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BTW: if using Android, if FF is not for you, try Brave instead of Chrome. It feels exactly like Chrome (it's Chromium-based), but has a built-in adblocker, tra

BTW: if using Android, if FF is not for you, try Brave instead of Chrome. It feels exactly like Chrome (it's Chromium-based), but has a built-in adblocker, tracker blocking, HTTPS everywhere, no nagging to sign in, and does not throw "suggested news" (with no opt-out) upon you. Brave's founder is ex-Mozilla's CEO (Brendan Eich). However latest FF on Android is actually not bad, at least if you have a modern phone (the UI feels slowish though on pre-2016 phones).

comatose 9y ago
I use ff on my galaxy s5 and the ui isn't noticibly slow, but I'm on lineageos (cyanogen) and keep apps from running when not needed so ymmv
leeoniya 9y ago
i would be using FF on Android if the scrolling was not so crappy. It's pretty terrible :(
- Drdrdrq 9y ago
  ... <scrolls down and up> ... What do you mean?
  - colanderman 9y ago
    There are two distinct problems I've noticed with FF scrolling vs. Chrome on Android. First is that certain elements block scrolling. I use FF primarily for Facebook (since FF allows me to use my – shameless plug – idle-time faker extension [1]). If my scrolling thumb lands on the "Like" button of a post, the screen just stays put. So about 1/3 of my "scroll" gestures are in vain. Second is that "flinging" motions don't register very well with Firefox. With Chrome, "flinging" sends the web page flying at a predictable speed; with Firefox, it lags for a fraction of a second before scrolling at a random speed which is usually much slower than that in Chrome. It's as if Firefox doesn't register the final thumb flick of a "fling", but Chrome does. Since "flinging" is my primary method of browsing longer web pages, ultimately my thumb has to physically do more work, and gets exhausted more quickly, when using Firefox than Chrome. A third nitpick is that, while (non-flinging) page scrolling keeps up with my thumb, it does so in a jerky manner, like it can't quite keep up with rendering, or it doesn't see all the touch events. Reminds me of an old PDA. In contrast, scrolling in Chrome is very smooth. This looks ugly but I could live with it. It is the first to two issues that prevent me from using Firefox on Android for anything but Facebook. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/social-network-chat-idle/?src=cb-dl-created https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/social-networ...
    - KozmoNau7 9y ago
      There are some values you can tweak in about:config, but I've never gotten it to be as smooth as Chrome. I know the FF team are well aware of the issue, but I figure all resources have been tied up by the upcoming FF57. As far as I know, WebRender will help.
    - Drdrdrq 9y ago
      Thank you for an in-depth explanation! I guess I use browser quite differently (qnd on simpler pages) so I never noticed any of these things.
  - Paianni 9y ago
    Well dealing with certain sites covered in Javascript elements (YouTube comments on the mobile site comes to mind) the browser's 'memory' of clickable elements don't always update with each swipe. So tapping one element on a site ends up triggering something else on the page.
- mintplant 9y ago
  Have you tried the Nightly or Beta builds?
- Zardoz84 9y ago
  using FF on a BQ Aquaris X. I don't notice any issue of speed or scrolling.
mwilliaams 9y ago
Use FF nightly on Android. It's got the quantum update and it's great. I haven't had it break on me yet, but I keep a working APK just in case.
- ethagnawl 9y ago
  Do you have to install the nightly build manually or can you opt-in via the default version?
  - teamhappy 9y ago
    Nightly and beta releases are available as separate apps.
    - cpeterso 9y ago
      Google Play store link for Firefox Beta: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.firefox_beta https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fi... Google Play store link for Firefox Nightly: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fennec_aurora https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fe...
      - krzyk 9y ago
        Wow, I didn't know Nightly got into play store, I installed it as an APK from mozilla site (upgrading APKs is painful in comparison to play upgrades).
      - ethagnawl 9y ago
        Thanks!
- Vinnl 9y ago
  Has it actually got Quantum DOM as well? I was under the impression that it was merely Electrolysis and Quantum Compositor (i.e. the speedups from Firefox 54), and that the massive on from 57 was still set to arrive?
JoshMnem 9y ago
From what I've read, Brave doesn't block ads -- it replaces them with other ads. I don't think that it's a good idea. Firefox for Android also allows browser extensions, which gives some control of the software back to the user.
- jakub_g 9y ago
  I was not aware of it - thx for info. A bit strange indeed. Link for the other if interested: https://www.brave.com/about-ad-replacement/ https://www.brave.com/about-ad-replacement/ Edit: from the link content, I understand they actually backtracked from this proposal after a backlash from publishers.
- fabrice_d 9y ago
  Except that it does actually block ads and doesn't replace them. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet when you can just try the product :)
  - 0x6c6f6c 9y ago
    Except it does. It has the functionality to do BOTH. The tagline of giving the option to either disable ads or replace ads is to provide a way to enjoy an ad-free experience or to receive only optimized advertisements. A big reason some users dislike ads isn't because of their entire existance but rather their tendency as of late to be malware-ridden or cause drops in webpage performance. These are the things that cause some users to enable ad-blockers, and Brave is the only way I've heard of that has pushed the envelope of a BETTER ad experience. From their blog, the first is a great introduction to what Brave is about[1], as well as their response to an attack on their ad-replacement ideology[2]. [1]:https://www.brave.com/how-brave-works-for-you/ https://www.brave.com/how-brave-works-for-you/ [2]:https://www.brave.com/braves-response-to-the-naa-a-better-deal-for-publishers/ https://www.brave.com/braves-response-to-the-naa-a-better-de... Also a quote directly from Brave: [The user interface] shows the major choices that Brave enables: You’re game to try our default mode of operation, for a better ad-supported Web. Just leave the Replace Ads item checked. This is the default mode of operation. We insert ads after blocking without hurting page load speed, and those ads will support the sites you browse. We choose ads based on browser-private user data with no remote tracking — not even by our servers. You want to block all ads and trackers, but you’re not sure about our plan to insert better ads with high performance and privacy. You can do this with Brave by checking Block Ads. We want you on board even if you’re just blocking everything. You’d like to try Brave without ad blocking or replacing, to get whatever ads and trackers you would experience in other browsers. Check Allow Ads and Tracking. We still protect you with HTTPS Everywhere and other defense by default.
Moyamo 9y ago
Anecdotally, I have found that Brave chokes on some obscure websites (i.e. it won't play video or audio).
milofeynman 9y ago
I have moved entirely to Firefox Focus. My only problem is that the GOOGLE BAR on my home screen still throws trending suggestions and opens up chrome. Does anyone know if I can change this?
- ahartmetz 9y ago
  Install a non-exotic alternative launcher. I use Nova, it's very similar to the Google launcher and well polished. Not sure if all vendor images allow it. I have a Moto G5 with the vendor image. I find it quite interesting that Android even has all the interfaces and permissions to allow alternative launchers. What a great feature in this generally fairly locked-down space of non-PC OSes.
- mintplant 9y ago
  I don't know about Focus, but you can configure Firefox for Android to act as a replacement for the Chrome Custom Tabs API, which apps use to launch those mini-Chrome windows. Caveat: I use the Nightly builds, and I'm unsure how new this feature is.
- phatfish 9y ago
  Can you install add-ons in Focus? When I tried you couldn't and that made it less privacy friendly than vanilla Firefox with Ublock.
sdk77 9y ago
I switched to Brave a few days ago and have never been happier. The problem with firefox on Android is that it is extremely slow, though apparently not for everyone. Slow in the sense of tapping a link, then having to wait 5 to 10 seconds before the GUI updates and the link starts loading. It's incredible and I never found a solution to this problem. It's a pity really.

