Mozilla is currently developing a significant redesign of Firefox, internally codenamed “Nova.” Early mockups, revealed exclusively by Austrian developer Sören Hentzschel, give a first look at a completely revamped interface featuring rounded corners, pastel colors, floating elements, and the return of a compact mode. Here’s what we know so far.
A Modernized Interface
The mockups highlight a consistent use of rounded corners. Tabs, the address bar, navigation bar, sidebar launcher, and even the page content frames adopt smooth, uniform shapes organized into floating blocks, reminiscent of forks like Zen Browser.
Colors are also reimagined: Nova introduces pastel gradients in the tab bar, colorful accents in menus and on the homepage, and an overall interface tone that adapts to the chosen wallpaper or theme. Some mockups show mint green or purple interfaces, similar to Google’s Material You design.
New Functional Features
The redesign isn’t just about visuals. Two standout functional improvements are visible in the mockups:
- Compact Mode – While Firefox has technically offered this mode for years, it’s no longer officially supported and is only accessible via hidden settings. Nova appears to bring it back prominently, with a “Window Density” option in the appearance settings, offering both Standard and Compact views.
- Split Tabs View – Users will be able to display two tabs side by side in the same window, making multitasking and content comparison easier. Some mockups even show this feature in dark mode.
When Will Nova Arrive?
It’s too early to tell. Development has only just begun, and Mozilla hasn’t made any official announcements. There’s no hidden flag or Nightly build yet for testing Nova. Historically, Firefox redesigns—such as Proton (2021), Photon (2017), or Australis (2014)—take several months, sometimes over a year, to reach stable release.
Key Takeaways
Nova is still in its early stages. However, the mockups released by Sören Hentzschel provide a clear glimpse of the direction Mozilla is taking: modernizing Firefox for mainstream users while, in theory, preserving the customization options that have long been its strength.
This is a project worth watching closely 😉.
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