Almost a month after releasing version 136, Mozilla has launched Firefox 137, the latest update to its popular open-source web browser, now available for download, jam-packed with user-facing improvements, developer tools, and underlying web platform enhancements.
The spotlight falls on Firefox’s newfound ability to automatically convert every detected link in a PDF into a clickable hyperlink. This user-friendly approach saves time and helps avoid the hassle of copying and pasting URLs from PDF files into the browser.
Furthermore, Linux fans will be pleased to learn that Firefox 137 now offers official High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) playback, enhancing the viewing experience for those who rely on Linux distributions.
Meanwhile, another interesting capability is sure to grab attention: the address bar can now double as a calculator. Simply typing an arithmetic expression in the URL bar prompts Firefox to display the result in the drop-down. Clicking on that result conveniently copies it to the clipboard, saving an extra step.
According to Mozilla, this feature is being introduced through a progressive rollout, meaning not everyone will see it immediately. In other words, the feature will appear gradually, allowing teams to monitor performance and user feedback before releasing it to the entire user base.
Another noteworthy addition involves PDF signing. In Firefox 137, there is no need to leave the browser to sign PDF documents. Users can place their signatures directly within Firefox and then save them for recurring usage. This integrated approach avoids time-consuming back-and-forth with separate applications or online tools.
Changes for Mac users have also arrived. Due to updates in MacOS Sequoia, the command to auto-complete search strings in the address bar to “.com” is now “Cmd+Enter,” as opposed to “Ctrl+Enter” on other platforms. Notably, the old preference (“browser.urlbar.ctrlCanonizesURLs“) remains valid across all supported operating systems, meaning Mac users who prefer to disable auto-completion can still do so.
Developers will find some handy improvements in the Inspector Fonts panel. It now displays metadata such as a font’s version, designer, vendor, and even license information. On top of that, it is now possible to override network request responses with local files in the Network panel.
Finally, two web platform enhancements round out this release. Support for the SVG 2 path API is now available, boosting the potential for more sophisticated vector graphics in web pages. The new hyphenate-limit-chars property also enables authors to exert greater control over automatic hyphenation.
Those eager to immediately download the latest Firefox version can do so directly from Mozilla’s server. Windows and macOS users can expect an over-the-air update within the next day. Users of rolling-release Linux distros should look for the new Firefox 137 as an update in their repos over the next few days.
