26 ms·

Firefox desktop extensions coming soon for the upcoming Android release

857 points by rc00 3y ago

cute_boi 3y ago
Nice! I wish Mozilla release altstore/sideload version of IOS app with all the feature available in android.
- lazycouchpotato 3y ago
  It would probably be a lot of work for not a lot of people. You can use Firefox extensions on iOS via Orion Browser. [1] https://apps.apple.com/app/orion-browser-by-kagi/id1484498200 https://apps.apple.com/app/orion-browser-by-kagi/id148449820... [2] https://browser.kagi.com/faq.html#iosext https://browser.kagi.com/faq.html#iosext
  - saradhi 3y ago
    For a moment, I got excited for this. It did not turn up good, as the chrome extension I wanted to try is not working.
    - freediver 3y ago
      Try with the next release coming this weekend, a lot more web extension APIs will be supported on iOS. https://browser.kagi.com/updates/orion-iOS-release-notes.html https://browser.kagi.com/updates/orion-iOS-release-notes.htm...
  - nfriedly 3y ago
    Mozilla's already done the work to make Firefox (the full browser, not just a Safari wrapper) run on iOS multiple times. It wouldn't be that much more work to package it up and release it for side loading.
gary_0 3y ago
Better late than never!
- Zuiii 3y ago
  While true, Mozilla unfortunately had already forfeited the Android browser market to other competitors by not enabling this day one (contrary to their claims, most extensions worked fine). I would be really interested in reading the rationale behind their decision. The real one.
  - friend_and_foe 3y ago
    You'll never get the real one unfortunately, because corpos (profit and non profit alike) do everything in marketingpseak and think their customers and users are stupid children that have to be bullshitted into behaving.
    - Zuiii 3y ago
      Tangentially related, but your comment reminded me of this classic: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/mozilla-now-only-seems-to-speak-using-creepy-gibberish-lunatic/td-p/16863 https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/mozilla-now-only-...
      - phatfish 3y ago
        Maybe if author of that comment put as much effort into developing their own browser as they seemed to put into that weird rant we would have a new Chrome competitor which meets their exceptions.
        mrguyorama 3y ago
        The entitlement and blatant hypocrisy of Mozilla haters is insane. "Mozilla does weird things to try and diversify their income so that Google cannot shut them down one day randomly if they're finally competitive, but that's not the one blessed thing of committing code to the single blessed repository of Firefox, so instead I'm going to use the browser built by a company that makes all of its money through advertising, explicitly sends pretty much everything you do in their browser to their advertising apparatus, repeatedly pushed unnecessary "standards" that would make it easier to fingerprint users, and is now trying to tee-up a standard that will make it possible to cryptographically prevent users from blocking ads in the future." Come the fuck on
38 3y ago
> Once you’re ready to test the mobile version of your extension, create a collection on AMO and test it on Firefox for Android Nightly Just in case anyone missed this, it seems that Android Firefox STILL will not allow anonymous installation of extensions. Even if you wrote the extension yourself, and want to install on your own device. Only workaround is to only install approved extensions, or be forced into registering on AMO. if I am wrong I will be happy to hear it, but this upcoming release doesn't seem to offer any meaningful change in regards to user privacy and control.
- NoahKAndrews 3y ago
  I believe that's just instructions for developers to test now, before the open ecosystem ships.
- lolinder 3y ago
  I think you're reading too much into that one sentence—that seems more like a temporary measure to me—but it's possible that you're correct. However: > any meaningful change in regards to user privacy and control. There's an enormous difference in user control between the 22 extensions that are currently allowed on Firefox Android and an open library of add-ons, even if Mozilla is retaining control of the add-on installation process for now. I don't usually jump to Mozilla's defense, but saying this is no "meaningful change" is rank hyperbole.
  - MrStonedOne 3y ago
    [dead]
- mkl 3y ago
  I'm hoping I'll be able to load my own extensions with something like ViolentMonkey, TamperMonkey, etc., as I do on desktop.
  - selcuka 3y ago
    Tampermonkey already works with the current version of Firefox Android.
vsskanth 3y ago
Finally I can get off Firefox Nightly and move to the stable release
- friend_and_foe 3y ago
  Or you can get off Firefox and stop feeling like a kicked dog all the time. It doesn't have to be a chromium fork either, there's iceraven.
  - c0nducktr 3y ago
    What does iceraven get you compared to firefox?
    - doctor_radium 3y ago
      Iceraven's reason for existence has been about allowing (pretty much?) all Firefox addons since day one. And about:config. Wish you hadn't downvoted him.
      - friend_and_foe 3y ago
        Yep, and I still have to deal with my settings being reset every time I update, their user hostile UX flows, strange highlights on web page elements, and all the other stuff Firefox says aren't important to users. But I do it, why? So that all those scaremongers who screech "but you have to use Firefox! Otherwise youre helping the evil only other game in town!" like they always do don't have a single argument. Mozilla shows utter disdain for their users with just about every announcement, update, new feature or new restriction. The irrationality with which people defend them is jarringly similar to a cult, it's really unsettling. I just want a web browser that doesn't feel like it fucking hates me.
        orra 3y ago
        > Mozilla shows utter disdain for their users with just about every announcement, update, new feature or new restriction This is absolute hyperbole. Have you forgotten the context? You're on a story about full extension support being implemented, which is exactly what you wanted.
danShumway 3y ago
This is a big surprise and a welcome one. I honestly had given up hope of this happening. It's disappointing that it took this long, but it is a big deal to have full extension support on Android again. I'm very happy to see this news.
- ncann 3y ago
  In case you didn't know, you can have full extension support on Android with Kiwi Browser, which is based on Chromium.
  - specproc 3y ago
    I did not like the look of Kiwi Browser one bit, lots of weird permissions and dodgy ad-tech smells. Plus it's not Firefox, I'd rather use the same browser on both desktop and Android. This is great news. Can't wait to have a no-fuss paywall bypass on mobile again.
    - friend_and_foe 3y ago
      Iceraven has been allowing a ton more extensions than Firefox all this time, no need to go chromium.
      - specproc 3y ago
        Yeah, I was doing Iceraven for a bit, but it was a pain to keep updated. Super stoked with this news this morning.
        friend_and_foe 3y ago
        How was it a pain? Ffupdater has had it available for a very long time, and there's Unobtainium that lets you update from git repo releases among other things.
        3y ago
liminalsunset 3y ago
There used to be a way to sideload extensions onto Android FF but I found it too cumbersome so I switched to Kiwi, a build of Chromium with extension support. Will definitely give this a go when it's ready, and I hope Temporary Containers works as I miss having that on mobile
- vsskanth 3y ago
  The real annoying part about Kiwi is it doesn't seem to play well with 1password, never understood why.
sfmike 3y ago
Would it be possible to inject chrome extensions somehow into firefox that is the final piece where some websites force to just use chrome and it's really annoying and the singular time you have to switch for their chrome based widget/extension to do that websites functionality?
- lolinder 3y ago
  I have never run into this. What websites are you referring to?
  - asaddhamani 3y ago
    Btw there are Chromium based browsers on Android that have allowed extensions for a long time. I do not recall the names as I’ve been on iOS for years now but I know they exist. EDIT: It’s kiwi and yandex browser apparently.
  - maccard 3y ago
    In $LAST_JOB we used an ancient CI tool called Electric Commander. I don't know if it was us or them, but it didn't work in FF. We currently use playfab in work, and the admin panel is missing a few features on Firefox compared to chrome. Google Meets has been doing some nonsense over the last few weeks on FF causing it to break for our team (and pushed us back to slack huddles). My bank's search functionality doesn't work on FF (but the app works so I use that instead) Ironically, the biggest source of website breakages for me is extensions. UBlock breaks _way_ more, and I just disable it on a site by site basis.
    - lolinder 3y ago
      I'm not talking about having to switch to Chrome in general—I see that sometimes. I mean a website that requires a particular extension that is Chrome-only.
      - maccard 3y ago
        Oh I know. I use Firefox, but have to switch to chrome for those sites because they don't work in FF. I still use FF, and have done (proudly) since 2007!
friend_and_foe 3y ago
> the only major Android browser So Chrome and Firefox? I already have extensions. It's too little too late Mozilla, you burned me by removing them years ago.
- bjord 3y ago
  kiwi =/= chrome
  - friend_and_foe 3y ago
    That's why I find it funny firefox is saying "only major browser" as if it's some club. Users who do not keep themselves in pens have had extensions in mobile browsers for years now. Firefox brings nothing distinguishing with this announcement, I don't have to use a "major browser".
