Mozilla’s Accelerating Rhythm
Firefox launches are about to speed up significantly – with the exception of the ESR versions, which will remain annual, with the next one coming soon. This update was shared last week on the dev-platform@mozilla.org mailing list by Mozilla’s engineering director Sylvestre Ledru: “We’re planning to transition Firefox Desktop and Android from a 4-week release schedule to a 2-week release schedule starting in September 2026. “This is purely an experiment… It doesn’t imply that all developments need to release at twice the pace. Features will still have the time they require to mature. “The current aim is to launch Firefox 155 on September 1, 2026, instead of September 15 … “We’ll monitor the situation closely and adjust if necessary.” The update is now reflected in the upcoming Firefox Release Calendar. Currently, it displays the ongoing four-week cycle for Firefox 153 and 154, with Firefox 155 advanced to September 1. After that, it’s all about the two-week spree.
Not Their First Attempt
This isn’t the first occasion Mozilla has attempted this approach. The last time they tried it was ages ago. Google initiated a comparable change for Chrome back in March, and GadgetLad reported when they transitioned to six-week releases in 2010 and then four-week releases in 2021. Everyone’s in a race, aren’t they?
Get Ready for the Next ESR
Meanwhile, Firefox 153 is just around the corner: it’s currently scheduled for Tuesday, July 21. Right now, the release notes are as empty as my expression when someone mentions NFTs, but the beta release notes contain a bit more information. Anticipate additional features for PDF editing. Version 153 allows you to combine multiple PDF documents effortlessly with a drag-and-drop in the PDF sidebar and add images to PDFs as new pages. It also enhances text highlighting in PDFs.
QR Codes and Security Adjustments
The new version can generate QR codes for offline page-sharing, much like on paper. It can verify and showcase the EU’s stylish new Qualified Website Authentication Certificates, or QWACs for short. This is part of the new eIDAS regulation, which sounds too much like a sketchy exam board acronym, but if it helps tame the untamed Web a bit, count me in. Another security adjustment is that extensions will lose their local-file access by default. We utilize one that depends on it – the impressive Multithreaded Download Manager – so that’s a bit concerning, but users can grant permissions individually, so we shall see.
Tracking Your Activities
If a tab is accessing your location, Firefox 153 will display a map-pin icon in the address bar. The previous release could detect certain keywords in the address bar to mute any sound: this feature gets enhanced with typed commands for selecting colors from pages and accessing experimental “Labs” options. Come back, Ubuntu Unity and your HUD, all is forgiven.
JPEG XL, HDR Videos, and More
There’s experimental support for JPEG XL. pop-up video player controls will function better, and if you’re on Windows with a compatible GPU and drivers, 153 will support HDR video playback. On macOS, Firefox supports the Fn+F keystroke for full-screen mode – which means KeyboardControls.com needs a little bit of an update.
The Enduring ESR
Firefox 153 will also be a crucial release, as it will be the next ESR version: it will receive security updates for at least 15 months, until late 2027. (And possibly longer: Firefox 115 continues to receive updates until March 2027.) That indicates Firefox 153 also powers the latest beta of the AI-free Waterfox fork, which has recently incorporated built-in ad blocking.
Conclusion
Mozilla’s on the Fast Track! While Firefox’s new release timetable is racing ahead at lightning speed, I’m just here trying to keep pace. More regular updates mean more enjoyable features—provided they don’t crash and burn in the process!
