I switched from Chrome to Firefox about two years ago, primarily over the Manifest V3 changes that weakened uBlock Origin on Chrome. Here's what I learned about the new tab page experience specifically.
The New Tab Page Problem When Switching
Chrome's new tab page and Firefox's new tab page are different products. Chrome's shows Google's search bar and recently visited sites with minimal customization options. Firefox's also shows recently visited sites and a search bar, but the ecosystem of new tab extensions differs.
If you relied on a Chrome new tab extension (Momentum is common), you'll need to find a Firefox equivalent.
Momentum (Chrome) → What's Available on Firefox
Momentum's main appeal on Chrome: a beautiful daily photo, a motivational quote, a focus field, and time display. Weather is a Plus feature ($3.33/month).
On Firefox, Momentum is available but has fewer features and slower updates than the Chrome version. If you want similar aesthetics, the Firefox version works, but it's not identical.
Alternatives on Firefox that do part of what Momentum does:
Weather & Clock Dashboard — Free. Covers weather + world clocks + time + search. No daily photos or quotes. Best for information-focused users.
Tabliss — Highly customizable, free. Can show quotes, backgrounds, weather (basic), time. More aesthetic flexibility than Weather & Clock Dashboard.
nightTab — Minimalist, link-focused. Good for people who primarily want bookmarks on their new tab.
Why uBlock Origin Is Better on Firefox (The Extension Difference)
This is the core reason many people switched in the first place. uBlock Origin on Firefox uses Manifest V2 APIs that allow it to block requests before they load. Chrome's Manifest V3 moved to a different mechanism that makes ad blocking less effective.
The practical difference in daily use: more ads pass through on Chrome's uBlock than on Firefox's uBlock. This isn't minor — it affects page load times and the number of trackers blocked.
Firefox's Extension Architecture
Firefox has a different relationship with extensions generally. Mozilla has historically been more protective of extension capabilities. The AMO (addons.mozilla.org) review process is more thorough than Chrome Web Store. Some developers publish Firefox-only extensions because they don't want to deal with Chrome's restrictions.
Weather & Clock Dashboard is an example: it's a Firefox-exclusive extension, available at addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/weather-clock-dashboard/, with full weather forecast and world clocks for free.
The Practical Switching Experience
If you're coming from Chrome:
- Install Firefox, import bookmarks (Firefox prompts you on first launch)
- Install uBlock Origin immediately — this is the main reason to switch
- Replace your new tab extension — if you used Momentum, evaluate what you actually used it for. Weather + clocks? Weather & Clock Dashboard. Aesthetic + inspiration? Try Tabliss or Momentum's Firefox version.
- Multi-Account Containers — this is better than Chrome's Profile system for most purposes
- Bitwarden — if you used Chrome's password manager, Bitwarden is the cross-browser alternative
The switch takes about an hour to replicate your Chrome setup, then a week to feel natural.
After two years on Firefox, I haven't gone back to Chrome. The uBlock Origin difference alone makes browsing noticeably more pleasant. The new tab extensions I use (Weather & Clock Dashboard for weather/time context) are better suited to what I actually need than what I had on Chrome.
Top comments (0)