Firefox finally lets you customize Keyboard Shortcuts, 25 years after the first request

Mozilla is making a long-requested change to Firefox by adding built-in custom keyboard shortcuts, often referred to as “hotkeys”. This has been one of the most requested features for over 20 years, and it will be available in a future version of Firefox.

Users want custom hotkeys because some shortcuts feel hard to press or remember, some prefer to assign certain keys to actions they use more often, and some want to avoid conflicts with extensions or their operating system. Browsers like Vivaldi and Opera already offer custom hotkeys, and many Firefox users have raised this request for years.

Change Firefox’s default keyboard shortcuts via about:keyboard page

You can try the feature now in Firefox Nightly by typing “about:keyboard” in the address bar.

The page shows a full list of commands and their shortcuts, with “Change” and “Clear” buttons next to each action. The layout matches Firefox’s internal pages, such as about:config and about:cache, and the page stays simple and easy to read.

Firefox also shows a clear mapping of each command and its assigned shortcut, so you can see everything in one place.

To set a new shortcut, visit about:keyboard page in the address bar and click “Change”, then press the new key combination you want. You can remove a shortcut with the “Clear” button. A “Reset all shortcuts to defaults” option at the bottom restores the original settings.

Firefox Nightly allows users to change default shortcuts for File, Edit, Sidebar, Zoom, View, History, Bookmarks, Tools, Browser Tools, and Navigation.

We tested customizable keyboard shortcuts in Firefox 147 Nightly. We assigned new keys to existing actions and restored them to the default without any issues.

Mozilla plans to ship the feature in Firefox 147 on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The current target is January 13. The team may move it to version 149 if extra fixes are required.

That’s not all. Mozilla has removed Direct2D support from Firefox on Windows and now lets you create desktop shortcuts for Firefox profiles.