Mozilla Firefox is too slow? Here’s how to speed it up

• When Firefox is slow on your Windows 10 device, the browser theme or settings might be the main reason.
• Firefox browser is slow also when the antivirus is interfering in several processes.
• On the other hand, each time you’re facing slowdown issues, make sure that you’re using the right version of Firefox.
• If otherwise, uninstall it and get the correct and updated browser version from the official website.

• Easy migration: use the Opera assistant to transfer exiting Firefox data, in just a few steps
• Optimize resource usage: your RAM memory is used more efficiently than Firefox does
• Enhanced privacy: free and unlimited VPN integrated
• No ads: built-in Ad Blocker speeds up loading of pages and protects against data-mining
• Download Opera

Firefox is one of the most popular browsers on the Windows platform, but despite its massive popularity, it still has certain issues on Windows 10.

Many users are complaining that F irefox is lagging on their Windows 10 devices and this can be a major problem if you use it as a default browser.

So in this article, we’re guiding you through the few solutions available to fix this issue.

What can I do if Mozilla is running slow on my Windows 10?

1. Switch to another browser

When Mozilla Firefox is too slow, Opera is one of the best alternatives to think of. This browser is widely used and mainly in Windows when other options fail to meet expectations.

All you need to do is to enable the TURBO mode and this will make surfing the Internet even faster than usual. Even more, there’s no limit for speed dials to worry about.

Alike Firefox, expect getting extensions and add-ons, instant tab preview, and crypto mining protection.

However, Opera is the one that truly has an impressive track record when it comes to security, with a free VPN and a Crypto Wallet to take advantage of regularly.

Opera

2. Check your antivirus

If Firefox is slow on your Windows 10 PC, the problem might be your antivirus. Such software is a necessity, but sometimes it can interfere with your web browser and cause slowdowns.

Many antivirus tools also tend to install various extensions in order to offer extra protection, but they often slow down your browser.

If Firefox is running slow, be sure to remove any extensions that are installed by your antivirus. These extensions aren’t mandatory, so you can disable or remove them without fear.

In addition to extensions, you might want to check your antivirus settings and see if modifying them fixes the problem.

Several users reported that disabling the Active Protection feature fixed the problem for them, so you might want to try that.

As a last solution, you might have to uninstall your antivirus in order to fix the problem. Many users reported issues with Norton antivirus, but after removing it, the problem was completely resolved.

If you decide to remove your antivirus, you should definitely consider switching to a new antivirus solution. There are many great antivirus tools on the market, yet the best one clearly remains BullGuard.

Besides the fact that it provides great security and anti-malware protection, rest assured that it won’t interfere with your browser in any way.

BullGuard

3. Change your power settings to High Performance

1. Press Windows Key + S and enter power settings. Choose Power and sleep settings from the menu.
   
2. Now select Additional power settings.
   
3. Once the Power Options window opens select High-Performance profile.

Run a System Scan to discover potential errors

We have to mention that switching to High-Performance mode will drain your battery faster due to increased power consumption, but Firefox should be working without any slowdowns.

4. Switch to a different theme

1. Open Firefox and click the Menu button in the top right corner and choose Add-ons.
   
2. Select Get Add-ons tab on the right and click Featured themes.
3. Try to find a simple theme that won’t use too much of your resources and install it.

This is just a potential workaround, but few users reported that it works for them, so you might want to try it.

5. Change your settings

1. Click the Menu button in the top right corner and choose Options from the menu.
   
2. Select Privacy & Security from the menu on the left. Now scroll down to the Permissions section and make sure that Prevent accessibility services from accessing your browser option are enabled.
   

After enabling this option, check if the problem with Firefox is resolved.

6. Check if you’re using a 64-bit version of Firefox

1. Click the Menu button in the top right corner and choose Help.
   
2. Now select About Firefox from the menu.
   
3. A new window will now appear showing you the version of Firefox you’re using.

If you’re using a 32-bit version, we advise you to uninstall it and switch to a 64-bit version instead.

There are several ways to uninstall an application, but if you want to remove it completely, it’s always a good idea to use an uninstaller software tool.

Uninstaller applications are designed to remove all files and registry entries associated with the application you want to remove. As a result, you’ll completely remove the application from your PC.

There are many great uninstaller applications, but our recommendation is IOBit Uninstaller due to the simple set-up process and ease of use.

