time. That option is still there if you open the history first and want to switch to bookmarks.

[dftf]

This is a known-bug in the 157.0 release, yes

To fix it right now, follow these steps:

1. In the web-address bar type about:config
2. Accept any warning, if shown
3. Search for updatedb
4. Double-click the line "sidebar.updatedBookmarks.enabled" to set the value to "true"

The down-arrow should then return

[MrPope]

Restore old sidebar setup about:config sidebar.revamp. =false

[Tenzian]

It's disgusting. Make it stop.

[dftf]

To stop it right now:

Type about:config in the web-address bar, then press ENTER
Accept any warning, if shown
Type nova in the search-box on the next screen
Find the row with "browser.nova.enabled" in it, and double-click it so it says "false" after

That should undo most of the changes

[itisi]

Thanks for offering one place to let our voices be heard.

Apparently, I am not the only one who is not happy with the rounded tabs (and more). Sometimes, we just have to get used to something new; sometimes, the "new" is so obtrusive we that have to go look for alternatives... I LOVE Firefox and I don't want to look for alternatives, but if Firefox decides to take away the option to revert from Firefox 157 back to it's wonderful 156 look (with square tabs), I'm afraid I'll have to look further.

In other words: please please please do not remove the about:config option to restore the Firefox 156 look (search for browser.nova.enabled, and set it to false).

Many thanks!

[bordeauxrouge]

for non native english speakers, your YT is hard to understand, try articulating more, please

[dftf]

They appear to have disabled YouTube's auto-dub feature on the video, too.

You can change the subtitle language to your own one though, if that helps.  Use the ⚙ icon that appears at the top of the video when you hover over it

[anotherBob]

My first step after loading up FireFox after this update was to immediately look up how to disable this new UI change. It was quite a visceral feeling.

I am reminded of a story about the New Coke debacle from years ago. I am not sure how accurate it is, it may have well been one of those urban myth things that has stuck with me for awhile. But the gist of it was that Coke got a set of stats that showed more people preferred the taste of Pepsi. So, they tried to make their Coke taste more like Pepsi. The problem was that the interpretation of that stats like that meant that they ruined their flavor for the smaller portion of people who absolutely loved it and then didn't really draw in people who liked Pepsi since they like Pepsi. I am afraid that this is the same kind of avenue that is being approached here and it is not going to go well. Chasing UI decisions because other people may like that kind of UI in other browsers does not mean that the people who like your browser already are going to like those UI decisions.

More constructively, if you are going to be pushing UI updates, you need to make sure that you are checking the boxes for accessibility at the very least. Messing with element sizes, functionalities, and color schemes can mess with accessibility for persons with issues like color-blindness, a sensitivity to the high contrast, a dependency on very high contrast, persons who may have issues with interacting with controls due to size, and so on. I don't like the new layout, but even if I did, I am very doubtful that the necessary accessibility considerations were taken. It doesn't alleviate that to have more themes, since an user that has accessibility requirements is still going to have difficulty navigating now to implement a new theme.

Additionally, I am very tired of getting the feature highlights all the time. It seems the only use of those anymore is to have an idea of the vernacular I need to search for in order to disable some new 'feature'. I get more excited anymore when I open of Firefox and don't see a "What's New" page, or a random pop-up that says Firefox can now do X, Y, or Z. It has been so long since any of it seemed applicable to anything I use Firefox for that I just close out of it instantly without hardly a glance.

I love Firefox and continue to do so, but this direction lately ain't it chief. I do not like my tabs looking like pills. I do not like the shading effect. I do not like that it affects the color palette for highlighted items when I went to change the item in the about:config page. I resent that I had to go to about:config to revert this, and more resentful that this communication seems to indicate that Firefox is leaning towards removing the about:config option to revert it in the future.

Before this, I was definitely a Firefox person. Now I am not sure. I'm not lost as an user yet, but if you are bent on this direction as a company I don't know how much longer I am going to be interested in using Firefox.

