Firefox 83.0.0 and 78.5.0 ESR released

Posted on 2020-11-18 by guenni

Mozilla[German]Mozilla's developers have released version 83.0.0 and 78.5.0 ESR of the Firefox browser on November 17, 2020. These are new development branches for the browser. Here is an overview of the new features.

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Blog-reader EP has pointed out the update in this comment (thanks for that). And I got a press release from the Mozilla people.  

Firefox 83.0.0

Firefox 83 offers performance improvements, an HTTPS-only mode, pinch-to-zoom, a new PDF viewer and improved search functionality. The Release Notes say:

  • brings improved performance due to updates of the Javascript engine SpiderMonkey (heise published this article on the topic).

    • The loading performance of web pages is now up to 15 percent better, the page responsiveness up to 12 percent. In addition, memory usage has been reduced by up to 8 percent.
    • A part of the Javascript engine has been replaced to increase security and facilitate maintenance.
  • Firefox introduces the HTTPS-only mode. This ensures that any connection Firefox makes to websites is secure and warns you if a secure connection is not possible. You can enable this feature in the Firefox settings. 
  • Pinch-to-Zoom: Firefox users can now pinch to zoom in and out on Windows touchscreens and touchpads on Mac devices.
  • Picture-in-Picture now supports keyboard shortcuts for fast forward and rewind video: Use the arrow keys to skip 15 seconds forward and backward, and volume controls. See this page of Mozilla for a list of supported commands.
  • When screens are presented during a videoconference in Firefox, users will see the improved user interface that makes it clearer which devices or screens are being shared.

The developers have improved functionality and design for a number of Firefox search features:

  • When users select a search engine at the bottom of the search panel, they now enter the search mode for that engine so they can see suggestions (if available) for the search terms. The old behavior (immediate execution of a search) is available with a toggle click.
  • When Firefox automatically completes the URL of a search engine, users can now search with that engine directly in the address bar by selecting the link in the address bar results.
  • Buttons have been added at the bottom of the search box to allow users to search their bookmarks, open tabs, and history.
  • Firefox supports AcroForm, which allows users to fill out, print, and save supported PDF forms, and the PDF viewer also has a changed look.

Users in India working with the English version of Firefox can now see Pocket recommendations in their new tab with articles from the web. The Pocket articles can be activated in a new tab. The new Firefox 83 is available for the new Apple Macs with Apple Silicone CPUs. This version 83 of Firefox is supposed to support the emulation under Apple's Rosetta 2, which comes with the MacOS Big Sur. The developers are working towards ensuring that Firefox will be compiled natively for these CPUs in a future version.

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Update to end Firefox support for Flash: On January 26, 2021 Firefox will discontinue support for Adobe Flash. Firefox is working with Adobe and other browser developers to ensure a smooth transition for everyone. Details on the timing can be found in this blog post.

Fixes and security fixes

This version of the browser also contains a number of accessibility fixes:

  • Screen reading functions that now correctly report paragraphs instead of lines in Google Docs
  • When reading words with a screen reader, words are now displayed correctly when there is punctuation nearby.
  • Arrow keys now work correctly after you press Tab in the Picture-in-Picture window.

For MacOS users restoring a session with minimized windows, Firefox now uses much less power, and this should result in much longer battery life. In version 83, the developers have closed a number of, in part critical, vulnerabilities in the browser. A list of the fixes can be found on this Mozilla page. For enterprise environments there are new group policies – details can be found here.

Firefox 78.5.0 esr

An update of Firefox 78.5.0 esr with one year long term support with the same fixed vulnerabilities was also offered. Firefox 83.0.9 and 78.5.0 esr can be downloaded from this website (the variant can be selected from the list boxes displayed). The updates are also available for direct download. 

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