Firefox makes HTTPS the default while browsing

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The Mozilla Foundation has announced a new update for Firefox that brings version 91. It replaces version 90 and earlier versions. A major update was made in version 91 with private browsing mode using HTTPS connections encrypted by default if possible.

HTTPS supports secure and encrypted communications between the browser and the websites the user visits. Standard HTTP connections send data over the Internet in unprotected clear text, allowing a hacker to intercept and view the data. HTTPS is the default policy for private browsing in version 91 of the browser.

Mozilla says that, it's a huge improvement in how we handle web page addresses that support security. The browser automatically checks any web address entered in the address bar to see if it supports HTTPS connections.

Web pages that do not support secure connections are handled by default over standard HTTP connections. One potential caveat to using a secure connection is that security is not directly implemented by loading page components, including images, styles, or scripts.

However, HTTPS ensures that pages load as securely as possible. Mozilla says that when a page is loaded using HTTPS, in most cases, the components of the page are also loaded using a secure connection. Mozilla plans to make HTTPS the default option for sessions outside of private browsing mode in future updates.

Users of older versions of the browser should get Update 91 automatically. Anyone looking to switch to Firefox from another browser can download version 91. After Mozilla in version 81 introduced a new printing interface, simplified printing was removed in that update, an option to convert content to a version optimized for printing.

Simplified printing displays a version of the page based on the browser's Reader View feature. The focus is on the article and related content such as images, and menus, ads, and other blocks are not displayed on the site in the mode. The current version of the browser prepares the option, and you can select it again in the print dialog.

The browser supports logging in to Microsoft work and school accounts using single sign-on in Windows. There are full cookie protection improvements that update the cookie-clearing logic and reveal to users which websites store information locally.

All downloads are saved to the default folder or selected folder, even if the Open instead of Download option is selected. It should be noted that Firefox is not the only browser that makes HTTPS the default protocol. Version 90 of the Google Chrome browser released in April 2021 made HTTPS the default that the browser uses for all sessions, not just private sessions. Version 90 also brought the AV1 codec to video chats.