Firefox 81 is here – Mozilla has developed a brand new theme for Firefox called “Alpenglow”, the latest version of which is firmly integrated into the browser. It looks classy and is an excellent addition to the existing designs. There are, of course, more innovations in Firefox, for example, around PDF as well as in the control of videos and music.
Firefox looks the same on many systems. So far, users have had the choice of three built-in themes for the browser in terms of optics. There was also a light and a dark theme to integrate Firefox more nicely in light or dark mode in addition to the standard look. That changes with the new Firefox 81. The browser brings a fourth theme with Firefox Alpenglow, and that is brightly colored.
We have already downloaded the new Firefox from the Mozilla FTP servers. Automatic distribution is scheduled to begin Tuesday, September 22nd Experience has shown that the auto-updates then arrive at users over the course of the week. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can download it here.
New theme for Firefox
Mozilla wants to improve the so-called onboarding for new users. If the browser is reinstalled, you will end up on a new welcome screen since version 80, allowing users to set up Firefox very clearly in just a few steps.
One of these steps is choosing a theme. So far, in addition to the standard theme (selection Automatic), there was also the option of setting light and dark look. Firefox 81 adds a fourth option with Firefox Alpenglow, a chic, colorful theme that spices up Firefox.
It can also be activated in the settings under “Add-ons” and disconnected again if you do not like it.
News around PDF and media control
Viewing PDF files in Firefox has, of course, been a standard feature for a long time. But Firefox can now also be set as the standard PDF viewer under Windows. So it fits well that with Firefox 81, the interface of the integrated PDF reader gets the new Photon look.
In the beta test of Firefox 81, you could also marvel at a new print preview. Instead of a pop-up window, the detailed settings for printing were displayed in a sidebar. Unfortunately, this feature did not make it into the final version.
Other new features in Firefox 81:
- Scroll faster: Scrolling with the mouse wheel is said to have been accelerated in Firefox 81 so that it catches up with other browsers again.
- Turbo for more systems: WebRender graphics acceleration is now activated on more notebooks.
- Support for hardware buttons: Media control via hardware buttons on keyboards and headsets comes with Firefox 81.
- Video optimizations: Firefox 81 wants to improve video playback and AV sync, especially for Mac users.
- Better Video Meetings: Improvements in WebRTC aim to enhance video conferencing with Jitsi Meet.
