Firefox Quantum 59 Brings Faster Page Loading, Enhanced Privacy, Android Assist Search

Mozilla has bumped the Firefox Quantum browser’s version number to 59, rolling out the new update to Android, Windows, Linux, and Mac. With this update, Mozilla claims, Quantum is getting even faster at loading pages, has new features to block trackers, and a new functionality for the Android app which you can use to replace Google Assistant.

Itsspeed is what the Firefox Quantum sells onand in the previous update, Mozilla had introduced a two-tier mechanism to makepage loading and downloading much faster. And with this update, Mozilla hasimproved the speed of loading cached content, picking it up either from the network or users’ computer storages.

One of the major upgrades that come with this update is in terms of privacy. Firefox version 59 will nowstrip path information inHTTP referrerswhile browsing under incognito mode. This means that when you click on a link, the browser carries information about which page you were viewing before this andinforms the new website about what you were viewingon the previous page. With the latest update, all this information is blocked in incognito mode. It cannot be walled off completely as the outbound linkage is a crucial aspect of SEO.

Another addition, as earlier promised by Mozilla, is that you can completelyblock websites from seeking permissionsfor the device’s location, camera, mic. You can choose websites you trust whileblocking notificationsfor the rest of the websites. Additionally, you can modify the layout of the Firefox Homepage by dragging and dropping links to websites. Moreover, Mac users will be able to enjoy better graphics rendering, thanks toOff-Main-Thread Painting (OMTP)which was launched for Windows users in the last update.

ForAndroid users, Mozilla has extended the same referrer stripping and ability to block notifications. You can also set upAndroid Assist which launches Firefox search instead of Google Assistantwhen you long-press the home button on your smartphone. This can be handy if you don’t use Assistant on your phone. To access the feature, you can choose Firefox as your default app for “Assistant & voice input”.

Mozilla has also added acleaner look to its UI onAmazon Fire TVthat automatically pins preferred website on the top. Mozilla has also announced an Enterprise version with an increased focus on security and has also promised to launch the next version of Quantum browser in June.

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