7. Start Firefox in Safe Mode

1. Make sure that Firefox is closed.
2. Locate Firefox shortcut, press, and hold the Shift key and double click Firefox shortcut.
3. If done properly, you’ll see a dialog box on your screen. Select Start in Safe Mode.
   

Firefox will now start in Safe Mode. If everything is working properly, it means that one of your extensions is causing this problem. To fix the issue, do the following:

1. Restart Firefox. Don’t start it in Safe Mode this time.
2. Click the Menu button in the top right corner and choose Add-ons from the menu.
   
3. A list of installed extensions will now appear. Disable all extensions by clicking the Disable button next to the extension’s name. Repeat this step for all extensions.
   
4. Now restart Firefox and check if the problem still appears. If not, the problem is definitely related to one of your disabled extensions.
5. Enable a single extension by clicking the Enable button. Now restart Firefox and check if the issue reappears. Repeat this step until you find the problematic extension.
6. Once you find the extension that is causing the problem, disable it or remove it.

As you can see, even though Firefox extensions are rather useful, they can cause certain problems to appear, so be sure to find and remove the problematic extensions from your PC.

8. Check if Firefox is up to date

If Firefox is slow on your PC, the problem might be a certain bug. In order to avoid Firefox bugs, it’s advised to update your Firefox to the latest version.

In most cases, Firefox will perform the update automatically, but you can always check for updates manually from Firefox.

This is rather simple and in order to do that, you just need to follow steps from Solution 6. After doing that, Firefox will check for missing updates and install them.

It can be quite frustrating when Firefox is running slow on Windows 10, but hopefully, some of our solutions might be helpful to you.

After all, Firefox is a great web browser, but sometimes you can experience slowdowns while using it.

Our tips can be applied whenever facing general slowdown problems, but also when Firefox is lagging because you have too many tabs open or when the browser crashes.

Why is Firefox so Slow? 2021 Fix For Mozilla Firefox Slow Windows 10

Today, you will discover why is firefox so slow with solutions for Mozilla Firefox slow issues on various devices including Windows 10, Unbuntu, Mac, & others.

Getting a sluggish web browser is frustrating because it is impossible to work there. The loading speed of a web page depends upon both the browser and internet connection. Firefox is lazy because of the large number of browser extensions and add-ons.

That’s why we are writing this post to help existing Firefox users find ways to optimize and make it faster than any other browser. Below are the common reasons why is firefox so slow.

Table of Contents

Why is Firefox so slow?

Outdated Browser

Sometimes, Firefox slow loading or freezing happens because of an obsolete version of the software. In that case, you must check for a new version released, and update or download to the latest version of Firefox. If automatic update is disabled, follow these steps to update Firefox manually:

Open Menu by clicking on three small lines on the top left corner. Select ‘About Firefox.’ It will automatically check for updates and download it. Restart your browser to apply the updates.

If you are not being able to update using the above steps, uninstall old Firefox from Control Panel. Then you can download a new latest version of Firefox.

Plugins & Add-Ons Overload

It is no secret that add-ons make our job easy by doing quick work & saving time. But they also add some additional security challenges. They also create issues for Firefox loading slow.

Too many plugins and extensions may overload the system. Some require an updated graphics card and hardware acceleration. They also need sign-in and flash enabled.

This could affect firefox speed and cause several other issues with the system. So select the best and keep a limited number of extensions active in Firefox.

Excessive History & Data

If you have never cleared cache, cookies, history, and other data since day one, then it may cause Firefox slow on startup. A large number of system junk requires more time to read by the browser.

To fix this, all you need to do is visit the advanced settings of Firefox. Then, remove all data including history, cache, cookies, usernames & password. This will certainly reset your browser, but it is worth it. Always make sure to keep a backup of necessary data before doing this.

Virus & Malware Vulnerabilities

Firefox is slow to load due to viruses or malware affecting your computer. Some common symptoms of virus infection affecting the browser are:

1. Slow response during startup.
2. The browser becomes unresponsive in the middle of web surfing.
3. Often freezing & crashing of software.
4. New tabs open automatically.
5. Too many warnings, popups, and files download without permission.
6. Excessive use of CPU and processor.

If you detect any of the above symptoms, install antivirus software now. Windows Defender that comes by default in Windows 10 is also good, but you are not 100% protected. A computer also needs a webcam shield, secure browsing, and online security. So you will need to buy premium antivirus software that keeps all viruses and malware away from your PC.

