Harley Sutherland
Firefox does not have a built-in resource monitor, but there are several ways to track internet usage. One way is to use the Firefox Network Monitor tool, which can be opened by pressing Ctrl + Shift + E (or Cmd + Opt + E on a Mac). This tool shows all HTTP requests made by Firefox, including how long each request takes and details of each request. However, it does not track all tabs by default, only the tabs for which you open it. Another way to track internet usage is to enter about:performance in the Firefox address bar, which will show a list of open tabs and add-ons with their energy impact and memory usage. Additionally, there are third-party applications and tools available, such as Task Manager/Process Explorer, Perfmon, Windows Resource Manager, and Glasswire, which can be used to monitor data usage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Monitor usage per tab | Firefox's Network Monitor tool does not track all tabs |
| Monitor usage per extension | Possible with the Task Manager/Process Explorer |
| Monitor usage per tab and per extension | Possible with the Chrome Task Manager |
| Monitor usage per tab and per extension in Firefox | Possible with about:performance |
| Monitor usage per tab and per extension in Firefox | Possible with Sleep Mode extension |
| Monitor usage per tab and per extension in Firefox | Possible with about:networking |
What You'll Learn
Firefox's Network Monitor tool
The Network Monitor has a user interface that consists of four main parts: the toolbar, the network request list, the network request details pane, and the performance analysis view. The toolbar provides various functionalities, including clearing the network request list, filtering requests by URL and properties, and disabling caching. It also includes a pause and resume button for network traffic recording, which is useful when you need to analyse a specific snapshot of network activity.
The network request list displays all the network requests made by Firefox, while the network request details pane provides detailed information about each request. The performance analysis view offers additional insights into the network activity. Furthermore, the Network Monitor continues to record network requests even when it is not selected, allowing for convenient debugging without the need to reload the page.
While Firefox's Network Monitor tool provides valuable information, it has been noted that it does not track all tabs by default. It only monitors the tabs for which it is specifically opened. This limitation can be a challenge when trying to identify which tabs are consuming the most resources.
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about:performance
Firefox does not have a built-in resource monitor, but there are several ways to track usage and monitor performance.
Entering "about:performance" in the Firefox address bar will bring up Firefox's integrated Task Manager. This will display a list of open tabs and add-ons, along with their energy impact and memory usage. The energy impact column indicates which tabs are using the most CPU resources, with a numerical value, textual description (high, medium, or low), and a graphical representation.
About:networking
The "about:networking" page in Firefox provides various monitoring options, including sockets, which can help identify which tabs are consuming the most data.
About:memory
The "about:memory" page provides detailed information on Firefox's memory usage and includes a button to minimize memory usage.
About:processes
The "about:processes" page in Firefox provides information on memory and CPU usage.
Firefox Network Monitor
Firefox's Network Monitor tool can be used to track network requests, but it only monitors tabs that are actively open in the Network Monitor. It can be accessed by pressing Ctrl + Shift + E (or Cmd + Opt + E on a Mac), selecting the Network panel in the Web Developer Tools, or by clicking the wrench icon in the main toolbar and selecting "Network".
Third-Party Tools
There are also third-party tools and extensions available for monitoring resource usage, such as Task Manager/Process Explorer, Perfmon, Windows Resource Manager, TCPView, Currports, Process Monitor, and NetBalancer.
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about:processes
Firefox does not have a built-in resource monitor like Chrome's Shift+Esc combo, which shows how much resources the browser uses per tab and per extension. However, Firefox does have a few different ways to monitor usage and track network activity.
About:performance
About:performance is a Firefox integrated task manager that can be used to monitor usage. It includes, per tab (and extension), energy impact and memory columns. The energy impact column indicates which tab is using the most CPU resources, represented numerically, textually ("High" / "Medium" / "Low"), and graphically.
About:memory
About:memory shows Firefox's memory usage details and includes a button to minimize memory usage.
About:networking
About:networking can be used to monitor network activity. It includes a sockets tab, which shows packets sent and received, and a list of monitors to choose from on the left side of the screen.
About:debugging
About:debugging can be used to turn off "Enable add-on debugging", which may help reduce CPU usage.
Network Monitor
Firefox's Network Monitor shows all the HTTP requests Firefox makes, how long each request takes, and details of each request. It can be opened by pressing Ctrl + Shift + E (or Cmd + Opt + E on a Mac), selecting the Network panel in the Web Developer Tools, or by clicking the wrench icon in the main toolbar or under the Hamburger menu and selecting "Network".
Third-Party Tools
There are also third-party tools that can be used to monitor Firefox's usage, such as Task Manager/Process Explorer, Perfmon, Windows Resource Manager, TCPView, Currports, Process Monitor, and NetBalancer.
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about:memory
Firefox does not have a built-in resource monitor, but there are several workarounds and alternatives.
Firstly, entering "about:performance" in the Firefox address bar will present a list of open tabs and add-ons with their energy impact and memory usage. This is a useful way to identify which tabs are using the most CPU resources.
Another method is to use the Firefox Network Monitor tool, which can be opened by pressing Ctrl + Shift + E (or Cmd + Opt + E on a Mac). This will show all the HTTP requests Firefox makes, how long each request takes, and details of each request. However, this tool does not track all tabs by default, only those for which you open it.
To track Firefox's internet usage for each tab, you can try entering "about:networking" in the address bar and selecting a monitor from the list on the left. There are also several online tools and third-party applications that can be used, such as Task Manager/Process Explorer, Perfmon, Windows Resource Manager, TCPView, Currports, and Process Monitor.
Additionally, you can use the "about:memory" feature in Firefox to view detailed information about its memory usage. This page also includes a button to minimize memory usage.
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about:networking
Firefox does not have a built-in resource monitor, but there are several workarounds and alternatives.
About:performance
About:performance opens Firefox's integrated Task Manager, which includes Energy Impact and Memory columns per tab and extension. This allows you to see which tab is using the most CPU resources.
About:processes
About:processes shows memory and CPU usage.
About:memory
About:memory shows Firefox's memory usage details and has a button to minimize memory usage.
About:debugging
About:debugging allows you to turn off "Enable add-on debugging", which can reduce CPU usage.
Third-Party Tools
There are several third-party tools that can be used to monitor Firefox's data usage, including:
- Task Manager/Process Explorer
- Perfmon
- Windows Resource Manager (Resmon)
- TCPView
- Currports
- Process Monitor
- NetBalancer
- NetWorx
- Glasswire
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Frequently asked questions
Firefox does have a built-in resource monitor that shows all the HTTP requests Firefox makes, how long each request takes, and details of each request.
To open the Firefox resource monitor, press Ctrl + Shift + E (Cmd + Opt + E on a Mac), select the Network panel in the Web Developer Tools, or click the wrench icon and select "Network".
Firefox's Network Monitor tool does not track usage per tab. However, you can enter "about:performance" in the browser address bar to see a list of open tabs/add-ons with their energy impact and memory usage.
There are several third-party applications that can be used to monitor Firefox data usage, such as Task Manager/Process Explorer, Perfmon, Windows Resource Manager, TCPView, Currports, and Process Monitor.
