It can be difficult to know which web browser will best serve your interests. While privacy is essential, it shouldn’t come at the expense of your browsing experience.

With the update of Firefox 88, Firefox has become an even better option for safe and convenient browsing. Here we will tell you all about the recent Firefox update and how it can benefit you.

What’s new in Firefox 88?

Mozilla recently released the Firefox 88 update. With this update, Mozilla improves your online privacy using additional rules to prevent cross-site privacy leaks.

Of great importance around this update is to allow you to enjoy a more secure online environment. Firefox 88 update prevents your private data from being disclosed by another website.

Here are some key changes:

1. Fix Window.name isolation privacy

In Firefox 87 update, Mozilla introduced SmartBlock for private browsing, which protects you from trackers. Initially, Mozilla launched a built-in content blocking feature in 2015.

The feature was problematic as it caused a few websites to malfunction. So Mozilla took things up a notch in Firefox 88.

Window.name data is now limited to the website that created it in Firefox 88 to protect you from cross-site privacy leaks. When a browser page opens a new tab, it can give that new page a name, which then refers to the new tab later as a target to open new content. The main function of a window.name is to define targets for hyperlinks and forms.

Previously, standard browser rules allowed data stored in window.name to leak between websites. Unfortunately. trackers have used this opportunity to dig into your browsing history.

Mozilla reported that the window.name property has been available for web pages as a data repository since the late 1990s. Tracking companies have taken advantage of this property by using it to disclose information and have used the window.name property to share data between websites.

Other mainstream browser platforms such as Safari and Chromium-based browsers make similar changes. Fortunately, you can now access multiple browser pages without your information being tracked, and you don’t have to put up with an influx of ads.

Another way for you to stay safe online is to use private browsing to help you browse safely.

2. FTP as a security risk

One of the biggest updates that Firefox has made is the removal of support for FTP (file transfer protocol). FTP is a way to transfer data between computers on a network. Mozilla will completely remove FTP support in the next Firefox 90 update. In the future, to access remote servers you will need a dedicated FTP browser.

Mozilla reported that the FTP function acts as a security risk because it is an unencrypted protocol. FTP was not designed to be secure because it relies on usernames and passwords for verification and is not encrypted against unauthorized access.

Firefox plans to completely remove FTP with Firefox 90, which is slated for release in June. Now, you cannot upload files via FTP and view the contents of FTP links in Firefox.

3. PDF forms now support JavaScript embedded in PDF files

Mozilla reported that it continues to find ways to improve its file management system. Until now, the Firefox server had a built-in PDF viewer, which allowed you to view PDF files in the browser without having to install a PDF viewer application. However, Firefox now also supports JavaScript embedded in PDF files.

If you regularly use PDF files in your browser, this new feature could be useful as some PDF forms use JavaScript for form validation.

4. Firefox now allows pinch zoom on Linux

If you’re using Firefox on Linux, Firefox 88 lets you enjoy smooth pinch zooming using a trackpad. This makes it easier to zoom in on a page using hand gestures instead of having to zoom in or out through the Firefox menu.

5. “Take a screenshot” function

Firefox 88 has removed the “Take a screenshot” feature from the Page Actions menu in the URL bar in favor of a regular icon that users can add to the toolbar from the customize menu.

Before updating Firefox, to take a screenshot here is what you would have done:

1. Visit a web page

2. Click on the three-dot icon menu, also called Page Actions menu

3. To select Take a screenshot.

4. Previously, Firefox gave you the option to save the entire page or the visible region. After that copy the screenshot to clipboard or download it to your device.

Here’s how to take a screenshot on Firefox 88:

1. Right-click on an empty part of your Firefox browser page, then select Take a screenshot.

2. You will have the option to drag on the page to select a region or save the entire page or the visible region.

In addition to the changes made in the Firefox 88 update, Firefox will not continuously request access to your microphone or camera if you have previously allowed access to the same device on the same site in the same tab within 50 last seconds.

This new grace period reduces the number of times you will be asked to grant access to the device.

Firefox 88 takes your privacy to the next level

The internet is a large platform connecting a large network of computers, and since it is so huge, it is easy to lose control of your own privacy. Your information could easily end up in the wrong hands. Mismanagement of information and espionage continue to worsen every day.

The Firefox 88 update not only improves your privacy but also comes with some handy features to top it off. Firefox updates automatically, so you should already benefit from the new features in Firefox 88.

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