Firefox is rolling out a new mobile feature called Shake to Summarize, letting iPhone users quickly generate an AI summary of any supported webpage by simply shaking the phone or tapping a button, starting this week in the US for English content. On iPhone 15 Pro or newer running iOS 26 with Apple Intelligence, summaries are generated on-device, while older devices or iOS versions use Mozilla’s secure cloud-based AI, and the tool is limited to pages under 5,000 words for reliable results.
What’s new
Mozilla’s feature blends gesture and UI control: shake the device, tap the thunderbolt icon in the address bar, or use the three-dot menu to select “Summarize Page,” making it fast to extract key points from long reads, recipes, or research pages on small screens. A toggle allows turning the feature off to avoid accidental triggers, and users will see a prompt the first time eligible content appears during the rollout.
Apple Intelligence tie-in
On compatible models, summaries use Apple’s on-device AI for privacy and speed, positioning Firefox among the first major third-party apps to integrate Apple Intelligence for real-world tasks like webpage summarization. Apple Intelligence support is limited to recent iPhones, with broader availability tied to Apple’s staged rollout and device compatibility, while non‑compatible iPhones fall back to Mozilla’s cloud summarization path.
Availability and rollout
The feature begins its US-English rollout this week, with Mozilla planning to expand to more regions and Android in the future, though timelines are not yet announced publicly. The iOS requirement and Apple Intelligence integration align with Apple’s latest platform updates, as broader Apple Intelligence capabilities continue to reach eligible devices through incremental releases.
Why it matters
For everyday browsing, Shake to Summarize tackles a common mobile pain point: scanning long pages on the go, enabling quick takeaways without switching apps or copy-pasting into separate tools. Gesture-based activation builds on familiar iOS patterns (like shake-to-undo) and could push other browsers toward deeper OS-level AI integrations in the coming months.
How to use it
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Shake the iPhone on a webpage in Firefox iOS to trigger a summary overlay.
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Alternatively, tap the thunderbolt icon in the address bar or use three dots > Summarize Page for manual control.
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Turn it off anytime in settings if accidental shakes become disruptive during normal use.
Key limitations
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Works on webpages under 5,000 words to keep summaries concise and accurate on mobile.
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US and English-only at launch, with expansion planned across regions and platforms later.
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On-device Apple Intelligence requires newer hardware; otherwise, summaries route via Mozilla’s cloud AI with secure processing.
FAQ
Q1: Which iPhones get on-device summaries?
A1: iPhone 15 Pro and newer running iOS 26 can use Apple Intelligence for on-device summarization; older devices or iOS versions will use Mozilla’s cloud AI fallback.
Q2: How do users trigger a summary?
A2: Shake the device, tap the thunderbolt icon in the address bar, or tap the three dots and choose “Summarize Page” in Firefox for iOS.
Q3: Is the feature private and secure?
A3: On compatible devices, summaries are generated on-device via Apple Intelligence; otherwise, the page text is sent securely to Mozilla’s cloud AI and returned as an overlay.
Q4: Where and when is it available?
A4: Rollout starts this week in the US for English-language pages, with plans to expand to more regions and Android later, though no specific global dates are announced yet.
Q5: Are there content limitations?
A5: Yes, Shake to Summarize supports webpages under 5,000 words to ensure concise, high-quality outputs designed for quick mobile browsing sessions.