    - shultays 3y ago
      Also Firefox accounts for 0.48% of the mobile browser market share I wonder what is the cut off for being a major
1vuio0pswjnm7 3y ago
Out of curiosity I recently did an experiment to investigate Add-Ons in Firefox for Android. Some facts: One does not need Firefox Nightly to run more extensions than the "supported" ones. Creating a "custom" collection of Add-Ons on addons.mozilla.org can be done using a disposable email address. There is no visible Settings option to add a custom collection in Fennec from F-Droid. To make it visible, one has to go the About page under Settings and tap the Firefox logo three or more times. One needs to enter an "ID" in Fennec to add a "custom" collection. The addons.mozilla.org site does not tell the user her ID, it's in the URL that points to her collection. After a custom collection is added, one loses the default collection of Add-Ons "supported" by Mozilla. No way to easily switch between collections. Need to remove the current collection. After installing a custom collection, whenever the user access the Add-Ons menu in Fennec, Firefox tries to connect to addons.mozilla.org. Mozilla's definition of user privacy excludes telemetry and data collection by Mozilla. As another commenter mentioned, many of the Add-Ons that are not "supported" by Mozilla work just fine. They work just as well as uBblock origin, NoScript and the other "supporteed" ones.
- yukIttEft 3y ago
  > Creating a "custom" collection of Add-Ons on addons.mozilla.org can be done using a disposable email address. I seriously don't get it. Why do I have to create a "custom collection" with an email address to install an extension. Why can't it work like it does on PC ?
  - hexo 3y ago
    [flagged]
    - andyjohnson0 3y ago
      > Because of stage 2.5 - i.e. User abuse by company. Not everything fits into the framework of enshitification. This is about the transition to ff/android supporting the full range of extensions. Its a transitional measure.
xs83 3y ago
If Adblock works on this then I will switch to Firefox from Chrome - the internet is unusable without it
- lolinder 3y ago
  You can already use uBlock Origin from Firefox Android.
- kome 3y ago
  ublock origin already works on firefox on mobile (android). it's already supported, it's already available. and it's awesome. i don't know why and how people still use chrome on mobile. it is an awful web experience.
  - dekatron 3y ago
    It is an awful experience indeed. I switched to Kiwi browser when Chrome forced tab groups on everyone with no option to disable it. Kiwi has add-on support and removes many of Chrome's annoying aspects. I could never go back to browsing on mobile without add-ons like uBlock Origin and Sticky Ducky.
    - sexy_seedbox 3y ago
      Never heard of Sticky Ducky, will add. For me, the other essential to install on Kiwi is Bypass Paywalls.
    - celsoazevedo 3y ago
      Isn't Kiwi really outdated though?
- mordnis 3y ago
  I'm using Firefox with Ublock Origin for years on Android.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
langsoul-com 3y ago
Finally, now it's possible to have actually good history with proper search on mobile!
speedgoose 3y ago
I remember using extensions on Firefox android years ago. Is my memory failing in this or did they remove them before putting them back?
- shmde 3y ago
  Your memory is failing you. Been using firefox android ( stable and beta) with the addons (ublock etc) since a few years now.
  - speedgoose 3y ago
    Another comment mentions the quantum Firefox update from 2017. I think I was using Firefox on Android from around 2014. But I probably also used it after the update. I guess all my extensions were quickly whitelisted by Mozilla.
  - unmole 3y ago
    You could install custom extensions on Firefox Android. Now you have to jump through hoops to install anything that isn't blessed by Mozilla.
    - heap_perms 3y ago
      Indeed. They have too much authority with the marketplace. Does someone know if it is feasible to build Fenix from source, fork it and then add a startup function that sideloads any extension the user chooses, not just the blessed ones? I'm considerung doing this, but don't want to spend a lot of time doing something impossible.
      - unmole 3y ago
        This can be a starting point: https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser
      - prmoustache 3y ago
        Fennec allows you to install extensions you want afaik, even xpi files in your phone storage.
lemper 3y ago
even though i am an exclusively firefox user both on desktop and mobile, i don't even know what kind of desktop version's extension that i would use on mobile. currently, i only use adblock and so far my experience is quite stellar. though it should be noted that i use browser on phone just to consume text. no video, no audio, and even picture is rarely the focus. so, what do i miss?
