Firefox 18 is now available for download

Following the release of Firefox 17 in November, Mozilla has now pushed out Firefox 18 for Windows, Mac, and Linux as part of its ongoing six-week release cycle. The update brings several new features and general performance improvements. Mozilla has also released Firefox 18 for Android alongside the desktop version.

Retina Display Support

One of the more welcome additions in Firefox 18 is proper support for the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Until now, Mac users who wanted a crisp, high-resolution browsing experience on Retina hardware were largely stuck with Safari. Firefox 18 changes that, bringing sharp rendering to one of the best laptop displays on the market.

Performance and New Features

JavaScript performance gets a boost in this release through the new IonMonkey compiler, the same engine that arrived in the Android version. Firefox 18 also adds preliminary support for WebRTC, laying the groundwork for browser-based voice and video calls without plugins. The HTML scaling algorithm has been updated as well, resulting in improved image quality across the board.

Keep Your Browser Updated

New features are always a good reason to update, but the more important reason is security. Every Firefox release brings the latest patches and protections, and staying on an older version means leaving yourself exposed to vulnerabilities that have already been fixed. Whether you are here for Retina support or just want to stay secure, downloading the latest version is always the right call.