Give web apps in Firefox a try on Labs and tell us what you think! (Release 142)

2 min read Original article ↗

Hi all! Karen here to share some good news on behalf of the Firefox product group, who are launching a new Labs experience today! 🎉

Following your feedback and discussions on Connect, we’re thrilled to introduce web apps in Firefox, which will be available as an experimental feature in Firefox Labs on Release, starting with Firefox 142. If you’re a Windows user (excluding MSIX/Windows Store builds), we’d love for you to give it a try and let us know what you think.


What it does

 Also known as “pinned sites,” “progressive web apps” (PWAs), and “single-site browsers” (SSBs), these are sites that you can pin, launch, and run as a web app directly from your Windows taskbar so you don’t have to hunt through your tabs.

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Here, Gmail, Facebook, and Jira are actually Firefox windows.

Some things to know: 

  • Simplified web app window: The site you pin opens in a window with a simplified interface. It has less icons and less distractions, so you can focus on that site's content.
  • Add-ons functionality: Add-ons will still work in your web apps!
  • Website icons in the taskbar: Firefox windows are given the icon of the website and run separately from the main Firefox icon in the Windows taskbar. 


How to try it

This feature is currently available to Windows users starting with Firefox Labs 142:

1. In Firefox, type about:preferences#experimental into the address bar. This will take you to Labs.2. Once you're on the Labs page, check the box next to Add sites to your taskbar to turn it on.3. Open a new tab, and look for the “Add to taskbar” icon to the right of the address bar. itskaren_4-1755707758656.png

4. Once you are prompted to pin a site to your taskbar, select “Yes.”

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5. Launch that site in a streamlined window with all of Firefox’s protections.

If you’d like a video demo, please check it out in this link. 

We’d love your feedback

Once you’ve had a chance to try it, please share your thoughts in the comments below. Whether it’s UX polish, any bugs you want us to fix, or other ideas for how to make this experience better.

Thanks for helping us build a better Firefox!