Firefox 159 Released with Wayland Fixes for Linux
Firefox 159 is now available, bringing a mix of interface updates, web compatibility improvements and fixes for Linux users—particularly those running Wayland.
Mozilla has moved to a faster release schedule, so each update may bring fewer changes than before, but arrive more frequently. In this release, the Passwords tool is now enabled by default in the browser sidebar, making saved credentials accessible alongside the page you’re viewing.
Firefox also adds a keyboard shortcut for searching open tabs. Press Ctrl + Shift + A on Windows or Linux to focus the address bar and search tabs open on your device or synced devices. The shortcut previously opened the Add-ons and Themes page; that page now uses Ctrl + Shift + F.
Wayland and Linux fixes
Firefox 159 addresses two tab-handling problems affecting Linux users on Wayland. Clicking a tab could sometimes detach it into a separate window, while dragging a tab upward would fail to detach it as intended.
The update also fixes excessive memory use on systems with AMD graphics when visiting sites such as ChatGPT that display Mapbox GL JS maps.
Smart Window and AI updates
People testing Mozilla’s Smart Window feature can use a new /watch command to have an AI service monitor a webpage for changes, such as a price drop or a new post. Users can configure how often the page is checked and how notifications are delivered, as well as manage, pause or delete watches.
When using an AI chatbot in the sidebar, the “summarise” action now shares the website’s address with the AI provider instead of sending the page’s text. Firefox 160 is expected to add Yahoo! Scout as another chatbot provider.
Other changes
Firefox 159 adds support for scroll-driven animations, which let developers link animation progress to scrolling or an element’s movement through the viewport.
Other fixes include problems importing bookmarks from signed-in Chrome profiles, file-upload dialogs reopening in the last folder used to save a file, and some websites—including Slack—failing to load instead of using HTTP/2. The release also includes Linux Vulkan-related patches, respects the operating system’s Reduce Motion setting for browser animations, and delivers security fixes listed in Mozilla’s advisory.
Testing automatic picture-in-picture
An experimental setting can make videos enter picture-in-picture mode when their tab is obscured by another window or the browser is minimised. To try it, open about:config, find enable-when-occluded, and set it to true. The existing “keep playing in picture-in-picture mode” option must also be enabled.
Firefox 159 can be downloaded from the Mozilla FTP server. Existing users will receive it through the browser’s update system or the package source they used to install Firefox. On Ubuntu, the update is delivered automatically through the Snap Store. Firefox 160 is scheduled for 10 November 2026.