Mozilla will release Firefox 99.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux later today. Mozilla Firefox 99 is a small update with minor improvements to Linux, Reader Mode, and the PDF browser, mostly in preparation for the arrival of version 100. Here are the changes this release brings in terms of new features, improvements, and bug fixes:
What’s new in Firefox 99?
- The Firefox browser now allows the keyboard shortcut “n” to switch narratives in reading mode.
- Mozilla has added support for search in PDF browsers — with or without umlauts.
- The update strengthens the Linux sandbox: processes exposed to network content can no longer access the X-Window System (X11).
- Credit card autofill is now supported in Germany and France.
- The update addresses various security issues as usual. If you’re using Zoom, Mozilla didn’t fix the “showing video in the gallery doesn’t always work” issue in this release.
What problems does Firefox 99 solve with older versions?
An unresolved issue when running Zoom was fixed in version 99. “Gallery mode in the Zoom web client is now accessible in Firefox 99. The display of videos does not always work with breakout rooms in the gallery. When a user of the Zoom web client enters a breakout room, the user’s views and Participants’ views may not appear.” This workaround requires the user to upgrade their browser and leave and re-enter the breakout room first.
How to get Firefox 99
Firefox 99 can be downloaded via FTP:
Updates and release notes for the Firefox browser will also go live for users once Mozilla announces the release via a blog post. You can then download from the Firefox website or upgrade by manually checking for updates using the built-in updater in Firefox.
Google has released Chrome 100, and Mozilla will release Firefox 100 on May 3. Aside from the triple-digit version that could ruin the presentation of some sites, the company has some existing features planned.
Picture-in-picture mode supports Youtube, Prime and Netflix video subtitles and descriptions. Picture-in-picture also supports video subtitles for websites using the WebVTT format. Mozilla has enabled hardware-accelerated AV1 video decoding on Windows. The update also allows users to choose their preferred color scheme for the site. And, as we’ve reported, Firefox on Windows 7 requires Windows Update KB4474419 to install successfully.