Mozilla Officially Starts Public Testing of Firefox's New "Nova" UI

Earlier this year, a leak detailed that Mozilla was preparing a major design overhaul for Firefox internally called “Project Nova.” Well, the Firefox UX team has now officially confirmed that public testing for the Nova UI is finally happening. In the announcement blog post, Firefox UX team says the redesign isn’t about replacing Firefox entirely but rather modernizing the browser while keeping its familiar identity intact.

The company describes Nova “cleaner, warmer, faster and more adaptable version” of Firefox built for how the modern web works today.

Firefox’s rumored massive “Nova” UI redesign is real and is now open for public testing

One of the biggest highlights of Firefox’s Nova UI redesign is privacy. Mozilla says the new interface pulls privacy tools closer to the front instead of hiding them deep inside menus. That includes easier access to built-in VPN tools, private browsing controls, and clearer settings for tracking protection and AI features. Users will also get the option to completely disable AI-related features directly from Settings.

Firefox is also revamping the overall look of the browser with Nova UI. Tabs now feature softer shapes with glowing gradients, menus are becoming more rounded, icons are getting cleaned up, and spacing across the UI is being rebalanced. Mozilla says the refreshed color palette takes inspiration from fire, combining smoky purple tones with brighter highlights around active tabs.

Speaking of which, Mozilla also confirmed that compact mode is making a comeback after users repeatedly asked for it. Productivity features like vertical tabs, split view, and tab groups are also becoming easier to access without cluttering the interface.

Image: Mozilla

Performance improvements are another major part of Nova. Mozilla claims Firefox improved key page load times by around 9% over the past year while continuing to prioritize tracker blocking and privacy protections together.

The redesign will appear most noticeably on desktop first, but Mozilla says mobile versions of Firefox are also getting updated visuals and shared design elements for a more consistent experience across devices.

Starting today, the new Nova UI is open for public testing via Nightly builds of Firefox.