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.

[Moe2]

I hope you add an option to get rid of the rounded tabs. The spacing is of, and it doesn't fit to the overall style of my OS. PLEASE MAKE IT AN OPTION!!!

[dftf]

To change it immediately, which will work for about two months:
URL bar -> about:config -> ENTER -> search nova -> set "browser.nova.enabled" to "false"

Longer-term, move to the business version of Firefox to avoid the new look for about a year:
https://tips.navas.us/2026/10/firefox-ui-debacle.html 

Even-longer, look into the various Firefox "forks" and see if any of those would suit you:
Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[Rajan_404]

This has got to be on of, if not THE WORST UI changes ever, NO ONE asked for more rounded corners or moving the search box up for Widgets. I made this account just to say how awful this looks.

[dftf]

Move to the business "ESR" version to undo the UI change for around a year from now:
https://tips.navas.us/2026/10/firefox-ui-debacle.html 

Or look into a Firefox "fork" and what UI they offer, such as these examples:
Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[discopunkt]

What are you waiting, make UI Design back !!!

[dftf]

Mozilla won't reverse-course on the new UI.  Use about:config to undo it for a couple of months.

Longer-term, look into the business "ESR" version that doesn't have Nova
( https://tips.navas.us/2026/10/firefox-ui-debacle.html )
or look into "forks" of Firefox, and see which commit to a UI you'd prefer
Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[HoratioFellatio]

This is my first time interacting with this community, I created an account just to post: This UI redesign is atrocious, it's so ugly.

• So much wasted space
• Why is everything rounded?
• Why are there gradients? what is this, 2004?

I have disabled nova immediately, I will continue to never use nova again.

[dftf]

You can disable it in about:config for about two months, then they will ignore that setting.
Longer-term you have two options.

1. Look into the business "ESR" version to avoid the new UI for around a year from now:
https://tips.navas.us/2026/10/firefox-ui-debacle.html 

2. Move to a "fork" of Firefox where it's the same Firefox engine, but different people control it:
Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[MotoMoto]

A mí me encanta el diseño Nova. De hecho, me costó menos acostumbrarme a él que al diseño Proton. Lo único que no me gustaron fueron los gradientes de color, ya que me parecieron demasiado vistosos y terminaron distrayéndome. Por suerte, pude solucionar esto gracias a que Mozilla mantiene el tema Proton como extensión. Sin embargo, me gustaría que el tema Proton estuviese disponible como opción en Firefox, ya que entiendo que a otras personas sí pueden gustarles los colores gradientes de Nova.

[dftf]

You can also check out all the other themes officially made by Mozilla here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/search/?promoted=line&type=statictheme 

[newredesigsucks]

new design sucks so bad that i created new account on just to **bleep** post.

[dftf]

You can install the ESR business Firefox version to undo Nova for about 12-15 months:
https://tips.navas.us/2026/10/firefox-ui-debacle.html

Or look into one of the Firefox "forks", such as:
Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[kutukvpavel]

I just got my tabs rounded with a ridiculous corner radius! You may call excessive rounding "a clearer interface", but I call it nonsense.

Please, STOP CHANGING MY UI EVERY YEAR! It's unnecessary, it's annoying and it breaks my muscle memory. And I get really, really pissed off when someone breaks my muscle memory.

Oh, and also... STOP ROUNDING EVERY CORNER! My screen is not your designer's free real estate.

For now I'll use about:config to revert this nonsensical nova theme. BUT. If you decide to continue to push rounded corners on me, then bye-bye, I'm switching browsers.

[dftf]

Longer-term, consider a move to "Firefox ESR" to undo the Nova change for about a year:
https://tips.navas.us/2026/10/firefox-ui-debacle.html

 And look into these "forks" of Firefox and see if any commit to using a UI you'd prefer:
Basilisk • Floorp • Librewolf • Pale Moon • Waterfox

[Menaan]

How did such a terrible change make it all the way to production?

This has got to be one of the worse UI changes I've seen since Windows 8 start menu.

This seriously needs to be an optional thing to enable, at least on updates. Turning it off definitely should not be buried in an about:config, it should be a prominent option in settings.

I'm sorry to whoever spent time on this and actually thought this was a good looking change. But you really need to better understand your user base and design the UI to fit it's usage and not simply trying to make a big change for the sake of change.

