Time for some spring cleaning! We completed a long list of stabilization and optimization tasks during the last weeks. In addition, we prepared for the first cross-device features for Cliqz.

What is new?

Connect Cliqz for Desktop with Cliqz on your mobile device. The latest Cliqz function, called “Connect”, enables users to connect Cliqz on their Android tablet or smartphone to the Cliqz desktop application. Once paired, users can send websites from their computer to their mobile device, or download videos onto their mobile via the desktop browser. Connect works without a user account and without sending data through an external server. Connect will be rolled out to users gradually within the next weeks.

 

What is better?

Update to Firefox 52.0.2. The new Firefox updates add several performance and security improvements to Cliqz. In addition, a little icon now appears in the URL bar to alert users when they visit unencrypted websites that offer a login.

LastPass Update. We updated LastPass, the integrated password management application, to version 4.1.45.

Cliqz Tab in Forget Windows. For all new tabs in Forget windows, Cliqz Tab is now displayed. Only the start page of the Forget window provides brief information about this browser mode.

Stability improvements. We implemented many stability improvements for different components in Cliqz. As a side effect some performance enhancements were achieved. The code cleanup also helped us prepare for the upcoming new features.

Weather Smart Cliqz. For weather alerts in the Smart Cliqz, the yellow alert box used to hide the city name. We rearranged the contents slightly to show the location for every type of weather.

Detailed versioning. „About Cliqz“ now displays an expanded version number for the browser to facilitate error reports and debugging. The figure consists of three parts: the browser version, e.g. 1.12.0, followed by the current Firefox version, e.g. 52.0.2, and the extended component that contains proprietary Cliqz features like its search and anti-tracking, e.g. 1.15.0. Put together it looks like this: Cliqz – 1.12.1 (52.0.2+1.15.0).

Smart Cliqz categories. In some Smart Cliqz (i.e. enriched search results) category buttons are cut off due to their long titles. We added a tooltip that displays the full name on hover.

 

What is fixed?

Empty search dropdown. For some users typing into text boxes on websites opened a blank dropdown from the address bar. This issue has been fixed.

Privacy settings saved. If users switched the browser’s privacy settings for saving history, these changes were lost when the browser was restarted. This has been resolved.

Google.de search shortcut. Clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the “Google.de” Top Site on Freshtab opened the search shortcut #gi for Google Images. This has been corrected to show #go as the shortcut to search on Google.

Video downloader message on Cliqz Tab. In a specific case the notification for the new video download feature on Cliqz Tab appeared twice.

HTTPS Everywhere corrections. Several cases in which the security add-on HTTPS Everywhere blocked website content have been identified and fixed. Among others, live streaming of some TV programs had been affected.

Ad-block enhancements. For single websites content was blocked by or displayed incorrectly due to the integrated ad-blocking function. We fixed the known cases.

 

The second phase of the Cliqz Test Pilot experiment by Mozilla is coming to an end. We hope to turn key insights from the test into product improvements for future releases.

 

Enjoy browsing with Cliqz. Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback.