Not Into AI? Firefox Will Let You Turn It Off

AI is everywhere these days—your phone, your apps, even your browser. But not everyone is thrilled about it. Mozilla seems to get that, and starting February 24, 2026, Firefox will roll out a new update (version 148) with something refreshing: an AI off-switch.

Instead of forcing AI into every corner of your browsing experience, Firefox is giving you the choice to dial it back—or shut it off completely.

What’s Changing

• Release date: February 24, 2026
• Version: Firefox 148 (desktop first, mobile later)
• Control panel: A simple toggle in settings to disable AI features

Features You Can Turn Off

• AI chatbot in the sidebar
• AI-powered translations
• Tab grouping suggestions
• Link preview summaries
• Alt text generation in PDFs

Why It Matters

• User choice: You decide how much AI you want in your browser.
• Privacy: Less AI means fewer data concerns.
• Flexibility: Turn off everything or just the features you don’t care about.
• Contrast: Competing browsers like Chrome and Edge are doubling down on AI, while Firefox is saying, “Your call.”

The Trade-Offs

• Turning off AI means losing some convenience features (like instant translations).
• Mobile users will have to wait a bit longer for the off-switch.
• Firefox may stand out as the “privacy-first” browser, but it could feel less feature-rich compared to rivals.

Bottom Line

Mozilla isn’t anti-AI—it’s pro-choice. By letting users decide, Firefox is carving out a unique space in the browser wars. Whether you’re excited about AI or exhausted by it, Firefox is giving you the steering wheel.