Firefox is officially no longer my primary browser now. Even though I can disable this, this just makes too many times in recent updates that very poor decisions have been made like this. I can no longer rely on firefox be a simple, straightforward, and good browser.

[dftf]

I understand you can move to something called "ESR Firefox" to undo Nova for about a year:
https://tips.navas.us/2026/10/firefox-ui-debacle.html 

[BruceLeeroy]

What the heck is going on?? Why was I forced into this repulsively ugly gui? I just searched settings, and I cannot find any option to revert to the original. I know Firefox has been slowly going downhill; but now it seems they've officially taken the plunge into "F*** all of you, we're treating you like children" territory. I don't get it. And why can't I turn off updates? I don't want to "download but not install." I don't want to auto-update. I just want a stable system that works well without jumping through a ton of hoops or becoming a tech support specialist to modify the system. We haven't had that with Firefox for a good 5-7 years now.

Yesterday I spent FIVE HOURS with MS tech support because their forced Windows update broke my system, and they could fix nothing. They are totally useless. I've grown to expect that kind of thing from MS; we know that they have a seeming disdain for their actual users. But Firefox too? This is depressing.

And yes, I know that this is partially subjective, but it's an objective fact that a gray-orange-red gradient background is more distracting than a solid color background. And a brightly colored gradient circle outlining the title is more distracting that just a regular tab. AND there's no longer anything geometrically connecting the circle to the tab I'm on, so it's actually harder to tell what tab I'm using at a glance. I rarely have fewer than 20 tabs open, so now there's often no way at all for me to know what tab I'm on unless I scroll and search. AND the stupid circle hides text in the title, which makes it harder to read.

The only good news I can think of is that this forced me to get a Mozilla account so I can complain. It's my first time on a forum yay!

If someone can point me to a setting that I can uncheck to restore a GUI that actually makes sense, I'll eat my words, offer a formal apology, and commit Seppuku.

[BruceLeeroy]

Thanks for this info to disable the barbie-land update: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/the-new-firefox-design-lands-in-today-this-is-what-you-ca... 

Now I can die happy. Goodbye cruel world 🙂

[dftf]

To uninstall a recent Windows update:
In the Start Menu search for Control Panel, and open it
Click "Programs and Features" or "Uninstall a program"
Click "View installed updates"
Scroll down to the "Microsoft Windows" blue header line section
From there, click the most-recent update and look for "Uninstall" on the toolbar

You can also try to repair Windows.  Search for Command Prompt in the Start Menu,
right-click it and choose "Run as administrator" and then type
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
then press ENTER.  When that finishes, type
SFC /SCANNOW
then press ENTER.

If either report they found issues, but couldn't fix them, restart your PC, then run
both commands again.  Repeat until both say there are no issues found.

[BruceLeeroy]

Thanks for trying, but these no longer work. When I click "View installed updates," Windows now opens settings to the homepage. If I click "Windows Update" from settings, nothing happens. (Literally nothing; it's just a dead button.)

Scannow also returns nothing, even after 20-30 minutes of scanning. Repairing the system using "Media Creation Tool" repairs nothing, even after literally 90 minutes of waiting for it to reinstall Windows.

Do you know if it's possible to reinstall a pre-26H2 version of Windows? MS told me it's impossible, but I find that hard to believe. I'd probably have to wipe my entire system though.

But I do appreciate the tips!

[JNavas]

Use Built-in Windows Update Repair

1. Open Settings (Win + I) and go to System > Recovery.
2. Click Reinstall Now under the Fix problems using Windows Update section.
3. Allow the system to reinstall and repair Windows update binaries (this will not remove your apps or files).
4. Restart your PC and attempt to update again.

[JNavas]

Microsoft Adds Alternate Way to Download and Install Windows 11 26H2 Easily - Neowin
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-adds-alternate-way-to-download-and-install-windows-11-26h2-eas...

[dftf]

The commands I mentioned (DISM and SFC) are both fully-supported in 26H2, so if they aren't working either your Windows install must be so-corrupt to the point they cannot run.

Instead, try a reset of your PC.

Start > ⚙ Settings > System > Recovery

Then try one of the following:

Fix problems using Windows Update
Reset this PC

⚠ When choosing the latter, be sure to pick "Keep my files" when asked!

