21 Hidden Firefox Features You're Missing
Firefox offers 21+ lesser-known features that rival or exceed Chrome's capabilities, including tab split view, built-in PDF editor, screenshot tools, reading mode, AI sidebars, tab grouping, picture-in-picture, vertical sidebar, multiple profiles, and keyboard shortcuts—making it a powerful alternative to Google Chrome.
Tab & Window Management
Tab Split View
View two tabs side-by-side on the same screen by right-clicking a tab and selecting 'Add to Split View,' allowing simultaneous comparison of content.
Tab Grouping
Automatically group related tabs together and collapse them into folders within the sidebar. Tabs can be renamed, color-coded, and organized by project or topic to keep the browser clean.
Vertical Sidebar
Switch tabs from horizontal layout to a vertical sidebar by going to Settings and enabling vertical tab bar, making tab management easier for users with many open tabs.
Multiple Profiles
Create separate browser profiles (like Netflix profiles) for different contexts—work, personal, home, friends—each with its own tabs, history, and settings. Firefox prompts which profile to use on startup or can default to one.
Content Tools & Readers
Reading Mode
Click the notebook icon in the address bar to strip away banners and ads, displaying only clean text formatted like an eBook. Users can adjust font, color, and spacing for comfortable reading.
Built-in PDF Viewer & Editor
Firefox includes a free, open-source PDF viewer integrated directly into the browser. Users can read, highlight, annotate, and add footnotes to PDFs without external software like Adobe.
Screenshot Tool
Right-click any page to take a full-page screenshot automatically saved as PNG. The tool can capture specific sections, extract text and images, and integrates with note-taking apps like Obsidian.
Color Picker
Built into Developer Tools under 'More Tools,' the color picker lets designers and users identify and note hex color codes from any website design.
Website Translation
Firefox automatically detects and translates pages in foreign languages during browsing sessions, removing the friction of manual translation.
Copy Link to Highlight
Highlight specific text on a page, right-click, and select 'Copy Link to Highlight' to generate a shareable link that takes readers directly to that highlighted passage.
Media & Sidebar Features
Picture-in-Picture Mode
Minimize videos to a floating window and continue browsing other pages while the video plays, a feature available on platforms like YouTube.
AI Sidebars
Firefox sidebars now include AI chat options—users can choose from Gemini, Satjad, A-Purpose, or other AI assistants and customize which one appears in the sidebar.
Privacy & History
Forget Firefox (Quick Forget)
Set Firefox to automatically forget browsing history after a specified time period (minutes, hours, or sessions), ensuring no data is retained without manual clearing.
Browsing History Dashboard
View a detailed timeline of all visited websites, including the date and time of each visit, allowing users to search and review their browsing patterns.
Developer & Power-User Tools
Task Manager
Built into Firefox, the Task Manager shows which extensions and processes consume the most resources, allowing users to close or disable resource-heavy plugins.
Keyboard Shortcuts & Customization
Firefox supports standard shortcuts (Ctrl+T for new tab, Ctrl+W to close, Ctrl+Q to quit, Ctrl+R to refresh) and allows full customization of keyboard bindings for power users.
Firefox Labs (Experimental Features)
Firefox Labs offers beta experimental features that users can test early, including design tweaks like rounded corners on UI elements, before they roll out to the main browser.
Why Firefox Matters
Open-Source Alternative to Chrome
Firefox is the most popular open-source browser alternative to Google Chrome. Unlike Chrome, Firefox retains adblocker functionality and does not remove user-friendly extensions.
Notable quotes
I would beg you to install another browser if you are relying solely on Google Chrome. — Meta Monkeys
Google came and removed the adblockers, and everything went down the drain. — Meta Monkeys
Reading mode is what I like about Firefox the most. — Meta Monkeys
Action items
- Enable Tab Split View by right-clicking a tab and selecting 'Add to Split View' to compare two pages side-by-side.
- Activate Reading Mode by clicking the notebook icon in the address bar to remove ads and format text like an eBook.
- Create multiple Firefox profiles for different contexts (work, personal, home) via Settings.
- Try the Screenshot Tool by right-clicking any page and selecting screenshot to capture and save full pages as PNG.
- Use the Color Picker from Developer Tools (More Tools) to identify hex codes from website designs.
- Enable Vertical Sidebar in Settings to switch from horizontal to vertical tab layout.
- Set up Tab Grouping to organize related tabs by project or topic and reduce browser clutter.
- Test Firefox Labs experimental features in Settings to try beta UI and functionality improvements.
- Customize keyboard shortcuts in Settings to match your workflow.
- Use 'Forget Firefox' to automatically clear browsing history after a set time period for privacy.