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Firefox 156: PDF viewer starts up to 45 percent faster

Mozilla has released Firefox 156. The new version speeds up the PDF viewer and optimizes memory and CPU usage.

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iX Magazin

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Moritz Förster

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Contents

Firefox 156: PDF viewer starts up to 45 percent faster

Faster PDFs and Hardware H.264 Decoding

Firefox Suggest in Germany

Corrections for Image Editing, PiP, and Network

Mozilla has released Firefox 156. The new version is intended to primarily accelerate the integrated PDF viewer. The browser also optimizes memory and CPU usage when downscaling large JPEG images.

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Further changes affect the address bar, macOS, and Windows on ARM devices. Firefox 156 is now available for download; Mozilla lists all new features in the Release Notes.
Faster PDFs and Hardware H.264 Decoding
Firefox’s PDF viewer is among the most visible changes in this version. Mozilla promises a startup speed increase of up to 45 percent. Mozilla has also addressed large JPEG files: If a website displays a high-resolution photo scaled down within a page, Firefox should require less RAM and processor time for it.

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For Windows devices with ARM64 processors, Firefox also extends hardware acceleration for WebRTC video conferences. The browser can now decode H.264 videos using hardware where possible instead of resorting to software decoding. WebRTC is the technology behind many browser-based video chats; offloading to specialized hardware is intended to reduce processor load and energy consumption.
Firefox Suggest in Germany
In Germany, France, and Italy, Firefox 156 displays localized Wikipedia suggestions and occasional sponsored results in the address bar. The feature is part of Firefox Suggest and supplements typed entries with relevant suggestions. According to Mozilla, these suggestions can be disabled in the Firefox Suggest settings.

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On Macs, Firefox can now also open automatically when the computer starts. The option can be found in the “Start” section of the browser settings. With this, Firefox takes over a function that previously had to be set up via macOS system settings or comparable workarounds.
Corrections for Image Editing, PiP, and Network
Mozilla has also fixed several bugs. In rich text editors, moving an image could previously replace it with a long line of text. Subtitles in picture-in-picture windows also did not function reliably. If they were only activated after the separate video window was already open, they sometimes remained invisible.
Further corrections affect bookmarks and the new split view. If a folder and its contained bookmarks were dragged simultaneously in the bookmark sidebar, the entries could be moved out of the folder. After swapping the two areas in the split view, the search bar of a tab could also become permanently unavailable.
With DNS over HTTPS enabled, Firefox 156 also fixes loading issues for websites that do not support HTTPS themselves, according to Mozilla. Additionally, there are bugs with the integrated VPN function, which could interrupt all network connections for individual users, as well as a Windows issue with auto-hiding taskbars.
As usual, the update also includes several security fixes. For enterprise environments, Mozilla also refers to its Release Notes for Firefox Enterprise 156.

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This article was originally published in

German.

It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.

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Mozilla released Firefox 156, a version focused primarily on accelerating the integrated PDF viewer while optimizing memory and CPU utilization, particularly when dealing with downscaling large JPEG images. This update includes substantial improvements aimed at performance and hardware utilization across various operational aspects of the browser.

A key enhancement in Firefox 156 is the acceleration of the PDF viewer, which Mozilla claims results in a startup speed increase of up to forty-five percent. Furthermore, the browser has implemented optimizations to manage resources, ensuring that it requires less RAM and processor time when displaying high-resolution photos scaled down within a webpage. For systems running on Windows with ARM64 processors, Firefox extends hardware acceleration for WebRTC video conferences, enabling the decoding of H.264 videos using hardware where feasible instead of relying on software decoding. This effort to utilize specialized hardware for WebRTC aims to reduce the processor load and energy consumption associated with browser-based video communication.

The update also introduced location-specific features for users in Germany, France, and Italy, where Firefox 156 displays localized Wikipedia suggestions and occasional sponsored results within the address bar, a feature managed through Firefox Suggest, which can be disabled in the settings. On macOS, Firefox 156 now integrates more seamlessly by offering the option for the browser to open automatically upon system startup, thus automating a function previously managed through macOS system settings or workarounds.

Beyond performance and hardware adjustments, Mozilla addressed several functional bugs and security concerns in this release. Fixes were implemented for issues encountered in rich text editors, where image movement could previously introduce unwanted text, and for unreliable functionality concerning subtitles in picture-in-picture windows. Additional corrections focused on maintaining data integrity related to bookmarks and the split view feature, ensuring that dragging folders and their bookmarks did not result in data loss, and resolving issues where the search bar of a tab could become permanently inaccessible after manipulating the split view. Firefox 156 also rectified loading issues for websites that do not support HTTPS when DNS over HTTPS is enabled. Furthermore, bugs related to the integrated VPN function and a specific Windows issue concerning auto-hiding taskbars were fixed. In addition to these functional corrections, the update included several general security fixes, and Mozilla provided separate Release Notes for Firefox Enterprise 156.