Mozilla is bringing a built-in VPN, split screen, and more productivity features to Firefox

Firefox version 149 introduces a handful of new features, including a free built-in VPN. But there's one caveat to using it.

Mozilla just announced a handful of new features and updates coming to Firefox version 149 over the next few weeks. The highlight of the announcement is a free built-in VPN, which was promised a few months ago, along with some additional multitasking and productivity features.

The most significant addition is a completely free built-in VPN that requires no extra downloads or sketchy third-party extensions. This new privacy tool routes your web traffic through a secure proxy to hide your actual IP address from trackers. It will initially be available only to users in the UK, the US, France, and Germany.

Mozilla says it understands the untrustworthy nature of free VPNs, and so the company is making its own based on strict data principles:

“Free VPNs can sometimes mean sketchy arrangements that end up compromising your privacy, but ours is built from our data principles and commitment to be the world’s most trusted browser.“

However, there’s one caveat that might make this built-in VPN less attractive for some people. Namely, the VPN comes with a cap of 50 gigabytes of free monthly data, so you can’t use it infinitely.

Along with the new built-in VPN, Mozilla also announced a feature called Smart Window. This is the revamp of the existing AI Window feature, and is designed to quickly summarize articles, compare products, and more. Mozilla is basically following the trend of implementing these AI helpers we see in so many other software products today. If you don’t like it, Mozilla has also made it easy to disable AI features inside Firefox, so you can choose the experience that fits you best.

And finally, version 149 introduces a native Split View mode that lets you put two different web pages side by side in a single window. This productivity feature is becoming increasingly popular in other browsers, and now Firefox users will be able to try it soon. The update also brings a new Tab Notes tool for jotting down quick thoughts directly on your active tabs.

Mozilla is even throwing in a visual refresh and a brand new browser mascot named Kit to complete the overhaul.

Firefox version 149 for PC will begin rolling out on March 24th.

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Posted Wednesday 18 March 2026 at 5:36 pm AEST (my time).

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