[DiamondTiki]

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@anotherBob wrote:

Additionally, I am very tired of getting the feature highlights all the time. It seems the only use of those anymore is to have an idea of the vernacular I need to search for in order to disable some new 'feature'. I get more excited anymore when I open of Firefox and don't see a "What's New" page, or a random pop-up that says Firefox can now do X, Y, or Z. It has been so long since any of it seemed applicable to anything I use Firefox for that I just close out of it instantly without hardly a glance.

---

**bleep**, this exactly. With every one of the last few updates, the "What's new" page popping up causes more and more dread in me, and then at best functions as an outline to find out what I need to change/look up/break. It's so tiring. Software didn't use to be this mentally exhausting to deal with.

---

@anotherBob wrote:

I resent that I had to go to about:config to revert this, and more resentful that this communication seems to indicate that Firefox is leaning towards removing the about:config option to revert it in the future.

Before this, I was definitely a Firefox person. Now I am not sure. I'm not lost as an user yet, but if you are bent on this direction as a company I don't know how much longer I am going to be interested in using Firefox.

---

This, too. "Resent" is exactly the word. I've just spent, like, an hour out of my Saturday - after being flashbanged by an ugly, inaccessible, reduced-functionality UI update - looking up how to reverse the update (thanks, dftf), then creating a whole new account for this forum, and adding kudos to posts and replies. All to hopefully make this feedback clearer and not have this clearly worse-at-being-UI design permanently forced on to my browser in the future.

It's - again - so tiring. 

[Reaver]

The combination of Multi-Account Containers and Vertical Tabs was probably not tested I'm guessing? It looks so bad it's downright unusable.

[Seraphim]

the top bar is so small now i can barely read it this is horrible that this is forced

[dftf]

It's only forced to the extend they don't provide an easy way in the settings to turn it off

Go into the hidden-settings (type about:config in the URL bar, then press ENTER) and search for nova then double-click "browser.nova.enabled" to set it to "false".  That'll undo most of it

[Kayayayaya]

Ugly, horrible design. Having gradients on everything looks cheap and ugly. The round corners are a horrible plague on society and have ruined plenty of other applications and websites. Presenting an alternative skin with obviously more squared options only for it to still be the ugly circles is a slap in the face.


Why does Mozilla hate it's users so much? Why do you keep making these terrible changes no one asked for? Your data collection model is horrible because, like any sane person should, I have mine disabled and you will never collect my usage data. Take time to actually ask your community instead of relying on the anonymous data collected from the idiots who don't read anything  and just leave all of their options set to default.

[dftf]

If you haven't already, you can undo many of the new UI changes by going to about:config (type that in the address-bar, then hit ENTER), then search for nova and set "browser.nova.enabled" to "false"

[Kayayayaya]

I have, thanks to you in other comments.

[Bobomatic]

The way I wish people would "fixing" things that are NOT broken. There was ZERO reason to change icons and the way things look such as application menu. Now it's smaller and harder to see! YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT IT ALONE. wth. 

[dftf]

If by "application menu" you mean the main Firefox menu (when you tap the three-lines icon) you can likely increase this by right-clicking a blank area of the toolbar -> Customise toolbar... -> change "Density" at the bottom to something like "Normal" or "Touch"

[LukasDorian]

Yei, no my Firefox looks like Edge but worse

[Tykero]

I installed Waterfox and found the simple settings option to change between Nova, Proton, and Photon styles. Why do I have to install a fork to get simple and functional interface customization? Going back to Photon style has also made it abundantly clear how superior that interface is from a comfort and visual clarity standpoint. 

How embarrassing that Firefox cannot manage this kind of option. Your "commitment" to user control/customization are a complete lie. Otherwise, you would not force change your users' interface for zero material benefit to them and zero consideration for their preferences. Did you seriously not anticipate this issue, or do you just not care? The only two possibilities are incompetence or indifference. 

[Kayayayaya]

100% this should have been added as an option and not as the default. Browsers should be boring and unobtrusive with the option to make them as obnoxious-looking as your heart desires.

[anotherBob]

I took a look at it and did not realize how much I missed Photon 😅

Seriously miss that. It felt much more aesthetically pleasing to me.

[ezokiller]

I really dislike the new rounded UI in Firefox 157, especially the tabs and address bar. Please keep a permanent option to disable Nova styling or provide a simple setting for corner radius.

