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PayPalAs Mozilla promised they would, Firefox version 148.0 has been released and with it you now get to control what generative AI features are enabled or disabled.
The settings aren't buried or difficult to find either, there's a dedicated and very clear section for it in the main Firefox settings panel making it really easy to do. With a one-click overall option, or individual feature controls. So now you can choose if you want AI translations, image alt text in the PDF viewer, tab group suggestions, link previews, chat bots and whatever else they decide to add in future. Thankfully, if they do add other AI features in future they said that the toggle to disable them will apply to newly added stuff too.
Here's what the new page looks like in Firefox on Linux:
There's some other new bits noted too including:
Firefox now has improved support for screen readers accessing mathematical formulas embedded in PDFs.
Remote improvements are now decoupled from telemetry requirements in Firefox Settings. You can now opt into receiving remote browser changes even if you have opted out of sharing telemetry or participating in our experimental studies.
Firefox Backup is now available on Windows 10 to users who also use the “Clear history when Firefox closes” capability. Backups will not include any data which is set to be cleared when Firefox is closed.
The following languages are now available for translation:
- Translation into and from Traditional Chinese.
- Translation into Vietnamese.
New Tab wallpapers will now appear on new container tabs as well as new default tabs.
Plus some security fixes, and the usual assortment of HTML and CSS updates for web developers.
Good to see Mozilla respond to all the feedback on the AI features.
See more in the release notes.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
About the author - Liam Dawe
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly.
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14 comments
I'm glad they added this, but for me: too little too late / the train has left the station / the horse is out of the barn / [insert saying here] ...... I'm never going to use FF again. Sorry mozilla :(
2 Likes
GustyGhost 7 hours ago
Keep a chatbot in view as you browse.There is no saving humanity.
5 Likes
Quoting: JarmerI'm glad they added this, but for me: too little too late / the train has left the station / the horse is out of the barn / [insert saying here] ...... I'm never going to use FF again. Sorry mozilla :(You can say that, but what then? I refuse to use a chrome(ium) based browser since those have shown to follow google. Other alternatives have their own issues. Besides, I think the settings have been in FF for a while because I turned all of it off the moment it appeared. I just needed to do it with about:config. So not sure if this change is more than just UI.
1 Likes
Quoting: EhvisYou can say that, but what then?I primarily use three devices, so here's what I use:
- linux desktop: Librewolf / Orion beta
- macos laptop: Orion
- ios phone: Orion
I absolutely love what Kagi is doing with Orion, so at least for now I'm very happy with that. In the future Servo / Ladybird might be great alternatives as well, just not there yet as of today.
0 Likes
Quoting: JarmerI primarily use three devices, so here's what I use:Librewolf is a Firefox version, so still lives or dies by what happens to Mozilla. So I don't see that as much of a difference. And I'm not to familiar with the webkit politics. At the end of the day it is an Apple thing and I see Apple as a much bigger threat than Mozilla due to its size. You can argue webkit is open source, but so is chromium and shows the scars of its google dependency, so that doesn't mean much.
- linux desktop: Librewolf / Orion beta
As you mentioned, ideally you'd want something that is truly independent and that can't be influenced by tech giants, but that's not realistic at this time. So for now a Mozilla dependency seems the least problematic, whether it is through Firefox or one of its custom builds.
5 Likes
Quoting: Ehvis...but what then?Microsoft had a chance to keep the web somewhat independent by keeping the original Edge browser alive, or maybe even partnering up with Mozilla. But instead they made Edge into a reskin of Chrome, and gave Google full control of the web on a silver platter.
0 Likes
walther von stolzing 6 hours ago
Quoting: LinasMS stalled the development of web standards for years, with Internet Explorer. It's a good thing that they aren't an independent meddler nowadays.Quoting: Ehvis...but what then?Microsoft had a chance to keep the web somewhat independent by keeping the original Edge browser alive, or maybe even partnering up with Mozilla. But instead they made Edge into a reskin of Chrome, and gave Google full control of the web on a silver platter.
4 Likes
Final result seems fine. I assume Mozilla needs the AI hype money to stay in business.
I am not a fan of having AI force fed to me. I did like that they didn’t configure it so that if I want use translations, I had to turn on all AI features.
I am not a fan of having AI force fed to me. I did like that they didn’t configure it so that if I want use translations, I had to turn on all AI features.
0 Likes
Quoting: EhvisAll of what you've said is exactly right, and I agree with all of it.Quoting: JarmerI primarily use three devices, so here's what I use:Librewolf is a Firefox version, so still lives or dies by what happens to Mozilla. So I don't see that as much of a difference. And I'm not to familiar with the webkit politics. At the end of the day it is an Apple thing and I see Apple as a much bigger threat than Mozilla due to its size. You can argue webkit is open source, but so is chromium and shows the scars of its google dependency, so that doesn't mean much.
- linux desktop: Librewolf / Orion beta
As you mentioned, ideally you'd want something that is truly independent and that can't be influenced by tech giants, but that's not realistic at this time. So for now a Mozilla dependency seems the least problematic, whether it is through Firefox or one of its custom builds.
But at the end of the day: I'm just doing the best I can ... and to me, avoiding vanilla FF and vanilla Webkit is a good idea. Chrome / chromium anything doesn't even enter the picture. So ... librewolf / orion is the best I can think of in early 2026.
2 Likes
We should never have fucking needed a switch in the first place, mozilla... if that is your real name.
* pulls off mask scooby doo style to reveal google operative *
* pulls off mask scooby doo style to reveal google operative *
5 Likes
Caldathras 
2 hours ago
This is good but I'll be sticking with LibreWolf and Vivaldi.
LibreWolf is a Firefox fork not a version. To me, that's a big difference. They are not part of the Firefox organization and they have a very different philosophy and approach to the browser compared to Mozilla. With LibreWolf, I get everything I like about Firefox without Mozilla's negatives. That LibreWolf depends on Mozilla's future is not the issue here.
Last edited by Caldathras on 24 Feb 2026 at 7:20 pm UTC
Quoting: EhvisLibrewolf is a Firefox version, so still lives or dies by what happens to Mozilla. So I don't see that as much of a difference.
LibreWolf is a Firefox fork not a version. To me, that's a big difference. They are not part of the Firefox organization and they have a very different philosophy and approach to the browser compared to Mozilla. With LibreWolf, I get everything I like about Firefox without Mozilla's negatives. That LibreWolf depends on Mozilla's future is not the issue here.
Last edited by Caldathras on 24 Feb 2026 at 7:20 pm UTC
0 Likes
UltraAltesBrot 2 hours ago
Let's be real: AI in some form or another is there to stay. And honestly: I like those small additions! Because they aren't "slop" and might be useful for some browsing the web. Also I can easily toggle tools on/off and if I use them, they run on locally my machine. Using AI to increase the accessibility of PDFs is also a nice addition. Looking forward to what's coming next.
1 Likes
I presume that those AI chatbots all run locally on my PC without needing any connection to a company I don't trust? Would be quite unfortunate if I had some spyware running while I was, as a completely random example, doing some online banking.
0 Likes
Linux_Rocks 21 minutes ago
Quoting: walther von stolzingFor fucks sake, this. Microsoft isn't the Bonapartist false alternative that we need for web "freedom."Quoting: LinasMS stalled the development of web standards for years, with Internet Explorer. It's a good thing that they aren't an independent meddler nowadays.Quoting: Ehvis...but what then?Microsoft had a chance to keep the web somewhat independent by keeping the original Edge browser alive, or maybe even partnering up with Mozilla. But instead they made Edge into a reskin of Chrome, and gave Google full control of the web on a silver platter.
0 Likes
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