Mozilla Firefox 109 released with Manifest V3 extension support

Firefox 109 is finally available. This browser update has implemented support for Maniffest V3 extensions, improved browser accessibility, security fixes, and other improvements. However, even though the developers have shipped Manifest V3, there are still no plans to drop support for Manifest V2.

Firefox Update 109 arrives after the release of Google Chrome 109 and Microsoft Edge 109 browsers. It is known that Google and Microsoft have decided to extend support for Manifest V2 and allow more time for developers to transition to Manifest V3.

Manifest is a browser extension platform, where there are application development rules for the browser extension store. The transition from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3 will affect ad blockers (advertisements) in Chrome, Edge and Firefox browsers, as Oficina da Net reported in this article.

Firefox 109: What’s New?

New features:

• Manifest Version 3 (MV3) extension support is now enabled by default (MV2 remains enabled/supported). This major update also introduces an exciting UI change in the form of the new extensions button.
• Arbitrary Code Guard exploit protection has been enabled in media playback utility processes, improving security for Windows users.
• The native HTML date picker for date and time entries can now only be used with a keyboard, improving its accessibility for screen reader users. Users with limited mobility can now also use common keyboard shortcuts to navigate the calendar grid and month selection spinners.
• Firefox is built in Spanish from Spain (es-ES) and Spanish from Argentina (es-AR) now comes with a built-in dictionary for Firefox’s spell checker.

Other changes:

• As of January 16th, Colorways will no longer be in Firefox. Users will still be able to access saved and active Colorways from the Add-ons & Themes menu option.
• On macOS, Ctrl or Cmd + trackpad or mouse wheel now scrolls the page instead of zooming. This prevents accidental zooming and matches the behavior of other web browsers on macOS.
• Firefox View’s Recently Closed section now equips users with the ability to manually close/remove url links from the list.
• Empty status messages and graphical components displayed in Firefox View for Tab Capture and Recently Closed sections have been updated for an improved user experience.