- quantumsequoia 3y ago
  I use the nightly firefox app so I can use the bypass paywalls extension. Looking forward to being able to use it on the stable app
  - aysfrm11 3y ago
    How do you do that since the extension is not listed in the Mozilla repository and has to be installed via XPI?
- mrd3v0 3y ago
  Dark Reader, LocalCDN, Firefox Relay, Firefox Translations, LanguageTool among others I have installed on Iceraven, a Firefox for Android fork.
  - maccard 3y ago
    Dark Reader and Relay are both on Android. I'm not sold on LocalCDN being necessary or even helpful these days (but there was a time when it was. A bit like antiviruses other than Windows defender these days, or those registry cleaner tools). The others are missing for sure, though.
    - ReadCarlBarks 3y ago
      LocalCDN is helpful because it makes Firefox use local copies of popular JS libraries instead of downloading them over and over again. This makes browsing faster.
  - 3y ago
CoBE10 3y ago
Great! Firefox on Android was perfect until it was redesigned, and only a few extensions were allowed. I switched to the Kiwi Browser just because of that. I hope that it will work as well as it did before the extensions were removed, so I can go back.
- friend_and_foe 3y ago
  You can also check out iceraven, if you want a gecko based browser that lets you do what you want with your property.
- orbital-decay 3y ago
  All this time non-approved extensions were actually available for Firefox, in the form of "collections". (source: I use them on Mull)
HexDecOctBin 3y ago
Meanwhile, on the iOS version, they can't even support the OS-provided content blocker API, meaning Safari has better support for privacy-related add-ons than Firefox. https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-ios/issues/7374 https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-ios/issues/7374
- newscracker 3y ago
  If you’re fine with a single tab browser, Firefox Focus [1] comes with a built-in content blocker.
  - Knee_Pain 3y ago
    Firefox Focus is so poorly thought out. How can you have a content-blocking browser that only allows one single tab at a time? It happens so many times that while browsing an ad-heavy page an ad gets opened in a new tab (since Firefox fails to block it), but since it's a mono-tab browser it simply replaces the one I was browsing.
- nabakin 3y ago
  Yeah, well, if iOS didn't force everyone to use the Safari engine, maybe the situation would be better
- Daedren 3y ago
  You can’t use the App Store Safari extensions on webviews. They’d have to add their own content blocking list, much like they did with Firefox Focus.
  - nfriedly 3y ago
    I never got why Firefox Focus was a separate app? I want the ad blocking from Firefox focus and the tab switching in history and whatnot from the regular Firefox on iOS. But, mostly, I just use Android so it doesn't really matter.
NovaDudely 3y ago
About time! I mean I am happy enough with Firefox on android even with it quirks, and the main add-ons I use are already supported but this will fill in the last few gaps. Very welcome!
godelski 3y ago
There's a lot of hate any Firefox and the "blessed apps." But come on, chrome and Safari don't sorry add-ons at all! I know there are other apps that support add-ons but the fact is that Firefox is __the only__ "mainstream" browser that does this (quotes because it's 0.25% in the US, as the 4th most popular, behind Samsung fucking Internet). It's popular to hate on Firefox, but this is the nerdiest of nerd issues and if we're being honest, all this has accomplished in the last decade is a decrease in market share and keeping Safari and (more so) Chrome dictate the Internet and user experience. Firefox being so low puts no pressure on Chrome to add add-ons. Firefox being so low just means Chrome can continue pushing the ad first Internet. Yeah, it's fun to complain, but which do you hate more? That Firefox only provides 80-90% of what you want (when major competitors provide __0%__), or Google dictating the Internet (like AMP)? Complain, but maybe tone it down a bit. This is not the holy war you want.
- drozycki 3y ago
  iOS Safari has supported declarative content blocking extensions since iOS 9 in 2015 and a full extension API since iOS 15 released about two years ago.
  - cubefox 3y ago
    Doesn't count.
    - drozycki 3y ago
      Does too.
      - tbossanova 3y ago
        Oh I'm sorry, is this a five minute argument, or the full half hour?
        boredumb 3y ago
        I laughed entirely way too hard at this for it being 6am
jerrygoyal 3y ago
it's already possible via this Firefox fork https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser/releases https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser/release...