Large Number of Tabs Opened

It is evident that if you open a large number of tabs, Firefox is running slow or freezing. For a computer with lower memory and specifications, we recommend you do not open more than 5 to 6 tabs at once.

Now there is no specific number for how many tabs will hang Firefox. It is good practice to keep the number of active tabs as low as possible for a smooth interface. Close all unnecessary tabs immediately after the work is finished.

Slow Internet Connection

A slow internet connection makes a web browser unresponsive. That’s a fact!

If you see a small circle rotating in the center of the browser, it means you have a slow internet connection. If the internet is not working, it will give a ‘DNS_Probe_Finished_No_Internet ‘ error. The only way to fix this problem is by upgrading or changing your internet plans.

Use an ethernet cable if possible because it is faster than wifi. You can check internet speed by visiting speedtest.net. It displays your ping, download, and upload internet speed in Mbps.

Disable Hardware Acceleration

• Open Menu.
• Navigate to Options > General > Performance .
• Disable ‘Use Recommended Performance Settings’.
• Uncheck ‘Use Hardware Acceleration When Available’.

Firefox Slow on Mac

Not only Windows but Mac & Macbook Pro users also may face the problem of firefox slow. Along with the causes mentioned above, some other general reasons are:

• Trying to render websites that require plugins like Adobe Reader and scripts such as javascript.
• Too much background software running that consumes RAM & CPU.
• Multiple tabs open simultaneously.
• Lack of maintenance and clean up.

Therefore, we can speed up firefox on Mac OS by terminating all the unnecessary tabs, background apps, and software. Try to clear browser data and update Mozilla Firefox. Enable or install required plugins like JS & Adobe Reader.

As already described, add-ons slow down the browser. Therefore, we can turn on safe mode to stop extensions from autostarting in the following way.

1. Open Menu and select Help
2. Enable the ‘Restart with add-on disabled’ option.

Doing this will turn off all scripts and extensions that automatically start without our permission, starting the browser in safe mode. Similarly, these tricks will also work for Ubuntu & Linux Operating Systems.

Firefox slow download speed

If you face a firefox download speed slow issue, close all the unnecessary tabs. Check if there are any additional downloads happening on the background (CTRL + J). Also, make sure that your net speed is optimum for downloading files.

In some scenarios, when the internet speed is fine, the file hosts aka servers where files are stored slow down the speed. The reason is that they only allow fast downloads for users who have subscribed to their premium plans only. In that case, you only have the option to switch servers or purchase their premium subscription for fast download.

Firefox Slow To Load Extra Fixes

In addition to the above solutions, you can try the following fixes for the firefox slow loading issue.

1. Update Video Drivers by following your manufacturer’s instruction or by visiting their official website.
2. Upgrade the RAM & CPU capacity of your computer.
3. Kill other useless running apps through task manager.

Queries

Firefox could be slow because of many reasons, depending upon the operating system and version of the software. Some common causes are outdated browser, plugins and extensions overload with excessive history and stored data. A low specification PC faces such issues higher than macbook and other expensive products. We have described more reasons above.

We can fix slow firefox by reducing the plugins and add-ons overload, increasing RAM and CPU, updating drivers, doing maintenance and clean up, and performing antivirus scan. More methods are described in the article above.

Firefox could be downloading items slow because of the restriction from download host, or running of multiple downloads in the background. Sometimes, slow internect connection issues also lag download speed.

To find out which tab is slowing down firefox, simply open a new tab and enter about:performance in the URL box. It will display all the data of memory usage and web pages performance. You can analyze it and discover those tabs that are slowing down Firefox.

Final Words

In addition to the above reasons, some have reported that PC power settings also slow down firefox. You can try that fix too by changing ‘power & sleep’ mode to ‘never’ and switching to ‘High Performance’ in power options. You can also use Firefox in different color themes and see if it works, but the above six reasons should answer your question.

Now, tell me, were your doubts about why is Firefox slow cleared after reading the above article? Are you able to fix it or still facing it? Tell me in the comments. Also, if you have found a better reason or solution, please mention it down so that other people are benefitted from it too.

Hello, My name is Shari & I am a writer for the ‘Outlook AppIns’ blog. I’m a CSIT graduate & I’ve been working in the IT industry for 3 years.