Firefox Tips and Tricks

Firefox is a web browser that was developed by Mozilla Corporation, and it is now the most popular browser after Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Its enhanced security and some useful features have enabled it to capture more than 20% of the web browser market.

A part of Mozilla open-source project, Firefox was first launched in April, 2003. The Firefox project was initiated by the Mozilla developers Blake Ross and Dave Hyatt. Originally developed as a part of the Mozilla Suite, it was later launched as a light stand-alone browser for cable internet, because the Mozilla Suite was increasingly getting bloated. Soon after its release, it began to garner positive reviews, and its popularity started to climb. In 2005, Firefox Version 1.5 was released with several feature sets added, and it allowed Firefox to be customized according to the user’s preferences.

Some of the favorite features of Firefox include search engine plug-ins (add-ons), automatic updates, internet access, tabbed browsing, password management, improved pop-up blocker, and one-click private data eraser. Moreover, Firefox has a separate webpage that offers a variety of plug-ins, which can be downloaded and installed by a Firefox user for a more personalized browsing experience.

Browsing the web with Firefox is very efficient, more so when you apply some smart Firefox tips and tricks. One of the quickest ways to view the content of your favourite websites is by using Bookmark Keywords. To use Bookmark Keywords, you have to install is a Firefox add-on by the name OpenBook Firefox. OpenBook allows you to open one of your bookmarked websites by using keyboard shortcuts or keywords. After OpenBook is installed, you can assign keywords for all your favourite URLs. For example, you can assign the keys “Ctrl” + “Y” for Youtube. So, when you want to check out the latest videos on Youtube, you can just press “Ctrl” + “Y” instead of searching for Youtube in the Bookmark list.

Some other widely used tips and tricks for Firefox include using small Firefox icons for internet access. This is can be done by clicking on “View”, and then “Toolbars” and “Customize”, and checking the box “Use small icons”. Firefox address bar Auto-Complete can take you to the website of your choice if you type in a word and press “Ctrl” + “Enter”. It will add “www” and “.com” to the address and take you to the website. You can also use mouse shortcuts such as “CTRL” + “Tab” to move forward among the open tabs. The about:config set-up can be manipulated to carry out numerous tweaks, including speeding up Firefox or limiting the RAM usage. With Firefox, you can also make use of keyboard shortcuts, such as “Shift” + “Spacebar” for page up function, “CTRL” + “F” to find a particular word on a webpage, “CTRL” + “D” to bookmark a webpage, “CTRL” + “Tab” to open a new tab, and “F5” to reload a page.

Mozilla Version 3 was released in 2008, and it contained a host of new features. The latest version (3.0.10) addresses certain security issues and integrates new web APIs as well. Mozilla is now planning to release Version 3.5, which will support audio and video tags that are specified by HTML 5. Introduction of some newer Firefox tips and tricks is also apparent with the upcoming Firefox versions. The development of a Mozilla mobile browser called Fennec is on the anvil too.