Check for Updates in Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is normally configured to update automatically in the background, so that you don’t need to worry about keeping up to date. If these settings have changed, however, you may be wondering how to update the program. Follow this guide to learn how.

Steps

Manually Updating Firefox

  1. Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. Click the Firefox button in the top-left corner.
  2. Hover your mouse over the Help menu. If you don't see the menu bars, press the Alt key. Select About Firefox. If a download is available you'll see Download update.  If you don't see download update your browser is up to date and no further action is required.
  3. Wait for updates to install. If there are updates available for Firefox, they will be automatically downloaded and installed. The About Firefox screen will show the progress.
    • Click the Restart to Update button to restart Firefox and apply the new updates.

Configuring Automatic Updates

  1. Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. Click the Firefox button in the top-left corner.
  2. Hover your mouse over the Options menu. If you don't see the Options menu, press the Alt key. Select Options.
  3. Click the Update tab. This will open the configuration options for automatic updates. By default, “Automatically install updates” should be selected.
    • You can choose to have Firefox download the update but prompt you to install it, or never download updates automatically.
    • You can see all of the updates you have installed by clicking “Show Update History”
    • It is recommended that you allow updates to install automatically to make sure that your browser is as secure as possible.[1]

Reinstalling Firefox

  1. Visit the Mozilla website. If your Firefox program is broken to the point where it won’t load, you may need to reinstall it. Visit the Mozilla page and download the Firefox installer.
  2. Run the installer. The install program will automatically overwrite the old Firefox installation, and your new copy should work without issue.[2]
    • The installer will always install the latest version of Firefox available.
  3. Import your old bookmarks. Once you’ve reinstalled Firefox, you can import your old bookmarks and saved passwords so that you can pick up right where you left off.



Tips

  • You should check for Mozilla Firefox updates at least three times a month to keep up with the latest software and to keep your version of Mozilla Firefox running smoothly.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Internet Access

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/update-firefox-latest-version
  2. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-firefox-windows
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