Firefox has released an update for its iOS browser that offers interface improvements and a faster browsing experience.

Firefox v5.0 promises faster web page loading times combined with significant battery savings, according to the browser's development team. Mozilla claims up to a 40 percent reduction in CPU usage and up to a 30 percent reduction in memory usage, although it notes results may vary between users.

Firefox iOS
Aside from speed improvements and power savings, the main interface has seen a number of new additions. Top of the list is a new menu on the toolbar that allows for easier navigation and quick access to frequently used features – from adding a bookmark to finding text in page.

Mozilla has also tried to make tab management a less frustrating experience on smaller screens, with the introduction of a 'Close All Tabs' option and an 'Undo' option to easily recover them, as well as a simpler method of navigating open tabs.

Users can also now set their favorite site as their homepage, which can be accessed at any time via the Home button in the new main menu.

Firefox iOS
In addition, users can now search sites with a search box (Amazon, for example) using a new magnifying glass button above the keyboard.

To add a website to the list of search engines accessed from the new tool, users simply need to go to the site in question and tap on the magnifying glass.

Firefox web browser is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Rigby Avatar
94 months ago
If Firefox can demonstrably compete with Safari on the desktop and on mobile in terms of speed and battery life, I would be willing to make the switch. Until then, however, the convenience of Safari on both OS X and iOS with iCloud integration and the addition of not having to create a separate user account for shared tabs, etc. - plus the battery life issue - means that Safari wins out in my books.
True for Mac-only users. However, for those of us who want or need to use other operating systems as well, Firefox continues to be a great browser. Its ability to sync across platforms with a Firefox account, huge extension ecosystem, and focus on privacy still make it my browser of choice.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
94 months ago
In addition, users can now search sites with a search box (Amazon, for example) using a new magnifying glass button above the keyboard.

To add a website to the list of search engines accessed from the new tool, users simply need to go to the site in question and tap on the magnifying glass.
That's freaking amazing.
That's precisely the technology you need to enable a feature I came up with the other day...
I'd love to have a search box to specifically search a couple of bookmarked websites I frequently use as research databases.

I know you can set up a custom Google search, but then you still get the Google search results page and that's often much less efficient than a website's search function.

I may find the name of a game mentioned somewhere for the domain xyz.com, but it's not an article about it.
So Google may yield results that aren't relevant when the website search is optimized for what people expect to get returned.

tl;dr:
I want a combined results page for a bunch of sites using site searches.
Someone make it happen!

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yesjam Avatar
94 months ago
True for Mac-only users. However, for those of us who want or need to use other operating systems as well, Firefox continues to be a great browser. Its ability to sync across platforms with a Firefox account, huge extension ecosystem, and focus on privacy still make it my browser of choice.
I agree. Firefox is my go-to browser when I'm working on Windows (but I don't usually have to take advantage of cross-platform features when I'm on Windows so they don't affect me in the same way that they might affect others.)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djbuddha Avatar
94 months ago
I want to see if they can optimize Firefox to actually battle against Safari and Chrome on the desktop side.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
macos sonoma 4

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma With New Widget Features, Safari Updates, Screen Sharing Improvements and More

Tuesday September 26, 2023 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS 14 Sonoma, the newest version of the operating system that runs on the Mac. macOS Sonoma has been in beta testing for several months, and it is compatible with the 2019 and later iMac, the iMac Pro, the 2018 and later Mac mini, the 2018 and later MacBook Pro, the 2019 and later Mac Pro, and the Mac Studio. The ‌macOS Sonoma update can be downloaded for free on...