Firefox 153 adds containers, HDR video on Windows, PDF merging, and JPEG XL image support
Mozilla has released Firefox 153, delivering a range of updates for desktop and mobile users. With this version, Windows users gain High Dynamic Range (HDR) video playback, provided their display supports HDR mode, not just HDR video streaming. PDF handling receives a major enhancement, as users can now merge multiple PDFs by dragging files into the PDF sidebar and add images as new pages using the built-in editor.
This update also previews containers, a feature that allows users to keep separate parts of their online lives in distinct browser tabs for work, shopping, personal, banking… Each container isolates cookies and ad tracking, integrating the functionality of the Multi-Account Containers extension directly into Firefox.
Following these core changes, users can share any web page via a QR code, pick and copy colors directly from the address bar using a quick action, and notice the location permission icon highlighted in red whenever a site gains access. The release also adds support for Apple's system-wide full-screen keyboard command and now verifies Qualified Website Authentication Certificates (QWACs) to support eIDAS regulations.
Additional enhancements include improved video overlay action access, experimental JPEG XL image format support, and Smart Window upgrades with selectable AI models. For mobile users, this release brings organized tab groups on Android, and Quick Answers that enable voice queries with concise responses on iOS.
- Web Browser
- Free
- Open Source
Related news
External links
- Firefox 153.0, See All New Features, Updates and FixesMozilla • Official source
- Firefox Containers PreviewMozilla • Official source
- Firefox Tab Groups for AndroidMozilla • Official source
- Firefox Quick Answers: Voice-powered answers for iOSMozilla • Official source
- Firefox 153 Available With Support For Vulkan Video Decoding, Experimental JPEG-XLPhoronix
- Firefox 153 enables container tabs, GTK rounded corners + moreOMG! Ubuntu
Comments
There will be a point where we are just going to stop caring about every new release of Chrome, and Firefox since they are doing such a rapid release. I am about switch my channel (snapcraft app) to ESR.
This is starting to get frustrating, not even a month went by and here we have our second confusing article. First was Microsoft boasting about WSL containers on June 29th and I shit you not this is a direct quote "we introduced WSL containers, bringing Linux container development directly into Windows through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)." WSL is software for making Linux containers and we had that for damn near a decade, opening with this nonesense was not at all helpful although later the blog did clarify the integrations that were being added. Now lets move onto Firefox admittedly a much more infuriating read because (unlike Microsoft) they don't explain what is new AT ALL! We've had containers for idk how long because I never used to use Gecko based browsers but I do remember being slightly intrigued a while back (despite not using the feature). There is one source (ZDNET) from Jan 2023 showing how you can enable and use the feature without the extension, however it has been enabled by default for a good while now. So what does Firefox 153 bring with containers? Who knows! Mozilla certainly isn't telling us. Sorry I had to get that off my chest.
Previously containers in Firefox required an about:config tweak, apparently used to be an experimental feature. And now it's enabled by default