Everything You Need to Know About Firefox

One of the most well-known Chrome alternatives, Firefox has been around since 2004. It was created by the Mozilla Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to making a better internet. At the time of writing, Firefox is on its 100th release. For this article, I will be using Firefox 100.0. I will show you how to set up the browser, give an overview of its features, and compare it to other browsers. I will also grade the browser in several categories, including privacy. For privacy grades of other browsers, see my article on browser privacy.

Setup

Before you start using Firefox, you will need to set it up. The first step is to install the browser. Go to Mozilla's website (use the link in the introduction) and click 'Download Firefox'. Open the DMG file and move Firefox into your applications folder. Once the app copies over, delete the DMG and open the browser. In the 'Welcome to Firefox' tab, import your bookmarks and chose a theme. When you are done, open settings. In the Home section, disable Pocket if you don't want it to see your browsing history. You will lose news functionality on the homepage, though.

Next, go into Search and set your default search engine. I recommend DuckDuckGo. If your preferred engine is not on the list, search the add-ons library for their extension.

Now it is time to set up Firefox's tracker protections. Set it to 'Strict', or use a custom setting to control what gets blocked. Scroll down to 'Firefox Data Collection' and disable everything. Also enable 'HTTPS only' mode to secure your internet traffic.

Your Firefox browser is now set up and ready to use. But what sets it apart from other browsers?

Overview

Firefox is very unique among browsers. For starters, it is not a fork of any other browser. In fact, it forms the basis for many other browsers. It offers a variety of unique features, although some of them (like Pocket) require unwanted data collection. One unique feature is Firefox's interface. Its floating tabs, minimalistic homepage, and sleek look make it a good choice for people who are tired of cluttered interfaces. It also has a built-in reader, which simplifies websites for ease of reading and can also read the website's text aloud. Like most browsers, Firefox has built-in tracking protection, which blocks many types of trackers. It is not as strong as Brave's blocker, but it is pretty good overall, and is comparable to Vivaldi's protections.

Firefox's screen reader.

Firefox is a little lacking in the features department. Like DuckDuckGo, it does not have tab groups. However, Firefox has some features not found in other major browsers, like its screen reader. It is powerful enough to meet most people's browsing needs. Firefox also has a large library of extensions and themes, so you can customize your browser with added functionality. Overall, Firefox is a solid browser, and a good choice when switching away from Chrome.

Browser Grade

Firefox is a good browser, but how does it compare to other browsers? Use these grades to compare Firefox with other browser reviews on this site.

While Firefox does collect some data, almost all data collection can be opted out of, or is linked to a feature that can be disabled without impeding function. The rest of this data collection is data that Firefox needs in order to provide useful services, and is deleted after Firefox is done using it. Firefox has a good tracker blocker, which performed well when stacked up against other browsers. When tested on safety.google, Firefox blocked 5 trackers, while Vivaldi and Brave both blocked 1. It also does well in comparison to privacy extensions. On the same site, Startpage's privacy extension blocked 4 trackers and 10 cookies. Update 09.26.2023: Browser Privacy grade was demoted from A to C after I learned that Firefox uses Google Analytics and other telemetry services in the browser.

Privacy: C

Browsers are graded by how good their tracker blockers are, support for FLoC, malware/nefarious script blocking, and collection of user data.

Interface: A+

Browsers are graded on the quality of their interface. Interfaces should be easy to use and should look good.

The Firefox browser has a very good interface. The tab bar has (in my opinion) the best look of any browser. The new tab page has a good layout, with plenty of customizability and content displays. It can't have a background image, but there are plenty of add-ons for that.

While it lacks tab groups and casting functionality, Firefox has many useful features. Its bookmark bar is the same as that of Chromium browsers. In addition, Firefox has a screen reader; something most browsers lack. It also has a feature called Pocket, which suggests articles and can also be used as a reading list. However, Pocket requires some data collection, though Firefox has good data handling practices.

Features: B+

Browsers are graded on the presence of several useful features (tab bar, tab groups, bookmarks), as well as customizability and extra features that the browser has.

Overall Grade: B-

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