The Firefox 29 Australis Redesign: Major UI Changes

Released in April 2014, Firefox 29 introduced the "Australis" redesign, representing one of the most significant visual overhauls in the browser's history. This article provides a direct breakdown of the major user interface changes implemented during this update, including the transition to curved tabs, the introduction of a unified application menu, an interactive customization mode, the removal of the bottom add-on bar, and streamlined navigation controls.

Curved and Blended Tabs

The most immediately noticeable change in the Australis update was the shape and placement of the browser tabs. Mozilla replaced the traditional rectangular tabs with smooth, curved edges for the active tab, making it look more like a physical folder tab. To reduce visual clutter, inactive tabs were stripped of their defining borders and blended directly into the background of the title bar, only highlighting when a user hovered their mouse over them.

The "Hamburger" Application Menu

Firefox 29 eliminated the classic orange "Firefox" drop-down menu button that previously sat in the top-left corner of the window. In its place, Mozilla introduced a three-line icon—commonly referred to as the "hamburger" menu—positioned at the far right of the main navigation toolbar. Clicking this icon opened a panel featuring a grid of large, easy-to-read icons for frequently used actions such as copy, paste, zoom, print, and opening a new private window.

Unified Customization Mode

Customizing the browser's layout was completely reimagined in version 29. Entering the new customization mode shrank the active web page into a tab-like preview and revealed a drag-and-drop interface. Users could effortlessly drag icons and tools between a storage palette, the main navigation toolbar, and the new hamburger menu panel, allowing for a highly personalized browsing setup without needing complex configuration menus.

Removal of the Add-on Bar

To maximize vertical screen real estate for web content, the dedicated Add-on Bar at the bottom of the browser window was permanently removed. Instead of hiding extension icons at the bottom of the screen, Firefox 29 integrated all add-on buttons directly into the main navigation toolbar at the top right, placing them right next to the address bar and the new application menu.

Streamlined Navigation and Bookmarking

The navigation toolbar was simplified to focus only on essential actions. The "Forward" navigation button was made conditional, remaining completely hidden unless the user had previously clicked the "Back" button, at which point it would smoothly slide into view. Additionally, bookmark management was consolidated into a single, two-part widget on the toolbar: a star icon for one-click bookmarking paired directly next to a clipboard icon that opened the user's bookmark library.