Internet, Networking, & Security > Browsers 127 127 people found this article helpful What Is Firefox Quantum? Mozilla's high-speed browser has some smart features By Jason Bennett Jason Bennett Twitter Writer George Brown College Jay Bennett is a former Lifewire writer and digital marketing consultant with 8 years' experience. His writing has appeared on the VisiHow website. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 24, 2022 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Browsers Firefox Chrome Safari Microsoft Firefox Quantum (previously known as Firefox) is a free, open-source web browser created by Mozilla. In addition to being very light, the Quantum browser, written using the Rust programming language, launched with a variety of new features, including an integrated pocket to save content on the fly, privacy enhancements like tracking protection, and two-click screenshots. The overhaul didn't just make Firefox quicker and lighter on system resources—it also added a more modern, minimalist-style interface. Using the Photon design language, Mozilla's developers produced an intuitive browsing experience that displays more web content. Firefox Is a Fast Multi-Process Browser Before the update, Firefox used to run everything in a single process. If a website or web page were loading poorly, the entire browser would perform sluggishly. It also meant if a tab crashed, the whole browser would crash. However, with Firefox Quantum, you can control how many processes the browser runs; by default, Quantum uses four processes to view and render web content. Most modern computers come equipped with a multi-core CPU, so the default setting works well for the average user. To change the maximum number of processes Firefox uses, though, follow the steps below: Go to Tools. Select Options. Scroll down to Performance, then uncheck Use recommended performance settings. Check or uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available. This setting is optional. When enabled, Firefox uses your graphics card to display media-based web content. Expand the Content process limit drop-down menu, then select from 1 to 7. Quantum Browser Uses Less Memory Than Chrome In addition to being twice as fast as Firefox 52, Quantum uses 33% less memory than Google Chrome. Running both browsers separately, with the same number of tabs open yielded results close to the claims made by Mozilla. Firefox Quantum Offers Improved Privacy The release of Quantum introduced the option to enable Tracking Protection while browsing normally. Previously, this option was only available in Private Browsing mode. Tracking Protection blocks online trackers from logging your browsing behavior and habits. When enabled, a few adverts or web tools may not load or function correctly, but overall browsing speed and fluidity will improve. The option to add Exceptions and Change Block List is available for greater customization. To turn on Tracking Protection: Go to Tools. Select Options. Select Privacy & Security from the left pane. Scroll down to Tracking Protection, then select Always. Take Screenshots Directly From the Address Bar Firefox Quantum offers a built-in screen capture option accessible from the Page actions drop-down. Use the crop tool to select a specific section of the page, grab the visible portion, or take a shot of the entire page. Screen captures can be copied to the clipboard, saved locally, or uploaded to Firefox's cloud storage. To take a screen capture, open the vertical ellipsis menu on the far right side of the address bar, then select Take a Screenshot. Automatically Restore Firefox Browsing Sessions The option to restore previous browser sessions has been available for some time through the History menu. However, the feature to automatically restore your previous session on Windows startup was part of Firefox's 61.02 release. Although enabled by default, you can double-check if session restore is turned on by doing the following: Go to Tools. Select Options. Check or uncheck Restore previous session. Older legacy add-ons (NPAPI plugins) are not supported by the browser anymore. Moving forward, Firefox will only work with WebExtensions, which, according to Mozilla, can accomplish nearly anything a plug-in can. FAQ How do I speed up Firefox Quantum? To speed up Firefox Quantum, you can free up memory, disable multi-process windows, and adjust the content process limit. Another suggestion is to make sure you're running the latest version of Quantum. How do I enable cookies in Firefox Quantum? To manage cookies in Firefox Quantum, select Menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner and choose Settings > Privacy and security. Make sure you don't have custom tracking settings that block all cookies, then scroll down to Cookies and Site Data to manage cookies for individual sites. How do I get rid of Firefox Quantum? To uninstall programs on Windows, open the Control Panel and select Apps & features or Add or Remove Programs. To uninstall programs on Mac, drag the application icon onto the trashcan on the Dock. What is the point of the Master Password on Firefox Quantum? The Primary Password (formerly known as Master Password) protects your personal information by always requiring an additional password to access stored logins for things like your email or bank account. To set it up, select Menu > Settings > Privacy and security > Use a Primary Password. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit