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Mozilla has begun rolling out Firefox 156 under its new fortnightly release cycle. The update adds an automatic launch-at-login option on macOS and extends localized Firefox Suggest results to users browsing in French, German and Italian, alongside suggestions from Mozilla partners.
A Small Feature Update
The localized suggestions can include Wikipedia results as well as partner advertising. Users who do not want these recommendations can disable them through the Firefox Suggest settings. The macOS startup control brings an operating-system function into Firefox’s own settings rather than introducing a broader change to browser behavior.
Thunderbird 156 is arriving on the same accelerated schedule. Its changes include additional OpenPGP troubleshooting information, more OAuth authorization options for POP3 and IMAP accounts, and enterprise policies for managing filters and user customizations.
ESR Offers a Slower Track
Users and organizations that do not want fortnightly feature updates can remain on Mozilla’s Extended Support Release channel. Firefox ESR and Thunderbird ESR receive security fixes while major versions arrive annually. Both ESR products are currently on version 153, released in late July.
Firefox Forks Cover Different Priorities
Several maintained Firefox derivatives provide alternatives to Mozilla’s main release channel. Waterfox 6.7 is based on Firefox 153 ESR and emphasizes a slower schedule, while LibreWolf follows Mozilla’s faster cadence with privacy-focused changes and reduced telemetry. Floorp 12.17.2 adds interface customization on top of Firefox 155, and Zen Browser focuses on a minimal interface with tiled web pages.
Other projects target systems that current Firefox versions no longer support. MyPal68 78.1.0 runs on 32-bit Windows as far back as Windows XP, while R3dfox supports Windows Vista and Windows 7 from a Firefox 153 base. Momiji, Powerfox and Aquafox cover different generations of older Macs. Compatibility and maintenance status vary: Waterfox Classic has been unmaintained since 2022, while Ghostery Private Browser, Mercury Browser, Cyberfox and Plasmafox have also stopped receiving releases.
Source: Firefox 156 arrives with a forest of forks in its wake
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