When we rolled out Firefox for iOS late last year, we got a tremendous response and millions of downloads. Lots of Firefox users were ecstatic they could use the browser they love on the iPhone or iPad they had chosen. Today, we’re thrilled to release some big improvements to Firefox for iOS. These improvements will give users more speed, flexibility and choice, three things we care deeply about.

A Faster Firefox Awaits You

It’s summer intern season and our Firefox for iOS Engineer intern Tyler Lacroix pulled out all the stops this month when he unveiled the results of his pet project – making Firefox faster. In Tyler’s testing, he saw up to 40% reduction in CPU usage and up to 30% reduction in memory usage when using this latest version of Firefox. What this means is that users can get to their Web pages faster while seeing battery life savings. Of course, all devices and humans are different so results may vary. Either way, we are psyched to roll out these improvements to you today.

It’s Now Easy to Add Any Website Specific Search Engine. And Change Your Mind.

We’ve already included a set of the most popular search engines in Firefox for iOS, but users may want to search other sites right from the address bar. Looking for that perfect set of moustache handlebars for a vintage road bike? Users can add sites like Craigslist and eBay. Want to become a trivia champ? Get one tap access to Wikipedia. Simply go to a website with a search box and tap on the the magnifying glass to add that search to your list of search engines.

New Menu for Easier Navigation

Navigation in iOS browsers is a huge pain point for users who have come to expect the same seamless experience that’s available on their desktop or laptop. Firefox for iOS features a brand new menu on the toolbar that allows for easier navigation and quick access to frequently used features – from adding a bookmark to finding text in page.

Recover Closed Tabs and Quickly Flip Through Open Tabs

Browser tabs on mobile devices have traditionally been difficult to use. Hard to see, hard to manage, hard to navigate, and gone forever in a tap. In this upgraded Firefox for iOS users can easily recover all closed tabs and navigate through open tabs.

Home Again, Home Again, With One Quick Tap

Almost everyone has one page they go to first and return to often. Further expanding the ability to customize their Firefox for iOS experience, users can now set their favorite site as their homepage. The designated website will open immediately with a tap of the “home” button. This makes it easier than ever before to visit preferred sites in a matter of seconds.

We created these new features in Firefox for iOS because of what we heard from our users, and we look forward to more feedback on the updates. To check out our handiwork, download Firefox for iOS from the App Store and let us know what you think.

From iOS to Android to Windows to Linux, we are supporting a healthy and open web by building a better Firefox. And we couldn’t do it without our hundreds of millions of active users across all platforms and our vibrant community. Thanks, everyone!

For more information: