{"id":78716,"date":"2025-04-02T08:28:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T15:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/?p=78716"},"modified":"2025-04-15T15:40:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T22:40:44","slug":"about-mozilla-connect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/firefox\/about-mozilla-connect\/","title":{"rendered":"Built together: How Firefox fans help shape the browser"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Illustration<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever wished Firefox had vertical tabs or an easier way to share links on your phone \u2014 and you left a comment somewhere asking for it \u2014 there\u2019s a good chance someone saw it. And not just someone. The actual people building Firefox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the magic of Mozilla Connect<\/strong><\/a>. It launched in 2022 as a place where Firefox users and Firefox builders could actually talk to each other. No middlemen. No black box. Just real conversations, ideas, feedback, and yes \u2014 plenty of feature requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spoke with Jon Siddoway, the community manager behind Mozilla Connect, about how it all got started. Before Mozilla Connect, there was a platform called Ideas@Mozilla<\/a>. People could submit suggestions, but the tool wasn\u2019t set up for real dialogue. \u201cWe needed something better,\u201d Jon said. \u201cA place where people could not only share ideas but also get updates, participate in discussions, and feel heard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe wanted a space where people could share ideas and actually get updates on what happened next. It wasn\u2019t just about collecting feedback \u2014 it was about building a community around it.\u201d<\/p>\nJon Siddoway, community manager for Mozilla Connect<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So the team spent six months building something new \u2014 something built for conversation. Since then, more than 80,000 users have joined, and community input has directly influenced over 125 ideas that have made their way into Firefox and Mozilla products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jon explained it best: \u201cWe wanted a space where people could share ideas and actually get updates on what happened next. It wasn\u2019t just about collecting feedback \u2014 it was about building a community around it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be cool if\u2026\u201d to shipping features<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Right after Mozilla Connect launched, users jumped in with some big asks: vertical tabs<\/a>, tab groups<\/a> and better ways to manage profiles<\/a>. Fast forward to now? All three are either being built or already starting to roll out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karen Kim, a product manager on Firefox desktop, remembers those early days well. \u201cI loved the idea of  incorporating open community feedback earlier into our process of building our browser,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have early adopters who are excited to try something even if it\u2019s still rough around the edges. And their feedback? It adds real value. It\u2019s a joyful moment when we can come back to an idea and tell people we now have the resources to build it. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

 \u201cI loved the idea of  incorporating open community feedback earlier into our process of building our browser,\u201d<\/p>\nKaren Kim, product manager for Firefox desktop<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

She also shared that it\u2019s not just about one-off requests \u2014 it\u2019s about spotting patterns. \u201cWhen you see the same idea pop up again and again from different people, that\u2019s a strong signal. It helps us prioritize what to build next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When feedback flips the script<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Andres Furlan, who works on Firefox for iOS, told us about a time when feedback totally changed the direction of a project. His team had redesigned the app\u2019s toolbar, and posted the update<\/a> on Mozilla Connect to get user reactions. \u201cWe were deciding whether to include the share and new tab buttons, and Mozilla Connect helped confirm it was the right move. We cross-checked it with user research and competitive benchmarks. Everything pointed in the same direction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s not just about convenience. Sometimes feedback brings up things that weren\u2019t even on the team\u2019s radar. Like when Firefox removed night mode from iOS. \u201cWe deprecated night mode without realizing how many people relied on it for accessibility,\u201d Andres recalled. \u201cThe posts<\/a> started rolling in \u2014 almost 200 users requested we bring it back. And some shared how it helped with visual strain or low vision. That changed how I think about feature impact. It was a real eye-opener.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designing with users, not just for them<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For both Karen and Andres, Mozilla Connect isn\u2019t just for post-launch praise (or complaints). It\u2019s become a tool for every phase of the product cycle \u2014 from exploring ideas, to testing prototypes, to validating decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andres shared how he used Mozilla Connect to post <\/a>about an experimental menu redesign. \u201cWe got early feedback that it took too many clicks to access certain actions. That input helped us reevaluate the design before releasing it more widely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“On Mozilla Connect, people share constructive feedback. They explain their problem, suggest a solution. It helps me change my approach.