Firefox users who do not want generative AI in their browser can block its current and future AI enhancements from one settings panel. Mozilla is also letting people keep selected tools, choose a sidebar chatbot, or use its more integrated Smart Window separately.
What you need to know
- Firefox provides a Block AI enhancements switch under Settings → AI Controls.
- The switch hides current AI tools and related promotional prompts, while future AI additions remain blocked by default.
- Users can override the main switch for an individual feature they still want.
- The control does not prevent independently installed extensions from contacting their own third-party AI services.
What did Mozilla announce about Firefox AI controls?
Mozilla’s latest explanation presents Firefox’s approach as a choice between three levels: block AI enhancements, selectively enable individual features, or use the more deeply integrated Smart Window. The company’s main point is that people should not have to hunt through several menus to refuse browser AI.
The underlying AI Controls panel began appearing in Firefox 148, so this is not a claim that every switch was created on 2 September. The news is Mozilla’s clearer, consolidated AI strategy as Firefox expands features such as Smart Window. That distinction matters because availability can still depend on Firefox version, platform, language and region.
How do you turn off all AI features in Firefox?
- Open the Firefox menu and select Settings. On some systems this may be labelled Preferences.
- Select AI Controls in the settings sidebar.
- Enable Block AI enhancements.
Mozilla says this disables entry points for current AI enhancements and removes prompts that promote them. New Firefox AI features should also remain blocked by default while the master switch is enabled.
If AI Controls is missing, first check the installed Firefox version through Menu → Help → About Firefox. Managed workplace installations may also apply organization policies that users cannot change.
Which Firefox AI features can you control?
| Feature | What it does | Can be controlled separately? |
|---|---|---|
| Translations | Translates supported pages in the browser | Yes |
| PDF image alt text | Suggests descriptions for images added to PDFs | Yes |
| AI tab groups | Suggests group names and related open tabs | Yes |
| Link-preview key points | Creates short key points from supported links | Yes |
| Sidebar chatbot | Opens a chosen third-party chatbot beside a webpage | Yes |
| Smart Window | Adds an assistant that can work with selected tabs and browsing context | Yes, where available |
Mozilla’s public announcement names Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Le Chat Mistral as sidebar choices. The exact list may change, so Firefox’s own settings screen is the final authority for a particular installation.
Can you keep one Firefox AI feature and block the rest?
Yes. Each supported feature can be marked Available, Enabled or Blocked. A user can therefore block AI enhancements globally and then make a deliberate exception for something useful, such as local translation or PDF accessibility assistance.
This is a better choice than treating every AI-labelled capability as identical. Translation, tab organization and a cloud chatbot have different purposes and may handle data differently. Reviewing them one by one gives users more useful control than a simple permanent yes-or-no decision.
Blocking an on-device feature also removes models that Firefox previously downloaded for it, according to Mozilla’s support guidance. The choice can be reversed later from the same settings page.
What is Firefox Smart Window?
Smart Window is an optional Firefox window type with an assistant that can summarize pages, compare information, generate recommendations and help organize open tabs. It is more integrated than the chatbot displayed in a standard Firefox sidebar because it can use context that the user chooses to share from tabs or browsing history.
Mozilla describes Smart Window as an early beta with a gradual regional rollout. Its support documentation says availability began with users in the United States and Canada and later expanded to France with Firefox 155. It is therefore wrong to assume that every Firefox user can access it immediately.
Smart Window is also distinct from Classic and Private Windows. Mozilla says it cannot access activity from Private Windows, passwords, payment information, unread email or arbitrary files on the device. Users who receive the feature but do not want it can select Blocked next to Smart Window in AI Controls.
Does blocking Firefox AI stop every AI service?
No. The master switch controls AI capabilities supplied through Firefox. An independently installed browser extension can still connect to its own external AI service. Users should review installed extensions separately, remove anything unnecessary and inspect each extension’s permissions and privacy policy.
There is also an important difference between turning off a Firefox feature and deleting information held by an external account. If someone has used ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or another provider through a signed-in service, account history and deletion settings are governed by that provider.
For Smart Window, Mozilla says requests are proxied before reaching model services, chats and memories are kept locally, and models are not trained on user data. However, users still need to read the current terms and privacy notice before enabling it because this is an evolving beta service.
Who should use the Block AI enhancements switch?
The setting is useful for people who prefer a traditional browser, administrators who want a predictable interface, and anyone who does not want prompts for new AI features. It is also a simple first step for family computers or installations where users should decide about AI deliberately.
People who rely on Firefox translation or accessibility tools do not necessarily need to block everything. They can keep selected capabilities and block chatbots, Smart Window or tab suggestions. Organizations should use supported Firefox enterprise policies rather than depend only on each employee changing a local setting.
Our assessment
Mozilla’s most valuable decision is not adding another assistant; it is keeping refusal visible. A permanent master control, feature-level choices and the ability to change the decision later are practical safeguards as browsers add more generative AI.
The wording also needs to remain precise. Blocking Firefox AI does not disable every extension, erase external chatbot histories or guarantee that every listed feature is available worldwide. Within those limits, Firefox currently offers one of the clearest browser-level ways to choose how much AI appears in everyday browsing.
Common questions
Does Firefox require users to enable AI?
No. Mozilla provides controls for blocking all supported AI enhancements or individual features.
Will normal browsing stop working if Firefox AI is blocked?
No. Standard browsing continues; the setting targets AI-enhanced features and their entry points.
Does the setting block AI browser extensions?
Not necessarily. Extensions that independently contact third-party AI services must be reviewed or removed separately.
Can the Firefox AI decision be changed later?
Yes. Return to Settings → AI Controls and change the master switch or an individual feature’s status.
Official sources
- Mozilla: AI on your terms—Firefox meets you where you are
- Firefox Help: Block generative AI features with AI Controls
- Firefox Help: Get started with Smart Window
For related open-source coverage, see what changed when Linux reached its 35th anniversary, follow our Linux and open-source release hub, and review the practical protections in our Linux server-hardening checklist.
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