I have used Firefox for years, but if the current workaround is removed and maintaining custom userChrome.css becomes necessary just to keep a normal-looking interface, this redesign would seriously make me consider switching browsers.

[FireFoxBlowsNow]

Do you all plan on NOT messing it up for users moving forward? 

[mmesh]

The circular highlight feature of the active tab is awesome! Quick view looking at the tabs takes your view right to the highlighted circle. Good move with this one!

[dftf]

Yeah, but you can achieve that under the previous UI by using a theme that does that:

Theme:

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/matte-black-orange/

[SunDancer]

I registered here just to say: Nova is the ugliest thing ever. It really is. If any future update forces me to use that I will switch browser and I've been a FF user for almost 20 years. Do not force UI Changes on people. Make them optional. Gods I'm angry. 

[AndrewAnderson]

Round corners are a waste of space, that is why you don't have them in e.g. your home, your monitor or in books

The  forced purple that is strongly connected to "Woke" and very bad PC games (That ALL and I mean ALL where NOT financially sucessfull). 

You do you, Go woke go broke !

[Kiirani]

You broke the entire basic design language of tabs?  By disconnecting the active tab from the bottom of the tab bar?  Why?? I've been trained for TWENTY TWO YEARS of browser interfaces what an open tab looks like why would you break that.  WHY.

[Nick8]

Very much not a fan. Obnoxious is the word the comes to mind.

Everything being rounded just eats space for no reason, the new dark theme is garrish, and other visual changes are all trying to grab attention. The whole point of a web browser is to deliver web content, not distract from it.

[mxjp]

I personally liked firefox for having a neutral appearance and not getting in my way with distracting colors and useless shapes that look completely out of touch.

Please make the new design opt-in. I feel like an idiot to all the people I have ever recommended firefox.

At least add an option in the settings UI to go back to the good design...

[tiva]

looks nice, thanks (:

[david_ma_rozum]

One word. Ugly

[TexanTom]

Plex did something like this recently....changing so many things at once "for the better" and the clamoring started day one.  They assured their users in the feedback pages that it's for the improvement of useability, for a better experience.  Users didn't let up.  And what they DID without actually admitting their giant FU was put things back almost exactly as they were before.  VERY little of the "improvements" remain.

And here we have Nova....

[ozzyrys]

This is THE WORST visual change I can recall ever.. Thankfully this "nova" can be disabled for now. Once about:config tweak stops working I'll be forced to abandon Firefox after like 20 years of use and this is truly terrible news because literally everything else is chromium. This is depressing.

[FoxyFirey]

Hello, the redesign is hideous.

Tabs now look like some sort of radio button UI rather than like folder tabs which is what this UI concept is supposed to resemble. Chrome sets a great example for tab look & feel so I don't know how you all got it this wrong. It's not like this a new concept. It looks especially bad for favicons that are square as there is so little whitespace.

Similarly, the gradient that the menu has is distracting and not serious. It should look like other software on the platform and follow a common theme.

If I hit alt the menu has a huge block of whitespace under it for unknown reasons, and a misclick in that region (the text is now tiny) hides the menu, again for unknown reasons. It also uses a different selection highlight than the hamburger menu. Was any of this tested?

There's no shame in realizing that an attempted UI refresh failed and scrapping it before it reaches end-users, it happens. There is quite a lot of shame in releasing it anyway and with no opt-out, though. This isn't just a failure of the employees tasked with creating the UI refresh, it is a failure of the entire review process that led to me having to write this. Please review your team structure.

[citrusblast]

The new *unchangeable* UI reminds me of when websites and fonts started going bubbly; web 2.0, tons of wasted space. Rounded edges, vaporwave colors, and no option to change things back (but you can choose other vaporwave flavors!). I don't want to have to install an addon just to undo design choices. Please revert Firefox to the functional, no-nonsense browser I've used for over a decade.

[AstrobotNautics]

See dftf's replies further up, or this thread here:
https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/bring-back-rectangular-tabs/m-p/140846#M57393

This disables it without add ons. 

URL= about:config, search for nova, set "browser.nova.enabled" double-click to "false"