Mozilla Adds Synced Tabs And Android Data Saving Options In Firefox 47

Mozilla has added synced tabs and a range of data, security, and battery saving options in the latest version of its Firefox web browser for desktop and Android.

Firefox 47 syncs tabs across devices if a user is logged into a Firefox Account – which also allows for shared bookmarks, passwords and personalisation options.

The browser also delivers better video playback on YouTube if a user has a multiprocessor computer, saving battery, while the release also adds a range of other streaming options – including the capability to play embedded YouTube content in HTML5 if Flash isn’t installed.

Firefox 47 Android

Mozilla has also fixed a number of vulnerabilities in the open source browser.

The Android edition is the last to support version 2.3 Gingerbread and also removes favicons from the Awesomebar. This, Mozilla says, will stop malicious sites ‘spoofing’ legitimate ones by mimicking their icons and causing users to think it is safe to enter sensitive information such as personal details and login credentials.

Firefox will no longer use data when the app is in the background and a page has meta refresh employed and Android web runtime (WebRT) has been removed. There is also the option to hide certain web fonts – saving data and battery.

Data use on mobile has become a key differentiator for web browser developers, most notably Opera, which has introduced native adblocking to stop adverts draining power and consuming too much mobile data – exhausting battery and monthly allowances.

The first ever iOS edition of Firefox made its debut in November last year and is now in its fourth version.