- Computing
- Internet
- Browsers
- Firefox
Disable AI features once and for all
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Mozilla)
- Copy link
- X
- Threads
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter- Mozilla Firefox 148 will soon get an AI kill switch
- This addition can disable all AI features in one go
- You’ll also be able to disable AI tools individually, if you like
Firefox is often chosen by people who dislike the direction Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers are taking. And as browser makers rush to stuff their products with as much artificial intelligence (AI) as possible, Firefox is taking a different tack, introducing an “AI kill switch” that disables all AI features in the Mozilla app.
In a blog post about the decision, Mozilla says users will get the feature with the Firefox 148 update, which is set to arrive on February 24. Not only will this let you manage individual AI features within the browser, but you’ll also be able to switch them off entirely with a single click.
Aside from the all-in-one kill switch, you’ll be able to choose whether to enable or disable the following features: translations, alt text in PDF files, AI-powered tab grouping, link previews, and the AI chatbot that’s located in the browser’s sidebar.
You may like-
Firefox will have an AI ‘kill switch’ as it faces massive user backlash
-
You can now turn off the Google Chrome AI model behind the scam detection tool – Google confirms AI model was hosted on your device
-
8 popular apps that have ways to turn off AI and how you can do it
Mozilla caused something of a backlash late in 2025 when it announced it would bring AI features to the Firefox browser. Although these run on your device – meaning your information is not sent to any company’s cloud servers – many users were unhappy with the advent of AI features in a browser like Firefox, which has often sought to differentiate itself from rival offerings.
Banish AI from your browser
Introducing AI controls in Firefox - YouTube
Watch On
Mozilla’s latest move seems to have met with a positive reaction from some sections of the internet. Responding to the announcement on Reddit, user jpsreddit85 quipped, “Says a lot about the future state of AI when the most requested feature is to disable it.” User David-J, meanwhile, commented that “Someone is actually reading the room.”
As a long-time Firefox user, this feels like the right move by Mozilla. AI is controversial at the best of times, but especially so among Firefox users, who pride themselves on their independence and generally seem less on board with AI than many internet users.
Adding AI to Firefox was always going to be a risky move by Mozilla, given the userbase’s sentiments – adding a way to block it entirely is a sensible way to win back support.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.That said, this seems to be a fairly isolated move in the world of web browsers. Chrome has a near-monopoly on browsers, and its creator, Google, a major AI investor, has added numerous AI features to the app. Microsoft and Apple, makers of Edge and Safari, are equally committed to AI.
Very few browsers have added an AI kill switch like Firefox's, though privacy-focused alternatives like Brave and DuckDuckGo can also be customized in this way. That all means that if you’re sick of AI in your browser, there are options available to you – you just need to avoid the biggest players.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
Today's best NordVPN deals
NordVPN 2 Year US$3.39/mthViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
TOPICS
AI
Alex BlakeSocial Links NavigationFreelance ContributorAlex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.
View MoreYou must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Logout Read more
You can now turn off the Google Chrome AI model behind the scam detection tool – Google confirms AI model was hosted on your device
8 popular apps that have ways to turn off AI and how you can do it
Firefox's new anti-fingerprinting protections cut user tracking by 70%
AI browsers are rewriting the rules. Is your security keeping pace?
'Microslop' is heading for Edge as major redesign is inspired by Copilot
Gartner advisory states AI browsers are NOT your friend — and they are putting your business at risk
Latest in Firefox
Firefox 126 is out – and it’ll make a huge difference to the quality of videos in the browser, for those with the right hardware
Mozilla wants Pocket users to switch to Firefox accounts, which may not be a bad thing
Mozilla's Responsible AI Challenge won by tech that protects images from AI
I've started using Mozilla Firefox and now I can never go back to Google Chrome
Firefox version 100 is here - is it finally time to switch from Google Chrome?
How to save articles with Reading List in Safari for Mac
Latest in News
'A bet for the future of cybersecurity' – Nord Security hits 400 patents as race for solutions against next-gen threats heats up
'Companies that are not set up to quickly adopt AI workers will be at a huge disadvantage': OpenAI Sam Altman warns firms not to fall behind on AI - but notes 'it’s going to take a lot of work and some risk'
More than 40,000 WordPress sites affected by new malware flaw - find out if you're affected
AMD CEO assures us that Steam Machine is on track to ship 'early this year'
A next-gen Xbox could be here in 2027, but Microsoft's in a rough spot
IKEA exec shares the brand's big smart home plans
LATEST ARTICLES- 1Disney’s new CEO comes from parks, and it could transform the Disney experience
- 2Fluance Ri91 review: superb wireless floorstander speakers for the price
- 3Intel is finally back in the desktop workstation game - new Xeon 600 features Granite Rapids power, up to 86 cores, 4TB of memory
- 4Five minutes with Nintendo’s new Virtual Boy told me everything I need to know about the Nintendo Switch Online-exclusive retro gaming peripheral
- 5IKEA exec shares the brand's big smart home plans