comatose 9y ago

I use ff on my galaxy s5 and the ui isn't noticibly slow, but I'm on lineageos (cyanogen) and keep apps from running when not needed so ymmv

leeoniya 9y ago

i would be using FF on Android if the scrolling was not so crappy. It's pretty terrible :(

Drdrdrq 9y ago
... <scrolls down and up> ... What do you mean?
- colanderman 9y ago
  There are two distinct problems I've noticed with FF scrolling vs. Chrome on Android. First is that certain elements block scrolling. I use FF primarily for Facebook (since FF allows me to use my – shameless plug – idle-time faker extension [1]). If my scrolling thumb lands on the "Like" button of a post, the screen just stays put. So about 1/3 of my "scroll" gestures are in vain. Second is that "flinging" motions don't register very well with Firefox. With Chrome, "flinging" sends the web page flying at a predictable speed; with Firefox, it lags for a fraction of a second before scrolling at a random speed which is usually much slower than that in Chrome. It's as if Firefox doesn't register the final thumb flick of a "fling", but Chrome does. Since "flinging" is my primary method of browsing longer web pages, ultimately my thumb has to physically do more work, and gets exhausted more quickly, when using Firefox than Chrome. A third nitpick is that, while (non-flinging) page scrolling keeps up with my thumb, it does so in a jerky manner, like it can't quite keep up with rendering, or it doesn't see all the touch events. Reminds me of an old PDA. In contrast, scrolling in Chrome is very smooth. This looks ugly but I could live with it. It is the first to two issues that prevent me from using Firefox on Android for anything but Facebook. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/social-network-chat-idle/?src=cb-dl-created https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/social-networ...
  - KozmoNau7 9y ago
    There are some values you can tweak in about:config, but I've never gotten it to be as smooth as Chrome. I know the FF team are well aware of the issue, but I figure all resources have been tied up by the upcoming FF57. As far as I know, WebRender will help.
  - Drdrdrq 9y ago
    Thank you for an in-depth explanation! I guess I use browser quite differently (qnd on simpler pages) so I never noticed any of these things.
- Paianni 9y ago
  Well dealing with certain sites covered in Javascript elements (YouTube comments on the mobile site comes to mind) the browser's 'memory' of clickable elements don't always update with each swipe. So tapping one element on a site ends up triggering something else on the page.
mintplant 9y ago
Have you tried the Nightly or Beta builds?
Zardoz84 9y ago
using FF on a BQ Aquaris X. I don't notice any issue of speed or scrolling.

