Lesson 3: Customizing Firefox
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Customizing Firefox
If you want your browser to feel more personal and unique, it's easy to customize Firefox. In this lesson, we'll talk about the different ways you can modify Firefox, including the startup options and add-ons, which allow you to install extensions and themes to Firefox.
Watch the video below to learn the basics of customizing Firefox.
Choosing your startup options
To choose a homepage:
By default, Firefox will show the Firefox start page whenever you start the browser. If you'd like to see a specific website every time you open your browser, like a news site or weather forecast, you can set that site as your homepage.
- Click the menu button in the top-right corner of the browser, then select Options.
- An Options tab will open. Type the desired web address into the Home Page: field. In our example, we'll type www.weather.com.
- The homepage will appear whenever you start Firefox. Click the Home button to visit your homepage at any time.
To set Firefox as the default browser:
If you want to use Firefox as your only web browser, you can set it as the default browser on your computer. If you click a link in another program on your computer, like an email client, it will open in Firefox.
- Click the menu button in the top-right corner of the browser and select Options.
- Select Make Default. Any link you open on your computer will now open in Firefox.
Firefox add-ons
Add-ons can add different functionality to Firefox. For example, you can install different extensions and themes, which can make Firefox even more powerful and personal.
To install an extension:
Extensions can add additional features to the browser. For example, they can block advertisements, share a page with your social network, and much more.
- Click the menu button in the top-right corner of the browser, then select Add-ons.
- The Add-ons Manager will appear in a new tab. Scroll down to view several popular add-ons. You can also search for an extension. Select Extensions in the menu on the left. In the search bar on the right, you can search for various add-ons. In our example, we'll search for an extension that can block advertisements.
- A list of results will appear. Locate the extension you would like to use and click Install now to add it. The extension will be installed. Some extensions will add buttons to the toolbar, while others will work in the background.
It's important to note that extensions are not necessarily created or approved by Mozilla Firefox. Many are created by third-party providers or even individual users, so they may not always be safe to install.
To install a theme:
Themes allow you to change the appearance of the browser to suit your personality. Themes can add new colors and background pictures to the Firefox window. We recommend using the default theme because your tabs can become difficult to read with certain themes.
- Click the menu button in the top-right corner of the browser, then select Add-ons. The Add-ons Manager will appear.
- Several themes are featured in the Add-ons Manager. Click the switch next to them to install the theme.
- If you want to see more themes, click See more add-ons! at the bottom of the page.
- A new Add-ons page will appear. Click the Themes button at the top. This will show you all available themes.
Managing add-ons
If you don't want to keep an extension or theme, the Add-ons Manager allows you to disable and even remove your add-ons from Firefox.
To manage add-ons:
- Click the menu button in the top-right corner of the browser, then select Add-ons. The Add-ons Manager will appear.
- Click Extensions to see your installed extensions. From here, they can be temporarily disabled or removed.
- Click Appearance to see your installed themes. From here, they can be temporarily disabled or removed.
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