Most people use their browser the same way for years: default settings, default new tab, maybe one or two extensions they installed a while ago. A few small changes can make a meaningful difference in how your browser works for you.
Here's my Firefox setup after years of trying different things. These aren't power-user tweaks — they're practical changes anyone can make in under 15 minutes.
1. Replace the Default New Tab Page
The default new tab in Firefox shows sponsored shortcuts and tiles. If you open a lot of tabs, you see this screen constantly.
My current setup uses Weather & Clock Dashboard, which replaces the new tab with:
- Live weather and a 3-day forecast for my city
- World clocks for the time zones I care about (handy for remote work)
- A search bar that searches the web by default
It's free, open source, and doesn't collect any data. Install it from Firefox Add-Ons.
If you want something more minimal, Tabliss and nightTab are also good options with more customization.
2. Install uBlock Origin
This is the single highest-impact extension you can install. It blocks ads and trackers across the web, which:
- Speeds up page loading noticeably
- Reduces privacy exposure
- Makes many websites much more readable
uBlock Origin is free and open source. Install it here.
3. Set Up Firefox Containers
Firefox Multi-Account Containers lets you isolate different browsing "contexts" — work, personal, social, shopping — so sites can't track you across them.
Practical example: put Facebook in a "Social" container so it can't see your browsing history. Put your work apps in a "Work" container.
This is a Mozilla-developed extension: Multi-Account Containers.
4. Configure Your Search Engine
Go to Settings → Search and check your default search engine. If you want more privacy than Google, DuckDuckGo and Brave Search are solid alternatives.
I use different search engines for different contexts:
- DuckDuckGo as default (private, ad-free)
- Google as a quick access option when DuckDuckGo's results aren't helpful
5. Enable HTTPS-Only Mode
Under Settings → Privacy & Security, enable HTTPS-Only Mode. This ensures Firefox uses encrypted connections whenever possible and warns you when a site only supports unencrypted HTTP.
Most modern sites support HTTPS, so this rarely causes problems.
6. Review Your Extensions
Most people have extensions they installed and forgot about. Each extension:
- Has access to your browsing data (depending on permissions)
- Can slow down Firefox slightly
- Is a potential security risk if it gets abandoned or sold
Go to about:addons and review what's installed. Remove anything you don't actively use.
Good extensions to keep: uBlock Origin, Firefox Containers, any password manager, and any new tab replacement you actively use.
7. Sync Across Devices
If you use Firefox on multiple devices (desktop + phone, work + home), Firefox Sync keeps your bookmarks, passwords, tabs, and history in sync across all of them via a free Firefox account.
This is especially useful if you need to:
- Access a desktop tab on your phone
- Have the same bookmarks everywhere
- Use your saved passwords on all devices
The Low-Effort High-Impact Changes
If you only do two things from this list:
- Install uBlock Origin — immediate improvement to browsing speed and privacy
- Set up a better new tab — every new tab becomes more useful
The new tab change is particularly underrated. You open new tabs constantly throughout the day. A new tab that shows you useful information (weather, world clocks, news headlines — whatever matters to you) versus a generic page with ads is a small thing that compounds over time.
What's your current Firefox setup? Any extensions I missed in this list?
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