Updated browser engine
The underlying Gecko browser engine has been updated to version 158.0.
Privacy and security
- Removed the Nimbus SDK, the software used for feature experiments. It was already inactive in Waterfox and is now completely removed.
- Enabled Android's Memory Tagging protection on supported devices to help detect certain memory errors.
- Mozilla Account sign-in data is now encrypted using Android Keystore in release builds. This does not encrypt the entire browser profile.
Homepage and shortcuts
- Choose how many shortcut rows to show. Open Settings → Home → Shortcut rows and enter a number from 1 to 16, or use the plus and minus buttons. On a four column layout, four rows show up to 16 shortcuts.
- Show all and Show less now appear only when there are more shortcuts than the selected row count can display. Expanding the list reveals the remaining shortcuts without removing saved pins.
- Add and Manage shortcuts are available from the options menu beside the Shortcuts heading.
- Reuse open tabs for Android home-screen shortcuts. Opening a website shortcut from your Android home screen now switches to an already open matching page by default. Turn off Reuse existing tab for shortcuts in Home settings to always open a new tab.
- Improved how searches and homepage tabs open at startup to reduce lost searches and unwanted homepage tabs. Some search and New Tab problems remain under investigation.
Bookmarks and suggested links
- Export bookmarks as HTML from the Bookmarks screen and choose where to save the file.
- Fixed incorrect bookmark creation and modification dates when importing HTML files. Exporting and re-importing bookmarks now preserves those dates.
- When moving a bookmark, the folder list now expands to show its current folder and scrolls it into view. You can still collapse folders or search for another destination.
- Touch and hold a suggested link to copy it without opening the page. The full address is copied, even when the displayed suggestion is shortened.
Extensions and language support
- Check for extension updates manually from the Extensions screen, without removing and reinstalling an extension.
- Extensions can now use your selected browser language when a matching translation is available, instead of falling back to English.
- Fixed a startup crash affecting some language settings, including Japanese.
Toolbar, appearance and settings
- Refresh is now available as an optional shortcut in both simple and expanded toolbar layouts. It changes to Stop while a page is loading.
- Show in app menu under Settings → Delete browsing data adds a menu shortcut to the existing deletion screen. It is off by default. Your choices about what to delete and the usual confirmation step are unchanged.
- Show fullscreen exit hint under Customize → Gestures controls Waterfox's message explaining how to leave fullscreen. The hint is on by default. Turning it off does not hide Android's own fullscreen guidance.
- Android's about:config page now has a filter for showing only settings that differ from their default values. You can use it alongside the existing text search.
- Independent website appearance lets you choose Light, Dark, or Follow browser theme for websites, separately from Waterfox's app theme. Existing behavior remains the default.
Sync and account settings
- Sync servers in Settings lets you set a custom account server and Sync token server. It checks that addresses are in a valid format, and Save and restart applies your changes. Leaving both fields empty restores the standard servers.
- New Android Sync connections use Waterfox for Android as the default device name, instead of the device's manufacturer and model.
Other fixes
- Fixed unexpected returns to the homepage when changing Enhanced Tracking Protection or some site settings.
- Android's default themed icon now uses the current Waterfox logo. The about:logo page also displays Waterfox artwork.
- Improved how tabs are saved when Waterfox moves to the background and when tabs change while a save is already in progress.
Known issues
- Some search submissions and New Tab shortcut reports remain under investigation.
- Some problems saving tabs have been fixed, but reports of tabs reverting to an older session still need investigation.
- Fixing bookmark dates does not resolve all reports of intermittent HTML import failures. A separate report of bookmark sorting not being remembered also remains to be checked.
- Your shortcut row count is saved, but Show all does not stay expanded when you open a new homepage. An unlimited show-everything option that stays expanded is not included.