- celsoazevedo 3y ago
  They seem to be using this custom add-on collection: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/16201230/What-I-want-on-Fenix/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/1620123... But that was already possible to do on regular Firefox Beta and Nightly. We just had to create our own collection, like Iceraven did.
itvision 3y ago
What next? Allowing access to about:config? Nah, I'm dreaming. Will continue to use Nightly.
- Nextgrid 3y ago
  Does Nightly have a different user-agent or browser fingerprint? If so, that’s very generous of Mozilla to force users to segment themselves into an (even smaller) bucket so they can be easily tracked by fingerprint alone.
ptman 3y ago
We need to be able to directly fund Firefox instead of all the other mozilla stuff. https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/ability-to-donate-money-to-the-firefox-development-team-directly/idi-p/198 https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/ability-to-donate-money...
- kikokikokiko 3y ago
  We need to donate to a new team/foundation/corporation, anyone at all, that would fork Firefox and continue it's development. I would never, ever, give a single cent to the Mozilla Foundation. It's current form is not focused on what the users of it's products want or need. The ideology Mozilla loves to shove in it's users faces is just the cherry on top. I've been using Firefox ever since the early 2000s, and even developed some addons for it on the good old days. Nowadays I just use it while clipping my nose, to avoid giving even more power to the Devil incarnate itself that is Google.
  - bjord 3y ago
    Just for record, I'm not with you as far as the anti-mozilla stance. That being said, what's stopping you (or anyone) from funding a team that continues to work on firefox within the same fork, rather than potentially duplicating their work? Is your impression that mozilla's ideology would prevent that other team from doing meaningful work or going in a direction that you believe they need to go?
    - evilpie 3y ago
      Igalia is regularly contracted to work on new Firefox features, so this is already happening.
  - input_sh 3y ago
    I can think of like four Firefox forks. In no particular order: Pulse browser, Waterfox, LibreWolf, Pale Moon. Which of those are you currently donating to?
  - aleph4 3y ago
shultays 3y ago
coming *coming back They removed it. It was one good thing about Firefox mobile and they removed it. Now please bring back the old UI and fix other issues you broke with that update (so the window that shows tabs so it doesn't forget where its position was, or make external video player work again) and I might switch back.
npigrounet 3y ago
[dead]
qwerty456127 3y ago
That's awesome. I really want the Copy All Tab URLs extension. I will probably switch from Brave (which doesn't have it either, so I already have hundreds of tabs opened in it, waiting for a solution) to Firefox just for this. I don't want to sign up for any acount and use any cloud for my browsing history, just copy everything and dump it to another app I use to move data between devices. That's very sad and weird mobile browsers usually don't have extensions. Firefox can probably repeat the history here - as I remember it was the first to introduce extensions (on desktop) and they are a cornerstone part of what have made it great in the first place.
heap_perms 3y ago
I want to load my own XPI files. Because apparently, I'm not allowed to embrace the full potential of my browser by installing any extensions that haven't been hand-delivered and serenaded by the majestic Firefox Marketplace. Please share if you're familiar with a method. I'm contemplating the creation of my own customized version of Android Firefox, incorporating code to enable installation from XPI files.
- prmoustache 3y ago
  have you tried fennec from the f-droid repo? AFAIK it allows you to do that, by taping on an xpi file in your phone storage it proposes to install it for you.
  - heap_perms 3y ago
    Thanks, I didn't know that. I'll check it out. Edit: Just tried it, not working: Tabbing on the xpi file -> Open with. Getting the toast "None of your Apps can open this file" even tough I just installed fennec.
  - mod50ack 3y ago
    Unfortunately Fennec doesn't do that right now, although it does support AMO collections.
- mdhen 3y ago
  SmartCookieWeb preview. Pretty sure it's the only browser that supports it on Android. I have bypasspaywalls clean set up on it.
  - heap_perms 3y ago
    That was exactly my use case. I'll look into it.
jokoon 3y ago
Funny, I realized 30min ago I could not install reddit enhancement suite on firefox android.
- yoavm 3y ago
  You can install whatever you want already, it just takes a little longer and requires Beta or Nightly (both very stable) https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2020/09/29/expanded-extension-support-in-firefox-for-android-nightly/ https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2020/09/29/expanded-extensio... https://www.ghacks.net/2022/10/20/firefox-beta-for-android-now-supports-custom-add-on-collections/ https://www.ghacks.net/2022/10/20/firefox-beta-for-android-n...
oracle2025 3y ago
Looking forward to finally have the i-dont-care-about-cookies add-on for my phone.
