Mozilla wants to show you the future in Firefox Labs

For those who like to live on the cutting edge, beta software, preview programs and the like are incredibly enticing. Just about every major software title -- operating systems, even -- has one or more preview builds available, and web browsers like Firefox are no different.

But Mozilla has a slightly different option for anyone who feels uncomfortable with the idea of installing alpha, canary, or beta builds of apps -- Firefox Labs. This is Mozilla’s way of giving users access to optional features which have not yet made it into the main version of the browser. Here are the unreleased features you can try out right now.

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Firefox Labs is described as “a safe space where people can turn things on, play around, and help us learn faster”. It serves two main purposes. To start with it gives eager Firefox users a glimpse into the future and a way to try out new features, tools and options faster than was previously possible. But it is also about feedback -- something which is doubly beneficial.

Participants in Firefox Labs can provide feedback about the things they like and don’t like, make Mozilla aware of issues, and so on. This helps developers and users to -- in the words of Mozilla -- “shape the future of Firefox together”.

In a blog post about the experimental playground, Mozilla says:

In the past, testing out new ideas usually meant downloading special builds like Nightly or digging into advanced settings. That’s not for everyone. Firefox Labs makes it way easier -- just head to your Firefox settings, flip a switch, and try something new.

It’s inspired by our old Test Pilot program (shoutout to longtime Firefox fans!), which helped launch popular features like picture-in-picture. Firefox Labs carries that same spirit -- but with a closer connection to the people using Firefox today.

For now, the experiments are a little limited and not super-exciting. In fact, there are just two: custom wallpapers for new tabs, and link previews. Both are unusual, but they’re unlikely to cause rapturous responses. But we’re definitely excited to see what the future holds!

Find out more here.