Mozilla has released Firefox version 156, which introduces significant performance improvements. The updated PDF viewer now launches up to 45% faster, enhancing responsiveness when opening documents. Additionally, the browser optimizes resource usage for large JPEG images, reducing CPU and memory consumption when scaling high-resolution files on web pages.
The macOS version now supports automatic startup with the system, and Mozilla has expanded enterprise policy support for the platform. For Android users, the update adds audio control shortcuts to media notifications, allowing users to adjust playback and skip tracks. On Android 14 and later, the browser integrates the native system sharing panel while maintaining proprietary features like QR code scanning.
Technical fixes include hardware H.264 decoding for WebRTC video calls on Windows ARM64 devices. Mozilla also resolved issues with high-sample-rate FLAC audio in MP4 containers and improved subtitle rendering in Picture-in-Picture mode. Other fixes address drag-and-drop glitches in rich text editors, search bar errors in split view, and incorrect folder movement in the bookmark sidebar.
Enterprise users gain more control with expanded FirefoxHome policies, including new widget management options for the new tab page. Furthermore, the SitePolicies update introduces a DisableServiceWorkers option, allowing administrators to restrict specific websites from registering or utilizing Service Workers.