- knallfrosch 3y ago
  I was scratching my head why I'd want addons at all (running DNS66 on the phone, so no need for an adblocker.) but this is honestly a great idea. God how I hate the cookie banners.
- rcMgD2BwE72F 3y ago
  Don't. It's been acquired. Use the community fork: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/istilldontcareaboutcookies/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/istilldontcar...
- riskable 3y ago
  You can already do this with uBlock Origin: Just go into the (uBlock Origin) settings and enable the AdGuard and EasyList stuff under "Annoyances". "AdGuard – Cookie Notices" and "EasyList – Cookie Notices"
  - celsoazevedo 3y ago
    That's only cosmetic filters (or at least it used to be). "I don't care about cookies" or the open source fork "I still don't care about cookies" also clicks the buttons to accept/refuse. The best one seems to be Consent-O-Matic as it actually tries to disable all trackers, but it doesn't work on some sites/popups.
raffraffraff 3y ago
Ooh, I wonder if it'll support container tabs and containerize...
pipeline_peak 3y ago
[flagged]
xrd 3y ago
I love this. It has been possible to use extensions on Android, but keeping them loaded on Android after OOM reclamation has been a pain up until now. I wrote up a hack where I push Android Firefox extensions over Wireguard and OCR. https://blog.plzat.me/2023-05-23-android-in-wireguardland-pushing-extensions-down-the-firefox-hole-using-ocr https://blog.plzat.me/2023-05-23-android-in-wireguardland-pu... Hopefully this is the end of the need for this kind of hack. I love Firefox on all my platforms and having extensions on Android makes it even better.
- herewulf 3y ago
  Okay, that's an impressive hack! One that should be totally unnecessary, but wow, nice job working around limitations! By the way, seems like you could use inotify to detect new screenshots rather than polling the Syncthing API. Probably not enough of a functional difference to change something that is already working though.
  - xrd 3y ago
    Thanks for reading through that long convoluted post! I appreciate the comment. Syncthing was necessary to get the files onto my desktop machine, and I don't know how I could have automatically pushed from my android phone otherwise. Syncthing was so ridiculously easy to use, I basically just started a docker container, and then added the backend on my Android device. Zero firewall configuration. So simple. I suppose I could have easily used inotify, but either way I needed a script to launch the OCR, and I don't really see a big value in using a filesystem watch over an API when the syncthing api is very simple. Cheers!
    - herewulf 3y ago
      Absolutely. I very much enjoyed the write up. You make a good point about Syncthing. It's just that polling kind of offends my sensibilities if there's something better. But.. I'm one of those hackers running multiple bash processes per second just to update my status bar... For about ten years now! So, don't mind me. ;) Syncthing is great software and I'm using it on all my devices. I'm glad it provided an easy solution to your use case.
anotheryou 3y ago
I'm still very annoyed there is no about:config setting to allow any desktop plugin like in the old days. I had one for great gesture controls.
alganet 3y ago
This sounds cool. I have a wildly paranoid Firefox setup (hardened config, NoScript, Cookie AutoDelete, ClearURLs, uBlock). It basically runs everything off (js, custom fonts, cookies, etc) unless I whitelist it explicitly. I was never quite able to replicate it on Android because some extensions didn't worked as expected or were clumsy on mobile. Will give another try.
backendanon 3y ago
I didn't get through the article, had a hard time trying to read the text with the contrast. To check if it was just me I used this site: https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/audit/?website=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mozilla.org%2Faddons%2F2023%2F08%2F10%2Fprepare-your-firefox-desktop-extension-for-the-upcoming-android-release%2F&flag=us https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/audit/?website=https%3A... On the up side, at least it isn't stark white on a stark black background.
snird 3y ago
Firefox for Android is lacking on so many basic features, it's amazing that they prioritize anything else before fixing those. E.g deep links. Which is very, very basic feature for mobile. Firefox on Android is unusable without it - and it seems like no one prioritize this, so excuse me for not being excited by any other feature. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54653641/app-links-not-working-on-firefox-but-chrome-works https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54653641/app-links-not-w... https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/15202 https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/15202 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1809264 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1809264
- dralley 3y ago
  The bugzilla issue you linked was fixed 3 months ago. So it would seem that they did, in fact, prioritize it.
