Is your Firefox browser slow? In fact, many software programs slow down over time. Let's take a look at a few ways to speed up Firefox.
Have you ever tried to search for something on the internet using the Firefox browser, and it fails or takes ages to give you results? Is your computer in good condition? Do you have a stable internet connection?
Well, if the answer is yes, the reason for the delay could be that your browser is slow. The following are simple tips that you can use to speed up the Firefox browser.
1. Clear Browser Data
You need to clear browser data regularly if you want your Firefox browser to work fast and effectively. Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + A, or open the Firefox menu and follow the procedure shown below.
Step 1: Open the Firefox menu page
You should start by clicking the menu button and select “Settings.” The menu icon is on the top right side of the Firefox home page that looks like three horizontal lines.
Step 2: Select the Privacy and Security Panel
Once you open the privacy and security page, move your cursor to the cookies and site data section for more options.
Step 3: Click the clear data option.
A “clear data dialog page” appears after clicking the clear data option where you can tick items that you wanna clear.
Step 4: Click the clear option.
Once you have ticked cache, cookies, and sites data on the “clear data dialogue page” the last step is to click the clear option and clean up your Firefox browser. Please note that you remove login status and site preference if you clear cookies and site data.
You also clear all cached content such as scripts and images if you clear cached web. Therefore, you should tick only items you wanna remove from your browser.
2. Disable or Remove Extensions and Plug-ins
Another effective way to increase the speed of the Firefox browser is by closing or removing the unused plug-ins and extensions. The following are simple steps on how to remove extensions.
Step 1: Open the Firefox menu button
Start by clicking the menu button (three horizontal lines icon on the top right)and select Adds-on and Themes option.
Step 2: Go to extensions.
Click on the extensions option and turn the curser to manage extensions. Find the extension that you wanna remove and click on the three lines button found on the far right for more options.
Once the dialog page opens, click “Remove” to get rid of the extension, as shown in the image below.
Step 2 b: Disable extensions
Alternatively, you may decide to disable the extension instead of removing it completely. You should repeat the same procedure for removing extensions. When you reach the final stage, identify the extension you wanna disable and toggle the “Disable button” to the left, as shown below.
Step 2 c: Deactivate Plug-ins
Repeat step 1 above (open the Firefox button menu) and click the “Plugins” option as shown below.
From there, you can choose the plug-ins that you wanna disable and use the “three dots” icon on the left to deactivate them.
3. Turn off the browser default options
You can increase the speed of your Firefox browser by turning off the browser default options. Normally, the Firefox browser will ask you to make it the default browser, as shown below.
Just turn go to your browser settings and turn such requests off. That way, you will save time and increase the speed of your browser.
Step 1: Open the Firefox application menu page
You should start by clicking the application menu button and selecting settings. The menu icon is on the top right side of the Firefox home page that looks like three horizontal lines.
Step 2: Click on the settings.
Scroll down the menu page and tap on the settings options as shown below.
Step 3: Open General Settings
This page opens once you click the settings option.
Step 4: Disables Firefox default option.
The last step is to uncheck the option that says, “Always check if Firefox is your default browser.”
That way, you won’t receive more notifications to make Firefox your default browser.
4. Reduce the number of processes
The number of processes running in the background of the Firefox browser can also slow it. Therefore, you can speed up your browser by limiting content handling, as shown below.
Step 1: Click the Firefox menu (three horizontal lines icon on the top right) 
and select settings.
Step 2: Under the “General” page, scroll down to the “Performance” option and unmark the “Use recommended performance settings” box.
Step 3: Once the dialog page opens, change the “Content Process Limit” to one as shown below.
5. Enabling Hardware Acceleration
It’s good to enable hardware acceleration on your computer all the time. That way, your computer will run effectively, and programs will speed up, including Firefox.
What is hardware acceleration? Well, this refers to the process by which an application offloads some computing tasks to certain hardware components in the systems of your computer. That way, the application runs smoothly and faster.
The following are the steps for enabling hardware acceleration on your computer.
Step 1: Right-click on desktop and then to “Display settings.”
Step 2: Move to the “Display tab.”
Step 3: Scroll down to the “Advanced display settings” option and click it
Step 4: You’ll see the dialogue box. Choose the “Troubleshoot” tab
Step 5: Move to the “Change settings” button and click it.
Step 6: Go to the hardware acceleration section and drag the pointer towards “Full” on the right side.
Step 7: Click “Ok” and restart the computer to implement changes.
6. Improve script run time
You can improve the speed of Firefox by enhancing the script run time. That way, you increase the rate at which your computer executes commands.
Step 1: Enter about: config
Step 2: Search: dom.max_script_run_time
Step 3: The default value is 10. You can change it to 20
7. Reset the Firefox
Another effective way to increase the speed of your Firefox browser is by resetting it to its factory default state. The following are basic tips on how you can easily reset your Firefox even if you aren’t a tech guru.
Step 1: Open the Firefox menu page
You should start by clicking the menu button and selecting settings. The menu icon is on the top right side of the Firefox home page that looks like three horizontal lines. Scroll down and clip the “Help” option.
Step 2: Click “Troubleshooting information”
You will be taken to a sub-menu. After that, you should scroll and click the “Troubleshooting Information” option.
Step 3: Go to the “Refresh option” and click it.
The “Refresh Firefox” but is on the top-right part of the page that appears after clicking the “Troubleshooting option.”
Step 4: Click “confirm” and finish.
A new confirmation page will appear after you click the “Refresh option.” Click on the “Refresh Firefox” option again, and your browser will return to its default settings. Once the whole process is complete, just click “Finish” and you’re good to go.
8. Speed tweaks
You can increase the speed of your Firefox browser using Speed tweaks.
This reliable add-on gives Firefox browser up to seven-speed tweaks (parameters).
Step 1: Open the toolbar popup UI
Step 2: Mark or click your desired tweak
Please note that none of the seven parameters are selected automatically. You have to select them manually by ticking the box at the end of each parameter, as shown below.
The good thing about Speed Tweaks is that it’s a free add-on, and you can put any parameter on or off anytime you wish.
9. Close the antivirus program
It’s good to install an anti-virus program on your computer to protect yourself from Malware and other threats. However, it's worth noting that antivirus software is responsible for slowing down your browser.
You can increase the speed of your Firefox browser by closing the antivirus program on your computer. Don’t worry about the safety of your computer because Defender for Windows already has a good antivirus and Trojan effects.
10. Use the latest Firefox version
Your Firefox browser can be slow if it’s outdated or “Broken.” In that case, the only solution is to Uninstall Firefox and downloads the latest version from the official website. Install the downloaded new version, and your browsing speed will increase tremendously.
Nothing is as boring as using a slow browser to access the internet. Fortunately, you can use any of the above tips to speed up your Firefox browser and access the internet stress-free. You can also combine several approaches and make your browser super-fast.
Remember that you don't pay even a dime to use the above approaches to speed up your browser. Just be smart and surf the internet like a pro.
