Firefox gets its biggest makeover in 6 years, compact mode returns

Firefox is getting its first real facelift since 2019, and Mozilla actually listened to what people wanted. Project Nova strips away the hard edges and brings back the compact mode that power users lost years ago. Remember being frustrated when they killed it? Yeah, that's over now.

The design team ditched the flat, minimalist look for something softer. Tabs now have rounded corners instead of sharp angles, and the color palette leans into warm, fire-inspired tones that actually match the browser's brand again. The privacy controls got a visual overhaul too, so you can see what's being blocked without squinting at tiny icons. It's the kind of stuff that sounds simple until you realize how much friction it removes from daily browsing.

Mozilla's rolling this out gradually, so most people won't see it immediately. But if you've been thinking about ditching Firefox because it felt bloated or looked dated, this actually matters. They're not chasing trends here, just making the browser feel less corporate and more like something people actually want to use.