- earthscienceman 3y ago
  Again, like much of the discussion around Firefox, feature vs bug is in the eye of the beholder. I think the UX of deep links on Firefox is vastly preferable. I hate when a website opens the play store and forceably tells you to install an app. I'm in a browser because I want a web interface. If I want to open your app, I will click the menu button and hit open in app. But that is reserved for very very few trusted apps. The browser is a sandbox that I use specifically to protect me from this kind of predatory shit.
  - aleph4 3y ago
    Yes, I also love this. I much rather have control, and decline to install apps.
v8engine 3y ago
I am facing this issue in the recent versions of Android Firefox where if I switch apps and come back, or lock and unlock the phone instantly leads to the page refreshing and scrolling back to the point where I was reading. This is quite frustrating as I have to keep the Firefox app always open or wait a frustrating amount of time for the page to completely load and scroll down. Some pages with progressive loading will take a huge amount of time for the page to completely re-download and if you scroll even slightly, the auto-scroll to where you last left is lost. I can replicate it with just a single tab and I have excluded Firefox from all my battery saving and memory saving features.
phreack 3y ago
This is most definitely a step I the right direction but as I'll always say, the one and only killer feature on mobile is Text Reflow. Being able to zoom into a long text and knowing you'll be able to read it without scrolling sideways is a must have feature for mobile browsers, yet nearly none of them have it on Android save Opera and at least at one point Samsung Browser.
neop1x 3y ago
Great to hear. I have been using Kiwi Browser (Chromium clone) on mobile for several years precisely because of full extension support and _full Developer tools_! I will reconsider going back to Firefox after this, though...
hunters_laptop 3y ago
I ditched firefox after mozilla CEO spreads propaganda about january 6 and proud boys
- UtopiaPunk 3y ago
  Source?
  - hunters_laptop 3y ago
    just go to his twitter, good luck find those old tweet
    - UtopiaPunk 3y ago
      Does Mitchell Baker even have a Twitter?
yellowapple 3y ago
About time. Granted, uBlock Origin and maybe Tampermonkey are all I really care about on mobile, and both of those are already in Firefox for Android's whitelist, but still.
Funke5 3y ago
Thanks for sharing this, I like it alot.
cykros 3y ago
There's a lot of talk about Chrome and Firefox. It seems simple to me -- Brave literally pays me in crypto to use it on desktop, and Firefox Nightly has by far the best extension support on mobile (I've had bypass-paywalls on there for years, which you just can't do on anything else). And then on desktop, Opera has GPT support built in, comes in handy when working on old machines for general system resource use being moderate. Chrome never even enters the equation. Even at work, when I've got a choice between Chrome and Edge, Edge has taken over for me because of the ability to "turn a site into an app" which lets me have work resources on the taskbar as unique icons I can easily access to switch between. I think the one thing I keep Chrome installed on my desktop for (because I have all of them) is the superior Chromecast support if I feel like casting some streaming media to the TV in the other room from a site that isn't supported by the Roku TV. I get the social and business issues with Mozilla, but I don't see it going anywhere for me on mobile. Probably not coming back on the desktop until they literally pay me to use it though.
nottheengineer 3y ago
Finally! I hate having to regularly clear my browser data or navigating those horrible consent UIs when I don't have cookieautodelete.
- WASDx 3y ago
  I'm very happy with Consent-O-Matic for auto accepting cookie popups with privacy preserving choices done for me. Prior to that I used "i don't care about cookies". https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/consent-o-matic/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/consent-o-mat...
  - Moldoteck 3y ago
    Why autoaccept?
    - Karunamon 3y ago
      Because rejecting all tends to break things or make them work non-optimally, and practically speaking there are no negative consequences from accepting, so even the mental overhead of thinking about what to do with the dialogue is a waste of time. If you do really, truly, care that much then you would be better served by accepting everything and then simply throwing them out when some time has passed or the tab has been closed.
    - WASDx 3y ago
      I meant "accept" as in OK'ing the dialog, which it does with the most restrictive options by default. So, autoreject if you wish.
  - mgbmtl 3y ago
    On uBlock Origin, the list "Easylist/uBO Cookie Notices" and the Annoyances lists help remove a ton of those cookie popups.
