Mozilla Releases Firefox 157: Visual Redesign and More Power-Efficient Video Calls

Mozilla launched the stable version of its Firefox 157 browser on September 28. The update features a substantial interface redesign, internally known as Project Nova, which the company describes as the most significant visual overhaul of the browser in years.

The redesigned interface unifies tabs, toolbars, menus, panels, and icons, aiming to reduce visual clutter and provide a cleaner, softer user experience. New tab designs are more rounded, with subtle gradients and highlights for the active tab. Menus and settings windows also incorporate more rounded elements, and icons have been re-engineered for better consistency across light and dark themes.

Mozilla stated that Project Nova's design goals are to make Firefox "cleaner, warmer, faster, and more adaptable." Core functionalities and user workflows remain unchanged, ensuring users do not need to relearn the browser's basic operations. Enhancements have been made to multi-tab management, including easier access to tab grouping and simplified workflows for vertical tabs and split views. The browser also reverts to a compact mode, minimizing interface controls to maximize screen real estate for web content.

In terms of performance, Firefox 157 adds support for hardware-accelerated AV1 decoding for WebRTC video calls. This feature can reduce CPU load on compatible hardware, potentially lowering power consumption and heat generation during calls. The update also addresses issues with washed-out colors in some 8-bit HDR video playback and improves audio-video synchronization when playback speed is adjusted.