How Do I Update Firefox?

Update to Firefox 88, the latest version of the Firefox browser

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Tim Fisher
General Manager, VP, Lifewire.com
Tim Fisher has 30+ years' professional technology support experience. He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire.
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Tim Fisher
Updated on April 26, 2021

There are many reasons to update Firefox to the latest version. Most often, you might do this when the browser isn't working correctly. Another reason is that hundreds of bugs are fixed with each release, which prevents problems so you never have to experience them.

It's easy to update Firefox to the newest version. Here's how:

How Do I Update Firefox?

To force the newest update, download and install Firefox directly from Mozilla:

Depending on how you configured Firefox, updating may be automatic, meaning you don't need to manually download and install each update.

Firefox's checking for updates progress indicator on the Firefox updates page

Check your update settings in Firefox from the menu bar at the top right. Depending on your version, go to Options > Firefox Updates or Options > Advanced > Update.

What Is the Latest Version of Firefox?

The latest version of Firefox is 88, which was released on April 19, 2021. The Firefox release notes detail what has changed since the previous version:

  • New: PDF forms now support JavaScript embedded in PDF files. Some PDF forms use JavaScript for validation and other interactive features.
  • New: Print updates: Margin units are now localized.
  • New: Smooth pinch-zooming using a touchpad is now supported on Linux
  • Fixed: Screen readers no longer incorrectly read content that websites have visually hidden, as in the case of articles in the Google Help panel.
  • Changed: Firefox will not prompt for access to your microphone or camera if you’ve already granted access to the same device on the same site in the same tab within the past 50 seconds. This new grace period reduces the number of times you’re prompted to grant device access.
  • Changed: The ‘Take a Screenshot’ feature was removed from the Page Actions menu in the url bar. To take a screenshot, right-click to open the context menu. You can also add a screenshots shortcut directly to your toolbar via the Customize menu.
  • Changed: FTP support has been disabled, and its full removal is planned for an upcoming release. Addressing this security risk reduces the likelihood of an attack while also removing support for a non-encrypted protocol.

Other Versions of Firefox

Firefox is available in many languages for Windows, Mac, and Linux, in both 32-bit and 64-bit. You can see all of these downloads on one page on Mozilla's site.

Firefox is also available for Android devices from the Google Play store and for Apple devices from the iOS App Store.

Pre-release versions of Firefox are also available for download.

A number of download sites offer the latest version of Firefox, but some of these sites bundle additional, probably unwanted, software with their download of the browser. Save yourself the trouble and use Mozilla's website to download Firefox.

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