Firefox on Android hides a menu of extra features. Here is how to open it

Firefox for Android has a hidden menu called Secret Settings, and it takes only a few taps to turn on. It holds dozens of extra options, from early looks at new features to a small built-in game. If something goes wrong, a reset button at the bottom puts everything back.

What it is

Secret Settings used to be limited to Firefox's beta builds, which are test versions meant for developers. It now works in the regular version from Google Play. Android Police compares it to Android's own hidden Developer Options.

Once the steps are done, a "Debug menu enabled" notice appears. Go back to the main settings and a new Secret Settings section shows up, with options sorted by category.

What you can try

• Nimbus Preview Collection connects Firefox to Mozilla's experimental preview server so you can test features before they go public.
• DNS over HTTPS lets you pick how Firefox looks up websites. The choices are Default Protection, Increased Protection, Max Protection and Off.
• Increased and Max Protection let you choose which DNS server the browser uses.
• Enable Longfox adds a hidden game. Open a new tab and tap Help catch trackers to play.

Tapping the Firefox logo in About Firefox several times unlocks more. Nimbus Experiments appears in the main settings and gives early access to features not yet in the stable version. Install extension from file also appears there. It lets you add extensions from outside Firefox's store, as long as they are XPI files. The store itself lists over 14,000 extensions.

What to know first

The menu is not fixed. Items come and go, and features in Nimbus Experiments can vanish after an update and never return. Secret Settings once allowed search bar changes, such as hiding trending suggestions. Those toggles are gone as of the article's writing.

The menu also disappears when Firefox restarts. Repeat the same steps to bring it back.

Staying safe

Some combinations of these hidden settings could break the browser or cause display glitches. That is why Firefox hides them. To undo changes, open Secret Settings and select Reset switches to default at the bottom. This does not touch other settings in the main menu.

Chrome and Brave on mobile lack add-ons and most of the fine controls their desktop versions offer. Firefox is the exception, which makes this menu useful for power users and curious everyday users alike.