Firefox 137 Introduces Enhanced Tab Groups and Address Bar Features

Mozilla is preparing to roll out an update for its open-source Firefox browser later today. The new version, Firefox 137, introduces several fresh features, including tab groups and a significant redesign of the address bar.

This update represents the second significant release of Firefox in a row, as Firefox 136 previously added vertical tabs among various other improvements.

Important Note: Alongside Firefox 137, versions 128.9 ESR and 115.22 ESR are also being made available today. The Extended Support Releases focus primarily on resolving bugs and implementing security updates.

Highlights of Firefox 137

Tab Groups

With the arrival of Firefox 137, users will have access to the new Tab Groups feature, which improves tab management by allowing them to categorize multiple tabs into organized groups. These groups can be easily collapsed or expanded, and users can perform multiple actions across all tabs within a group.

Each group has its own unique name and color and supports both drag-and-drop and right-click options for tab organization. To form a new group, right-click any tab and select Add Tab to Group > New Group. Users can also transfer tabs into the group using drag-and-drop or the context menu via right-click.

Please note that this feature is being deployed gradually, so it may not be instantly accessible to all users.

For those eager to activate the feature right away, follow these steps:

1. Type about:config in the address bar.
2. Proceed by agreeing to the caution message.
3. Look for browser.tabs.groups.enabled.
4. Click the toggle icon to change the preference to True.
5. Restart Firefox.

Revamped Mozilla Address Bar

This release includes a series of upgrades to the address bar that users can look forward to:

• Consolidated Search Button: This feature showcases the icon of the current search engine on the left side of the address bar, allowing users to choose a different search engine with a click.
• Search Term Persistence: The search term will now be displayed instead of the search engine’s URL by default, making it easier to refine searches, according to Mozilla.
• Quick Action Buttons: Offer fast access to commonly used Firefox features, such as Print Page.
• Contextual Search Mode: Firefox will be able to detect if a webpage has a search option, permitting users to utilize the page’s own search functionality.
• Contextual Search Engine Suggestions: After using the feature at least twice, Firefox will recommend adding frequently used search engines to the browser.
• User-Friendly Search Keywords: Quickly switch to different search modes in the address bar with keywords like @bookmarks to search solely within bookmarks.

In an unrelated feature, users can now carry out calculations directly from the Firefox address bar by typing in an equation to see the result displayed in a dropdown menu.

Like other features, this capability is being rolled out gradually and may take time to reach all instances of Firefox.

Other Updates and Fixes

• HEVC (H.265) support has been extended to Android via hardware, and both hardware and software support are now available on Linux.
• Users can now sign PDF documents directly within Firefox.

Developer Updates

• The Math.sumPrecise() static method is now accessible.
• The Atomics.pause() static method has been introduced.
• The hyphenate-limit-chars CSS property now allows for better control over text hyphenation.
• The text-decoration-line CSS property has expanded to include values for spelling-error and grammar-error.
• Support has been added for the <discard> SVG element and its related SVGDiscardElement JavaScript interface.
• New methods such as getPathData(), setPathData(), and getPathSegmentAtLength() are now supported in the SVGPathElement interface.
• A 10 MB limitation for data stored through the storage.session API is now enforced.
• The Temporal API (available in Nightly release) is enabled by default on Firefox Nightly.
• The Network panel now includes the ability to override network request responses with local files.
• The Inspector Fonts panel now displays associated metadata.

Enterprise Updates

Further details will be available soon; stay tuned for more updates.

Security Updates/Fixes

Specifics on security updates are not yet available; please check back later for additional information.

Updating to Firefox 137.0

Both Firefox 137 and the two ESR versions are slated for updates later today. Firefox will likely update automatically, but users can expedite the process by navigating to Firefox Menu > Help > About Firefox. Remember, the new version must be officially released by Mozilla before it becomes accessible through the browser.

Downloads are also available on Mozilla’s official website.

• Download Firefox Beta
• Download Nightly
• Download Firefox ESR

Looking Ahead

Firefox 138 is anticipated to be released on April 29, 2025, alongside the launch of ESR versions 115.23 and 128.10.

Additional Resources

• Release notes for Firefox 137
• Developer guide for Firefox 137
• Information on Firefox 137 for Enterprise
• Firefox Security Advisories
• Firefox Release Schedule

Mozilla has introduced a host of highly requested features in recent Firefox updates, particularly highlighting the addition of Tab Groups and vertical tabs. These enhancements expand user options and help align Firefox’s capabilities with those of its main competitors.

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