Firefox Browser Keeps Crashing? Try These Fixes

Is your Firefox closing instantly after opening? Or does it crash periodically? Although Firefox is an open-source browser, it’s common for it to crash every now and then. Firefox even has an option where you can view a complete log of all the crash reports. 

Issues with browsers are usually due to causes like heavy load due to add-ons, hardware acceleration, outdated browser version, cache data, and such. Even a privacy feature, like the tracking protection method, can cause this browser to not load properly. 

9 Fixes for Firefox Crashing Error

Before moving on to the solutions, we recommend taking a preliminary approach. Since it’s natural for your browser to crash simply due to a lot of processes, first close all the tabs you don’t need anymore. Additionally, if you have multiple windows open as well, close them if they’re not necessary. Now, you can also try reloading your current webpage or restarting the browser.

Whether you’re on Windows or macOS, the following steps to solve crashes on your Firefox browser are similar. Let’s look at these fixes in detail:

Run Firefox in Troubleshoot mode

One of the primary causes of Firefox crashing is when a lot of the items within your browser are consuming resources and increasing memory usage. They include your extensions, themes, cache data, and many more. Thankfully, you can restart Firefox with the Troubleshoot mode option whenever you run into any errors.

When this mode is active, Firefox will disable all extensions, themes, custom settings, and more. However, some settings might differ if you’re using an older version of Firefox. Nevertheless, here’s how to start Firefox in the troubleshoot mode.

1. Click on the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner to open up the menu. 
2. Then, go to Help.  
3. Click on Troubleshoot Mode. 
   
4. You’ll now see a prompt that asks you if you want to restart firefox in troubleshoot mode. Click on Restart to proceed. 
   
5. You’ll get another pop-up option asking you to confirm. Click on Open.
   
6. Firefox will now restart.

Disable Add-ons and Themes

If you want to only disable a few or selected add-ons and themes without starting the troubleshoot mode, here’s how you can do so. 

1. Launch Firefox and click on the menu icon. 
2. Go to Add-ons and themes. 
   
3. Click on Extensions from the left panel. 
4. Next to your extension, switch the toggle to disable it. Now, it’ll show the disabled message next to the extension as well.
   
5. Now, click on Themes.  
6. Choose a theme you want to disable. Click on the Disable option on the theme. 
   
7. Restart Firefox. 

Update Firefox 

Another common cause for Firefox frequently crashing is because it’s outdated. It causes Firefox to become slow and can affect the overall browsing experience. Since Firefox is especially an open-source browser, there are regular new updates containing bug fixes and other improvements. So, it’s a good idea to update your Firefox right away: 

1. Go to Firefox’s menu by clicking on the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner. 
2. Click on Help > About Firefox. 
3. Firefox will now automatically check for updates. 
4. Install any available updates. 
5. If there’s no available update, you’ll see a message that says, “Firefox is up to date.”
   

Erase Firefox Cache Data 

Cache data are pieces of information regarding your browsing activity. Although this data is useful in helping web pages load instantly, they can also become corrupted with time. The corrupted cache data can negatively affect your browsing experience by crashing the browser. So, a key solution to fixing Firefox is to delete these junk files. They include cache data, cookies, and history. 

1. Go to the menu and then click on Settings. 
2. Then, navigate to Privacy and Security. 
3. Scroll down to the Cookies and Site Data section. 
4. You can also clearly tell how much space the cache data is occupying. Click on the Clear Data option next to it. 
   
5. Now, you’ll see a new prompt that will allow you to either select only cookies and site data or only cached web content. 
6. Select both and then click on Clear. 
   
7. You’ll get another pop-up message stating that this action will log you out of websites and such. Click on Clear Now to proceed. 
   
8. Now, go back and scroll down to History. Click on Clear History. 
   
9. Click on the option that says Time Range to clear. You can either select your desired time range or Everything. 
   
10. Click on OK to proceed.

If you don’t want to continue repeating the steps above, go back to Cookies and Site Data. Then, select the option that says Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. This will automatically clear cache content when you exit Firefox. 

Change Tracking Protection Method

If you have changed the tracking protection method, it can be one of the reasons why Firefox is crashing or not loading content. You get three types of protection methods, like Standard, Strict, and Custom. If you have set it to Strict or Custom, tracking protection will be stronger. However, it can usually cause Firefox to crash. So, you can temporarily switch to the Standard protection mode that’ll help pages to load smoothly. 

1. Go to Firefox’s settings. 
2. Click on Privacy and Security from the left panel. 
3. Select the Standard protection method. 
4. Next, click on Reload All Tabs. 
   
5. Restart Firefox. 

Turn off Hardware Acceleration 

Hardware acceleration is a feature that’s often responsible for Firefox crashing frequently. Although it helps enhance the performance of your browser by sending off computing work to hardware components of your PC, it doesn’t always work properly. So, it’s safe to turn it off sometimes when you don’t need it. 

1. Go to the browser menu and then click on Settings. 
2. In the General section, scroll down and navigate to Performance. 
3. If the Use recommended performance settings option is selected, uncheck the box. 
4. A new option will appear that says Use Hardware Acceleration when available. 
   
5. Uncheck this box as well to disable this setting. 

Update Windows or macOS

Besides errors with your browser, there can also be compatibility issues with your PC. In such cases, updating your OS comes in handy for most errors. 

If you’re on Windows, follow these steps to update it:

1. Go to Settings and then click on Update and Security. 
2. If there are any available updates, click on Download and Install. 
3. Restart your PC. 

If you’re on a Mac, here’s how you can update it: 

1. Click on the Apple logo and go to System settings. 
2. Navigate to General and then select Software Update. 
3. If there are any software updates available, click on Update Now or Upgrade Now. 
   
4. Restart your computer. 

Uninstall and Reinstall Firefox

If most solutions are of little to no use, an effective solution is to uninstall and reinstall Firefox. To uninstall Firefox, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Apps. 
2. From Apps and features, locate Firefox and click on the three dots. 
3. Click on Uninstall. 
   
4. Again, click on Uninstall to confirm. 
5. Then, install Firefox. 

Submit Crash Report to Firefox

Lastly, if you’re still having issues with Firefox, you can submit a crash report to the developers at Firefox. These reports also help you learn the source of the error. Here’s how you can check and send these reports: 

1. Enter “about:crashes” in the URL address bar. 
   
2. If there are any crash reports, you can view the Report ID.
3. Click on the Submit option next to it.