Firefox now lets you access your favorite AI chatbot without switching tabs - here's how
Firefox users looking for a quick way to tap into generative AI can now do so without even leaving the current page. Included with Firefox version 130 released on Tuesday is a setting that allows you to add the chatbot of your choice to the sidebar.
The AI capability is part of a new Firefox Labs page in the settings screen through which you can try experimental features designed by the minds at Mozilla. The AI Chatbot feature kicked off in the Firefox Nightly beta build back in June and is now making its official debut in the release version.
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To try this out, ensure you're running Firefox version 130 or higher. To do so, click the three-lined icon in the upper right, select Help, and then click About Firefox. The browser will automatically download and install the latest version.
From there, click the three-lined icon, select Settings, and then click the new setting for Firefox Labs. Check the box for AI Chatbot. Click the drop-down menu to choose among Anthropic Claude, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, HuggingChat, and Le Chat Mistral.
For those of you unfamiliar with the last two names, HuggingChat is an open-source alternative to ChatGPT, while Le Chat Mistral is a French-based AI tool currently in beta.
After you select your preferred chatbot, it will appear in the left sidebar where you can submit a request and carry on a conversation. You'll need an account with whichever chatbot you choose before you can access it from Firefox. If you're not already signed into the AI's website, you'll be prompted to do so. You can easily close the sidebar when you don't need it and then launch it again by clicking the Sidebar icon on the top toolbar.
Beyond engaging with the AI through the sidebar, you can ask it for help with selected text. Ensure the option for "Show prompts on text select" is checked. Select some text on the existing web page and then click the small star icon that pops up. Doing so displays a menu with such choices as Summarize and Simplify language. Choose whichever option you want, and the AI will do its best to summarize or simplify the selected text.
"Whether it's a local or a cloud-based model, if you want to use AI, we think you should have the freedom to use (or not use) the tools that best suit your needs," Mozilla said back in June. "Instead of juggling between tabs or apps for assistance, those who have opted-in will have the option to access their preferred AI service from the Firefox sidebar to summarize information, simplify language, or test their knowledge, all without leaving their current web page."
Some other items are available on the new Firefox Labs page in Settings.
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One option for "Picture-in-Picture: auto-open on tab switch" will let you move to Picture-in-Picture mode on active videos when you switch tabs. This means you can view a video in its small PIP window on one site, and the window remains on the screen even if you jump to a different tab.
A second option for "Address Bar: show results during IME composition" displays an IME (Input Method Editor) that will allow you to use your regular keyboard to enter complex symbols in the address bar, search field, and other text fields.
But that's not all. With Firefox 130, you can ask the browser to translate selected portions of text to different languages after you've already translated the entire page. Those in the US and Canada can view the local weather report on the new tab page and check out the weather in other locations. To top it all off, the new version throws in nine security fixes, five of which are rated High. So be sure to upgrade if you're a Firefox user.