The World of Windows

As you type into the address bar or search bar, Waterfox suggests relevant search terms or solution buttons related to the task or answer you may be looking for. When search suggestions are enabled, the text you type is sent to your default search engine. This search engine analyzes the words and displays a list of popular results based on the search term. How search suggestions work If you see a search suggestion that matches what you are looking for, click on it to see results for that search term. This can save time and help you find what you’re looking for with less typing. Enabling search suggestions will send the keywords you type in a search field to the default search engine – unless you appear to be typing a URL or hostname. Searches can be entered into: the address bar the Search bar, if enabled in the toolbar the Search bar on the New Tab page The default search engine may collect that information according to the terms of their privacy policy. Us...

Web Push allows websites to notify you of new messages or updated content. While Waterfox is open, websites which have been granted permission can send notifications to your browser, which displays them on the screen. Notifications only display when you press a key on your keyboard or tap/click anywhere on the website that you are accessing. If you have not interacted with the website, then the Notification permission icon will only display in the address bar; the actual notification will not display. You can easily allow or disable notifications and control how they appear. Upgraded Notifications Waterfox can deliver on-screen notifications even when that site is not loaded. Using the Push API, a W3C standard , Waterfox receives a push message and can show notifications (if permitted by the user) at any time. Sites can also use Push to update data in the background, even without showing you a notification. If you already gave permission to a site to send notifications, the si...

Waterfox lets you print pages in a simplified format that strips away clutter like buttons, ads, and background images, for better readability and paper/ink savings. For more information on printing in Waterfox, see How to print web pages in Waterfox . To get a print-friendly view, turn on Reader View for the page before printing: If a page is available in Reader View, the Reader View icon will appear in the address bar. Click on the Reader View icon . The icon will turn blue when the page is in Reader View. Click the menu button to open the menu panel. Click Print to preview the page and print it. source

Reader View is a Waterfox feature that strips away clutter like buttons, ads, background images, and videos while also letting you customize the layout and theme to fit your reading preferences. View a page in Reader View If a page is available in Reader View, the Reader View icon will appear in the address bar. Click on the Reader View icon ; a blue version of the icon indicates the feature is currently active. Tip If a page is available in Reader View, you can also access Reader View from the Menu bar when the Menu bar is enabled , by clicking View then Enter Reader View. Alternatively, you can press the key F9 to toggle Reader View. Modify Reader View settings Options are available to the left of the article content: Reader View options: : Exit Reader View. : Adjust the layout (text font and size, content width, line height) and theme (light, sepia, dark) in Reader View. : Have Waterfox read an article out loud in Reader View. This option will show...

Waterfox lets you identify noisy tabs and mute them in a single click. Silence tabs quickly without affecting your other tabs or windows. Mute or unmute tabs When sound starts playing while you’re browing, Waterfox lets you know where it’s coming from by displaying a speaker button on the noisy tab. Click the speaker to turn the sound off or on for that tab alone. Keyboard shortcut: To mute or unmute a tab without a mouse, you can also press Ctrl + M while on the tab. source

The New Tab page is the default home page that opens when you start Waterfox, click the Home icon in the toolbar or open a new window. This article explains how to set your Waterfox home page. If you want Waterfox to open the windows and tabs from your previous session each time you start Waterfox, instead of opening your home page, see Configuring session restore . Set or change your home page through the Home button Open the web page you want to use as your home page. Drag and drop that tab onto the Home icon on your toolbar. Click Yes on the prompt to set this page as your home page. Set your home page through Waterfox Settings Click the menu button and select Settings. Click the Home panel. Click the menu next to Homepage and new windows and choose to show the default Waterfox Home page, custom URLs or a blank page. Set multiple pages as your home page You can set a group of pages as your home page. Open each page in a separate tab, se...

You can personalize your New Tab page to show the search box, your most visited sites, recommended stories, pages you’ve visited or bookmarked recently, or nothing at all. This article will show you how to change this content. For other changes you can make to your New Tab page, such as customizing your Top Sites, see Customize items on your Waterfox New Tab page . To change the page that opens when you start Waterfox or open a new window, see How to set the home page . Change your New Tab page content Click the menu button and select Settings. Select the Home panel. Under Waterfox Home Content , put a checkmark next to the sections you want to see on your New Tab page. Some sections have a drop-down panel to choose the number of rows you want to view. Web Search: This turns the Search the Web box on or off on the New Tab page. Top Sites: This shows your most visited sites. Sponsored Top Sites: Select this check box to see the occas...

To continue supporting Windows 10 after October 14, 2025, you must upgrade to Windows 11, enroll in Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) program (which is a paid service for consumers), or use an alternative operating system such as a Linux distribution. Options for continued support Upgrade to Windows 11: If your PC meets the minimum requirements, the easiest option is to upgrade to Windows 11. You can check compatibility on the Microsoft website and check for updates in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Extended Security Updates (ESU) program: If you need more time, you can enroll in Microsoft's ESU program. To do this, your device must be running the latest version of Windows 10 (22H2), and you must pay the annual subscription fee. To enroll, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Add a device. Switching to Linux: If your computer isn't compatible with Windows 11, a free alternative is to insta...

The Waterfox New Tab page displays shortcuts (sites you visit the most) and your recently visited or bookmarked sites. You can customize this content by following the instructions below. Note To learn about other ways to change your New Tab display (such as to hide or show different sections or to show a blank New Tab page) see this article . Tiles displayed in Shortcuts (most visited) and Recent activity (sites recently visited or bookmarked) sections of the New Tab page will change based on browsing behavior, but you can pin Shortcuts or remove these tiles. Customize your Shortcuts Your Shortcuts are the sites you visit most and the sites that you choose to Pin for easy access. These sites will also appear when you click on the address bar to start a search. Hover the mouse pointer over a Shortcut. Click the three-dot menu that appears in the upper right corner of the Shortcut. From here, you can choose to Pin, Edit or Dismiss (remove) the Shortcut. Add ...