\u201d<\/p>\nAndres Furlan, product manager for Firefox iOS<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And when changes spark strong reactions, Mozilla Connect becomes a two-way street. \u201cWe once made a security-driven change to private tabs,\u201d Andres said. \u201cUsers weren\u2019t happy. The Mozilla Connect thread<\/a> got big. But it gave us a way to talk with them, explain why we did it, and figure out a compromise that worked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, the internet<\/strong> can <\/em><\/strong>be nice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever read through App Store reviews, you know how intense (and unhelpful) some feedback can be. That\u2019s why Andres values Mozilla Connect so much. \u201cApp Store reviews are mostly people yelling into the void. On Mozilla Connect, people share constructive feedback. They explain their problem, suggest a solution. It helps me change my approach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll see people responding to each other\u2019s ideas, offering workarounds, or tagging us when something really needs attention. It\u2019s collaborative in the best way.\u201d<\/p>\nJon Siddoway, community manager for Mozilla Connect<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mozilla Connect has a different vibe. \u201cThe feedback is actually helpful,\u201d Andres said. \u201cPeople say what\u2019s not working and why \u2014 and they often suggest a fix. It\u2019s the kind of conversation that helps us build better stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jon shared that beyond feedback, Mozilla Connect is starting to feel like a true community. \u201cYou\u2019ll see people responding to each other\u2019s ideas, offering workarounds, or tagging us when something really needs attention. It\u2019s collaborative in the best way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jon uses a \u201cgratitude tracker\u201d to monitor all the ways users express appreciation on Connect \u2013 like thank-you messages and upvotes \u2013 while keeping an eye on the number of comments that require moderation. It helps the team strike a balance and lead with gratitude for the time and insights that users share. \u201cIt\u2019s always overwhelmingly positive,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing real conversations, not just complaints.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karen sees that positivity too. \u201cThere\u2019s something really special about showing users we\u2019re listening. Like when someone requested custom wallpapers for new tabs<\/a> \u2014 and we could tell them, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re building that!\u2019 You can feel the excitement on both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s on the horizon for Mozilla Connect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mozilla Connect has grown a lot in the last few years, with more people joining and more teams across Mozilla using it to shape what\u2019s next. Jon wants to expand it with community events, more product sneak peeks, even language-specific spaces. (We recently held an Ask Me Anything (AMA) with Firefox leaders<\/a> that sparked incredible engagement  \u2013 and it’s clear people want to be part of the conversation.) Karen envisions more early-access opportunities for users to play, test and help shape features. And Andres? He\u2019s using it to shape his entire roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the start of the year, Jon gave me a list of the top 10 concerns from the community,\u201d Andres said. \u201cThat list basically guided everything we\u2019re doing in Q1 \u2013 fixing pain points, improving basics, making sure the experience just works. That\u2019s how we build trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe’re seeing real conversations, not just complaints.\u201d <\/p>\nJon Siddoway, community manager for Mozilla Connect<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As Mozilla Connect enters its third year, the vision is clear: keep growing, but stay grounded in what works. That means more engagement from product teams, more ways for users to test early features (like Firefox Labs<\/a>), and maybe even community events \u2014 virtual or in-person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the core mission won\u2019t change: meaningful conversations between the people building Firefox and the people using it every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Jon puts it: \u201cIt\u2019s that middle space where we reach out, users reach out, and we meet in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n \"An <\/div>\n
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Get the browser that puts your privacy first \u2014 and always has <\/h3> Download Firefox<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever wished Firefox had vertical tabs or an easier way to share links on your phone \u2014 and you left a comment somewhere asking for it \u2014 there\u2019s a good chance someone saw it. And not just someone. The actual people building Firefox. That\u2019s the magic of Mozilla Connect. It launched in 2022 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1284,"featured_media":78717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,464325],"tags":[464319,464204],"coauthors":[311772],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBuilt together: How Firefox fans help shape the browser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mozilla Connect launched in 2022 as a place where Firefox users and Firefox builders could actually talk to each other.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/firefox\/about-mozilla-connect\/\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" 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