[ZwolfFarben]

I do not like the new visual update. In particular, I want the tabs' old look back.

I don't like floaty bubbles wit rounded corners: I do not like the fact that inactive tabs aren't visually differenciated from each other aren't. It is worse at communicating information and offends my personal taste.

I prefer tabs be big chonky boxes grounded to the 'tab-box floor' like cascaded labels on a stack of manilla folders. Please, give me back my big chonky boxes grounded to the tab-box floor like cascaded labels on a stack of manilla folders.

[dftf]

To reverse most of the recent change:
URL bar -> about:config -> ENTER -> accept warning -> search nova ->
double-click line "browser.nova.enabled" to change to "false"

You can also install the previous theme here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/firefox-proton/ 

⚠ The ability to reverse Nova may end in Firefox v161, expected Nov 24, 2026

[dftf]

Only just noticed this... have the Firefox team really tagged their own post here (the main "The new Firefox design lands in today. This is what you can expect") with a tag called "terrible ideas"? Seriously? 🙃

[cadwellm]

HAH! I didn't catch that! Good eyes on you.

Makes one wonder about it...doesn't it.

[Apollo_01]

I really do respect your efforts to give Firefox a modern design.

And at first glance, I liked Nova too.

But ultimately, it’s unfortunately a bit of a miss. Packing everything into these rounded boxes and opting for softer shapes simply makes everything much harder to read and recognise.

Overall, it looks lower in contrast and is therefore harder to parse. And those colour gradients in the default themes initially made me think there was something wrong with my monitor, because one corner suddenly looked so dark.

I think it would make more sense to make the look clearer and cleaner rather than more playful.

[wasdQE]

I like a boring but functional design, for a browser is a tool in my eyes. I agree, that the new design misses that target

[wasdQE]

1. Why the new design, who asked?? 
2. I don't care about a new design if its optional and I can keep the old one. I WANT my browser to look boring, it's a tool. I don't want fancy distracting colors.

[wasdQE]

1. Why, seriously, who asked for this??
3. I don't care if you make a new design, as long as you keep it optional. If you take away my option to revert to a more simpler design, I will change browsers. I WANT my browser to look boring for its a tool and it doesn't need distracting colors or anything. I find the new design just overwhelming tbh.

[dftf]

To revert the change for now:
URL bar -> about:config -> accept warning, if shown -> search for nova ->
change "browser.nova.enabled" to "false"

[eyilmazz]

We just want something simple and fast, yet we keep getting useless features; we don't want to switch to buttons with rounded corners that are much harder to click when there are many tabs open.

[cadwellm]

I just went to the ESR version and now I'm happy. Won't have to worry about FireFox crap for awhile.

[EmmaShev]

is there a portable vesion of ESR somewhere?

[dftf]

A website called PortableApps makes their own portable version.

The latest one can be downloaded here (click "Mozilla Firefox ESR, Portable Edition 153.4.0"):
https://sourceforge.net/projects/portableapps/files/Mozilla%20Firefox%2C%20Portable%20Ed./

Obviously you're trusting a third-party then not to have altered anything.  I'd recommend after downloading it, upload it to www.virustotal.com and do a scan of it before running it.

[jgrnt1]

I'm sorry, but ranting doesn't help anyone. It puts everyone on the defensive and hinders real conversation and progress. Rather than ranting about the rounded ends of the address and search boxes, I'd like to look at this from a functional UI standpoint. A text box is just that, a box. When I see rounded ends, I see a clickable button, not a place for text entry. Whenever I want to search something, I look at the top right of my browser for search entry and now I keep missing it, because the rounded ends instantly tell my mind I'm looking at a clickable button, rather than the search box. MS Edge uses a similar rounded ends text entry box, but their tabs are still actual tabs. Disabling Nova helps. 

[leojth]

In dark mode, the active tab is also black, which not signals "active" to me. Very confusing if only a few tabs are open.

[EmmaShev]

Oh gosh this new design looks so bad. Looks like something from the 2010s. It's so ugly

[dftf]

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

You can also install the previous theme here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/firefox-proton/ 

⚠ The ability to reverse Nova may end in Firefox v161, expected Nov 24, 2026