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Get started with Firefox - An overview of the main features

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This article covers the basics features of Firefox - bookmarks, tabs, search, add-ons and more. It also links to more articles that you'll want to explore.
This article covers the basics features of Firefox - bookmarks, tabs, search, add-ons and more. It also links to more articles that you'll want to explore.

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New to Firefox? Well you’ve come to the right place. This article covers all the basics and will get you up and running in just a few minutes. It also has tons of links to other great articles that you might want to explore later. __TOC__ = Set or change your home page = ''Choose the page that opens when you start Firefox or click the Home button.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/Nnu0A-jIh-U]] # Open a tab with the webpage you want to use as your home page. # Drag and drop that tab onto the Home button [[Image:Home Button]]. #;{for win}[[Image:Home Page 29 - Win8]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Home Page 29 - Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Home Page 29 - Linux]]{/for} # Click {button Yes} to set this as your home page. More options can be found in the [[How to set the home page|home page article]]. = Search the web = ''Pick your favorite search engine with Firefox's built-in Search bar.'' {for not fx34} <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/3vgza48s5Xw]] * Just click the search icon, on the left side of the search bar, to pick the one you want. *;{for win}[[Image:Search2 29 - Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Search2 29 - Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Search2 29 - Lin]]{/for} {/for} {for fx34} * Just start typing into the search bar and pick the search engine you want. *;[[Image:quick search fx34]] {/for} Learn more search tricks with the [[Search bar - Easily choose your favorite search engine|Search bar article]]. = Bookmark a website = ''Save your favorite sites.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/F3uMpJ0YzqM]] * To create a bookmark, click the star in the toolbar. The star will turn blue and a bookmark for the page you're on will be created in the Unsorted Bookmarks folder. That's it! *;{for win}[[Image:Bookmark 29 Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Bookmark 29 Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Bookmark 29 Lin]]{/for} {note}'''Tip:''' Drag a tab directly to your [[Create bookmarks to save your favorite webpages#w_how-do-i-turn-on-the-bookmarks-toolbar|bookmarks toolbar]] to save it there. {/note} For more information, see the [[Create bookmarks to save your favorite webpages|bookmarks article]]. = Find everything with the Awesome Bar = ''We like to call Firefox’s address bar the "Awesome Bar" because it quickly finds places you've visited before.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/U7stmWKvk64]] * Start typing in the address bar and you'll see a list of pages from your browsing history and bookmarks. When you see the page you want, just click on it. *;{for win}[[Image:Bookmark3 29 Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Bookmark3 29 Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Bookmark3 29 Lin]]{/for} {note}'''Tip:''' You can also do a web search from here. Give it a try.{/note} To learn more tricks, see the [[Search your bookmarks, history and tabs with the Awesome Bar|Awesome Bar article]]. = Private Browsing = ''Firefox’s Private Browsing feature allows you to browse the Internet without saving any information on your computer about which sites and pages you’ve visited.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/r3s-zDwLjb0]] *Click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]] and then click {button New Private Window}. *;{for winxp}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - winxp]]{/for}{for win7,win8,win10}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - win8]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - linux]]{/for} Learn more about how [[Private Browsing - Browse the web without saving information about the sites you visit|Private Browsing]] works. = Customize the menu or the toolbar = ''You can change the items that appear in the menu or your toolbar.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/94tAqUObEfc]] #Click the menu button [[Image:new fx menu]] and choose {button Customize}. #*A special tab will open which allows you to drag and drop items in or out of the menu and the toolbar. #;[[Image:Customize Fx 29 Win8]] #When you are done, click the green {button Exit Customize} button. Learn more about [[Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars|customizing Firefox]]. = Add features to Firefox with add-ons = ''Add-ons are like apps that you can install to make Firefox work the way you want.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/i4y_CeifV2s]] # [[T:Open Add-ons|type=Get Add-ons]] # To see more information on a Featured Add-on or Theme, click it. You can then click the green {button Add to Firefox} button to install it. #*You can also search for specific add-ons by using the search box at the top. You can then install any add-ons you find with the {button Install} button. #*;{for win}[[Image:Addon1 29 Win]][[Image:Addon2 29 Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Addon1 29 Mac]][[Image:Addon2 29 Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Addon1 29 Lin]][[Image:Addon2 29 Lin]]{/for} #Firefox will download the requested add-on and may ask you to confirm that you want to install it. # Click {button Restart Now} if it pops up. Your tabs will be saved and restored after the restart. To learn more about add-ons, see [[Find and install add-ons to add features to Firefox]]. {note}'''Tip:''' Some add-ons place a button in the toolbar after installation. You can remove those or move them into the menu if you want – see [[Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars]].{/note} = Keep your Firefox in sync = ''Access your bookmarks, history, passwords and more from any device.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/wSVJrWzoq7E]] #First create a Firefox account: #*Click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]] and choose {button Sign in to Sync} and follow the instructions to create your account. #;[[Image:Sync 29]] #Then just sign in to connect another device. For detailed instructions, see [[How do I set up Firefox Sync?]] = Get help = ''If you have more questions or ever need help with Firefox, you're on the right website.'' *[/products/firefox This site] has hundreds of articles that cover nearly every Firefox question you might have. ;[[Image:Get Help|link=/products/firefox]]<!-- TEXT VERSION OF THE BUTTON {button [/products/firefox Get Help]} --> [[Template:top5afterword]]
