Mozilla Foundation: “Firefox’s address bar just got an upgrade, and it’s all about putting you in control. It’s faster, easier to use and built to support how you search and browse — while staying true to what makes Firefox, Firefox: real user choice, strong privacy and transparency.

Built to help you search faster and get things done The address bar is where browsing begins. It’s more than a space for URLs. It’s a command center for search, navigation, productivity and discovery. Here’s how we’ve improved it:

• Choose how you search, right from the address. The new search button puts your preferred engines front and center, making it easier to switch between providers and search modes based on what you need. It improves visibility, supports re-running searches with ease, and ultimately reflects something core to Firefox: giving users real choice in how they explore the web.
• Keep your original search visible – When you perform a search, your query now remains visible in the address bar instead of being replaced by the search engine’s URL. Whereas before your address bar was filled with long, confusing URLs, now it’s easier to refine or repeat searches. It’s especially helpful for keeping you productive while performing research and multistep tasks…”