With version 117, Firefox finally speaks Chrome's translation language

The latest type of nan flagship FOSS browser is out, and it's picked up 1 of nan main features for which we support Chrome around.

The Firefox version 117 characteristic database mightiness not look each that impressive, but it does person a big-ticket characteristic that whitethorn tempt group back: automatic translation. The snag is it's abnormal by default successful nan merchandise version, and you'll person to manually alteration it. Although it was enabled successful nan betas, Mozilla has decided to spell for a staged rollout and not alteration it for everyone until Firefox 118 successful six weeks aliases so.

The caller characteristic is integrated, privacy-respecting instrumentality translator betwixt aggregate languages. This was already possible successful older versions, but it needed an extension, and that had 2 broadside effects. One is that nan hold hooked heavy into nan halfway of nan browser successful ways that Mozilla wasn't comfortable about, and nan different is that erstwhile your matter had been sent retired to a third-party website, it could beryllium snooped upon – but nan victims of immoderate snooping would blasted nan browser, moreover if it wasn't nan browser's fault.

To alteration it, spell to nan configuration page (enter about:config successful nan reside bar), and hunt for a mounting called browser.translations.enable. Change that to True and restart nan browser, and nan caller characteristic should commencement working. If you spell to a page that's not successful your configured strategy language, a caller fastener should look adjacent to nan reside box, offering instrumentality translation.

We gave it a try, and it useful smoothly and good pinch German, including login dialogs and truthful connected – but sadly, astatine this point, not pinch Czech. Even so, whether you're an expat, an occasional traveler, aliases you conscionable request to sometimes look thing up successful a overseas language, this is simply a very useful feature, and having it successful an all-FOSS browser is simply a very bully thing. Indeed, its absence has been a spot of a woody breaker for The Reg FOSS table complete nan past decade, and is 1 logic that Chrome is 1 of nan first things we instal connected a caller Linux strategy – moreover if it's ne'er our default browser.

The different features things that are turned connected successful this merchandise are useful moreover so. Users successful respective other languages get automatic in installments paper handling. Compatibility pinch surface readers and keyboard controls has been improved.

Since nan past caller Firefox merchandise we covered, which was version 115, location was besides a short-term merchandise emitted astatine nan commencement of August: version 116. That had immoderate useful caller worldly too, including amended picture-in-picture video playback, amended keyboard controls and improved sidebar handling.

• LibreOffice 7.6 arrives: Open root stalwart is showing its maturity
• Google opens up Chrome 117 Developer Tools box, drops successful a fewer spanners
• Watchdog vows crackdown connected 'harmful' world of surveillance-by-data-broker
• Honey, tin you shrink nan plugin? Mozilla allows desktop extensions connected Firefox for Android

Also since that article, Mozilla's ain tests show that nan browser has besides been steadily improving successful performance. Firefox now outperforms Chrome successful immoderate tests.

Firefox is still an fantabulous tool, and a beardown rival to Chrome and nan galore Chrome-based browsers. Brave, successful particular, continues to attract criticism. It is annoying that you will astir apt request to adhd a fewer extensions and tweak immoderate settings to get it conscionable so. The Reg's FOSS table really wishes personification much visionary was astatine nan helm of Mozilla, specified arsenic Vivaldi leader Jon von Tetzchner. Firefox deserves a stronger steward. ®