New to Firefox? Well you’ve come to the right place. This article covers all the basics and will get you up and running in just a few minutes. It also has tons of links to other great articles that you might want to explore later. __TOC__ = Set or change your home page = ''Choose the page that opens when you start Firefox or click the Home button.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/Nnu0A-jIh-U]] # Open a tab with the webpage you want to use as your home page. # Drag and drop that tab onto the Home button [[Image:Home Button]]. #;{for win}[[Image:Home Page 29 - Win8]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Home Page 29 - Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Home Page 29 - Linux]]{/for} # Click {button Yes} to set this as your home page. More options can be found in the [[How to set the home page|home page article]]. = Search the web = ''Pick your favorite search engine with Firefox's built-in Search bar.'' {for not fx34} <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/3vgza48s5Xw]] * Just click the search icon, on the left side of the search bar, to pick the one you want. *;{for win}[[Image:Search2 29 - Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Search2 29 - Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Search2 29 - Lin]]{/for} {/for} {for fx34} * Just start typing into the search bar and pick the search engine you want. *;[[Image:quick search fx34]] {/for} Learn more search tricks with the [[Search bar - Easily choose your favorite search engine|Search bar article]]. = Bookmark a website = ''Save your favorite sites.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/F3uMpJ0YzqM]] * To create a bookmark, click the star in the toolbar. The star will turn blue and a bookmark for the page you're on will be created in the {for not fx48}Unsorted Bookmarks{/for}{for fx48}Other Bookmarks{/for} folder. That's it! *;{for win}[[Image:Bookmark 29 Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Bookmark 29 Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Bookmark 29 Lin]]{/for} {note}'''Tip:''' Drag a tab directly to your [[Create bookmarks to save your favorite webpages#w_how-do-i-turn-on-the-bookmarks-toolbar|bookmarks toolbar]] to save it there. {/note} For more information, see the [[Create bookmarks to save your favorite webpages|bookmarks article]]. = Find everything with the Awesome Bar = ''We like to call Firefox’s address bar the "Awesome Bar" because it quickly finds places you've visited before.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/U7stmWKvk64]] * Start typing in the address bar and you'll see a list of pages from your browsing history and bookmarks. When you see the page you want, just click on it. *;{for win}[[Image:Bookmark3 29 Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Bookmark3 29 Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Bookmark3 29 Lin]]{/for} {note}'''Tip:''' You can also do a web search from here. Give it a try.{/note} To learn more tricks, see the [[Search your bookmarks, history and tabs with the Awesome Bar|Awesome Bar article]]. = Private Browsing = ''Firefox’s Private Browsing feature allows you to browse the Internet without saving any information on your computer about which sites and pages you’ve visited.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/r3s-zDwLjb0]] *Click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]] and then click {button New Private Window}. *;{for winxp}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - winxp]]{/for}{for win7,win8,win10}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - win8]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - linux]]{/for} Learn more about how [[Private Browsing - Browse the web without saving information about the sites you visit|Private Browsing]] works. = Customize the menu or the toolbar = ''You can change the items that appear in the menu or your toolbar.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/94tAqUObEfc]] #Click the menu button [[Image:new fx menu]] and choose {button Customize}. #*A special tab will open which allows you to drag and drop items in or out of the menu and the toolbar. #;[[Image:Customize Fx 29 Win8]] #When you are done, click the green {button Exit Customize} button. Learn more about [[Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars|customizing Firefox]]. = Add features to Firefox with add-ons = ''Add-ons are like apps that you can install to make Firefox work the way you want.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/i4y_CeifV2s]] # [[T:Open Add-ons|type=Get Add-ons]] # To see more information on a Featured Add-on or Theme, click it. You can then click the green {button Add to Firefox} button to install it. #*You can also search for specific add-ons by using the search box at the top. You can then install any add-ons you find with the {button Install} button. #*;{for win}[[Image:Addon1 29 Win]][[Image:Addon2 29 Win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Addon1 29 Mac]][[Image:Addon2 29 Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Addon1 29 Lin]][[Image:Addon2 29 Lin]]{/for} #Firefox will download the requested add-on and may ask you to confirm that you want to install it. # Click {button Restart Now} if it pops up. Your tabs will be saved and restored after the restart. To learn more about add-ons, see [[Find and install add-ons to add features to Firefox]]. {note}'''Tip:''' Some add-ons place a button in the toolbar after installation. You can remove those or move them into the menu if you want – see [[Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars]].{/note} = Keep your Firefox in sync = ''Access your bookmarks, history, passwords and more from any device.'' <!-- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files --> [[Video:http://youtu.be/wSVJrWzoq7E]] #First create a Firefox account: #*Click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]] and choose {button Sign in to Sync} and follow the instructions to create your account. #;[[Image:Sync 29]] #Then just sign in to connect another device. For detailed instructions, see [[How do I set up Firefox Sync?]] = Get help = ''If you have more questions or ever need help with Firefox, you're on the right website.'' *[/products/firefox This site] has hundreds of articles that cover nearly every Firefox question you might have. ;[[Image:Get Help|link=/products/firefox]]<!-- TEXT VERSION OF THE BUTTON {button [/products/firefox Get Help]} --> [[Template:top5afterword]]

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