mwilliaams 9y ago

Use FF nightly on Android. It's got the quantum update and it's great. I haven't had it break on me yet, but I keep a working APK just in case.

ethagnawl 9y ago
Do you have to install the nightly build manually or can you opt-in via the default version?
- teamhappy 9y ago
  Nightly and beta releases are available as separate apps.
  - cpeterso 9y ago
    Google Play store link for Firefox Beta: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.firefox_beta https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fi... Google Play store link for Firefox Nightly: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fennec_aurora https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fe...
    - krzyk 9y ago
      Wow, I didn't know Nightly got into play store, I installed it as an APK from mozilla site (upgrading APKs is painful in comparison to play upgrades).
    - ethagnawl 9y ago
      Thanks!
Vinnl 9y ago
Has it actually got Quantum DOM as well? I was under the impression that it was merely Electrolysis and Quantum Compositor (i.e. the speedups from Firefox 54), and that the massive on from 57 was still set to arrive?

JoshMnem 9y ago

From what I've read, Brave doesn't block ads -- it replaces them with other ads. I don't think that it's a good idea. Firefox for Android also allows browser extensions, which gives some control of the software back to the user.

jakub_g 9y ago
I was not aware of it - thx for info. A bit strange indeed. Link for the other if interested: https://www.brave.com/about-ad-replacement/ https://www.brave.com/about-ad-replacement/ Edit: from the link content, I understand they actually backtracked from this proposal after a backlash from publishers.
fabrice_d 9y ago
Except that it does actually block ads and doesn't replace them. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet when you can just try the product :)
- 0x6c6f6c 9y ago
  Except it does. It has the functionality to do BOTH. The tagline of giving the option to either disable ads or replace ads is to provide a way to enjoy an ad-free experience or to receive only optimized advertisements. A big reason some users dislike ads isn't because of their entire existance but rather their tendency as of late to be malware-ridden or cause drops in webpage performance. These are the things that cause some users to enable ad-blockers, and Brave is the only way I've heard of that has pushed the envelope of a BETTER ad experience. From their blog, the first is a great introduction to what Brave is about[1], as well as their response to an attack on their ad-replacement ideology[2]. [1]:https://www.brave.com/how-brave-works-for-you/ https://www.brave.com/how-brave-works-for-you/ [2]:https://www.brave.com/braves-response-to-the-naa-a-better-deal-for-publishers/ https://www.brave.com/braves-response-to-the-naa-a-better-de... Also a quote directly from Brave: [The user interface] shows the major choices that Brave enables: You’re game to try our default mode of operation, for a better ad-supported Web. Just leave the Replace Ads item checked. This is the default mode of operation. We insert ads after blocking without hurting page load speed, and those ads will support the sites you browse. We choose ads based on browser-private user data with no remote tracking — not even by our servers. You want to block all ads and trackers, but you’re not sure about our plan to insert better ads with high performance and privacy. You can do this with Brave by checking Block Ads. We want you on board even if you’re just blocking everything. You’d like to try Brave without ad blocking or replacing, to get whatever ads and trackers you would experience in other browsers. Check Allow Ads and Tracking. We still protect you with HTTPS Everywhere and other defense by default.

Moyamo 9y ago

Anecdotally, I have found that Brave chokes on some obscure websites (i.e. it won't play video or audio).

milofeynman 9y ago

I have moved entirely to Firefox Focus. My only problem is that the GOOGLE BAR on my home screen still throws trending suggestions and opens up chrome. Does anyone know if I can change this?

ahartmetz 9y ago
Install a non-exotic alternative launcher. I use Nova, it's very similar to the Google launcher and well polished. Not sure if all vendor images allow it. I have a Moto G5 with the vendor image. I find it quite interesting that Android even has all the interfaces and permissions to allow alternative launchers. What a great feature in this generally fairly locked-down space of non-PC OSes.
mintplant 9y ago
I don't know about Focus, but you can configure Firefox for Android to act as a replacement for the Chrome Custom Tabs API, which apps use to launch those mini-Chrome windows. Caveat: I use the Nightly builds, and I'm unsure how new this feature is.
phatfish 9y ago
Can you install add-ons in Focus? When I tried you couldn't and that made it less privacy friendly than vanilla Firefox with Ublock.

sdk77 9y ago

I switched to Brave a few days ago and have never been happier. The problem with firefox on Android is that it is extremely slow, though apparently not for everyone. Slow in the sense of tapping a link, then having to wait 5 to 10 seconds before the GUI updates and the link starts loading. It's incredible and I never found a solution to this problem. It's a pity really.