What's New in Firefox OS?

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Here's an overview of all the great new features included in your Firefox OS device.

Note: Your device manufacturer, together with your service provider, is responsible for providing Firefox OS system updates to you.

Add Smart Collections to your home screen

Organize your favorite apps by topic or discover new ones according to your interests.

  • Choose a ready-made Smart Collection: Tap and hold on the home screen and then choose Add Smart Collections.

    smart_collections
  • Create your own Smart Collection: On the home screen, enter a search for anything that interests you (examples: recipes, sports, news) and Firefox OS will suggest apps for you. Tap the star icon under the search bar to save your search as a Smart Collection.
    search smart

New email features - attachments, notifications and POP3 accounts

  • Add audio or video attachments to your emails.
  • Turn on email notifications: Open the email app settings, tap the account you want to turn on notifications for and enable Display notifications for new messages.

    Email Notifications
For more information, see Email notifications and inbox sync.
  • Add POP3 email accounts to your phone: Tap the Manual setup link on the new account screen. Under Account type, tap POP3+SMTP.
For more, see Send and manage email.
POP3 email accounts are supported on Firefox OS 1.3 and higher

Better messaging - add a subject line and forward messages

  • Forward sent or received messages.
  • Add a subject line to messages: tap on the menu on the top right corner of the message screen. Choose Add subject.
subject fxos msg
See Send messages for more information.

More calling options - redial, conference calls, and dual SIM features

  • To redial the last number called, tap the green call button to load the number and then tap it a second time to place the call.
  • Add up to 5 participants to a call. Once you've called one person, tap the + to add another.
    Conference Call
To learn more, see Calls and voicemail.
  • If you have two SIM cards in your phone, the new Dual SIM Stand By (DSDS) feature lets you receive calls on either of them when they're not actively in use. See Dual SIM cards for more details.
DSDS features are available on Firefox OS 1.3 and higher.

Custom ringtone features

  • Firefox OS offers a truly personalized experience by letting you add your own ringtones. Learn how to set your favorite song as your ringtone: Ringer, sound and vibrate settings.

Improved music controls and streaming media capabilities

  • You can now skip and pause songs directly from the Notification tray or on your screen - even while your screen is locked.
music_control_ffos
  • Want to listen to the built-in radio without wearing your headphones? Firefox OS lets you listen to the radio using the speaker out option. Just tap the speaker icon to toggle it on or off.
radio speaker

See Listen to the radio for more details.
You will still need to plug in your headphones to receive a radio signal, but you don't need to wear them while the speaker is turned on.
  • Firefox OS now supports the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), so you can stream audio or video feeds directly on your phone without downloading extra software.

Camera and photo features - flash, continuous focus and an organized gallery

  • Firefox OS offers the following capabilities if your hardware supports it:
    • Turn your flash on, off or set it to automatic.
    • The continuous focus feature makes it easier to take clear pictures of moving objects.
  • Got a lot of photos? The Gallery app lets you view your photos by the month they were taken. You'll also be able to see file information - just click on one to see the details.
fxos gallery
  • Focus the camera on your subject by touching the screen.

Export and share your contacts - share over bluetooth plus export to SIM or memory card

  • From the contacts app, tap the settings gear in the upper-right corner and then choose Export Contacts.

    Export Contacts
For details, see Add, manage and share contacts.
  • You can now import contacts from more than one SIM card if your device has dual SIM capabilities.

Transfer files easily through bluetooth or NFC

  • Transfer multiple files on bluetooth: Follow these steps to transfer your files. While your first file transfer is in progress, repeat the steps to add additional files to your transfer queue.
  • Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities: Transmit information on your device without the need for pairing or extra apps. Just tap your phone on an NFC-enabled device or tag.

Improved Messages app now has MMS features

  • Add pictures, audio and video to your messages - just tap the paperclip MMS attach button to the left of the message field.
  • Chat with a whole group - use the contacts button contact button to add multiple people to a message.
  • Type a URL in a message and it automatically becomes a working link that will open in the browser.

To learn more, see Send messages.

Download files from the browser

Adaptive Search now on the home screen

On some devices with Firefox OS v1.1, Adaptive Search has moved to the home screen. Just unlock your phone and it's right there - no need to swipe to the right. Learn how it works.

Homescreen 1.1

Search your music

  • Pull down on any screen in the Music app to reveal the new search bar. For more, see Play and manage music.

    Search music

Import contacts from more places

  • Now you can import contacts from Gmail, Outlook and Hotmail.
  • Easily add new contacts from phone calls, messages or email.

To learn how, see Add, manage and share contacts.

Share files over Bluetooth

  • Bluetooth transfer is now available in the share menu of the Gallery and Video apps.

To learn how to pair a device and share files, see Share files using Bluetooth.

Find a lost device

  • Find my Device lets you locate a lost phone using your computer and your Firefox Account. You can even lock or erase your information remotely to protect your information. See Find My Device for Firefox OS.

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