- happymellon 3y ago
  Consent UI's are not for putting cookies on your computer. One of the things might be putting cookies on your computer. I'm fine with just blocking and not giving consent.
brucethemoose2 3y ago
Mmm, too bad FF is so slow compared to Chrome/Chromite, at least on my older phone. I suppose newer phones can handle it, but at the same time, I don't think many users realize the additional performance impact extensions can have on the browser.
- bryanlarsen 3y ago
  Firefox is significantly faster than Chrome once you install UBlock Origin.
  - brucethemoose2 3y ago
    We have Chromite (formerly Bromite) for that, as well as its native dark mode.
- bitsandboots 3y ago
  Never stopped me from using it on all the phones I've had - maybe somewhat slower, but I can be a little patient in return for some semblance of data protection & nuisance blocking.
wkat4242 3y ago
I hope they'll bring back sideloading too. It's really annoying that's not available anymore.
throwaway67743 3y ago
Maybe they can fix some of the many outstanding bugs in Firefox Android while they're at it... Like not suggesting logins if autofill is disabled, or at least allowing mass delete for logins so it doesn't suggest them. It's impossible that this hasn't already been seen so it's absurd it's still an issue.

857 points by rc00 3y ago

cute_boi 3y ago

Nice! I wish Mozilla release altstore/sideload version of IOS app with all the feature available in android.

lazycouchpotato 3y ago
It would probably be a lot of work for not a lot of people. You can use Firefox extensions on iOS via Orion Browser. [1] https://apps.apple.com/app/orion-browser-by-kagi/id1484498200 https://apps.apple.com/app/orion-browser-by-kagi/id148449820... [2] https://browser.kagi.com/faq.html#iosext https://browser.kagi.com/faq.html#iosext
- saradhi 3y ago
  For a moment, I got excited for this. It did not turn up good, as the chrome extension I wanted to try is not working.
  - freediver 3y ago
    Try with the next release coming this weekend, a lot more web extension APIs will be supported on iOS. https://browser.kagi.com/updates/orion-iOS-release-notes.html https://browser.kagi.com/updates/orion-iOS-release-notes.htm...
- nfriedly 3y ago
  Mozilla's already done the work to make Firefox (the full browser, not just a Safari wrapper) run on iOS multiple times. It wouldn't be that much more work to package it up and release it for side loading.

gary_0 3y ago

Better late than never!

Zuiii 3y ago
While true, Mozilla unfortunately had already forfeited the Android browser market to other competitors by not enabling this day one (contrary to their claims, most extensions worked fine). I would be really interested in reading the rationale behind their decision. The real one.
- friend_and_foe 3y ago
  You'll never get the real one unfortunately, because corpos (profit and non profit alike) do everything in marketingpseak and think their customers and users are stupid children that have to be bullshitted into behaving.
  - Zuiii 3y ago
    Tangentially related, but your comment reminded me of this classic: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/mozilla-now-only-seems-to-speak-using-creepy-gibberish-lunatic/td-p/16863 https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/mozilla-now-only-...
    - phatfish 3y ago
      Maybe if author of that comment put as much effort into developing their own browser as they seemed to put into that weird rant we would have a new Chrome competitor which meets their exceptions.
      - mrguyorama 3y ago
        The entitlement and blatant hypocrisy of Mozilla haters is insane. "Mozilla does weird things to try and diversify their income so that Google cannot shut them down one day randomly if they're finally competitive, but that's not the one blessed thing of committing code to the single blessed repository of Firefox, so instead I'm going to use the browser built by a company that makes all of its money through advertising, explicitly sends pretty much everything you do in their browser to their advertising apparatus, repeatedly pushed unnecessary "standards" that would make it easier to fingerprint users, and is now trying to tee-up a standard that will make it possible to cryptographically prevent users from blocking ads in the future." Come the fuck on

38 3y ago

> Once you’re ready to test the mobile version of your extension, create a collection on AMO and test it on Firefox for Android Nightly Just in case anyone missed this, it seems that Android Firefox STILL will not allow anonymous installation of extensions. Even if you wrote the extension yourself, and want to install on your own device. Only workaround is to only install approved extensions, or be forced into registering on AMO. if I am wrong I will be happy to hear it, but this upcoming release doesn't seem to offer any meaningful change in regards to user privacy and control.

NoahKAndrews 3y ago
I believe that's just instructions for developers to test now, before the open ecosystem ships.
lolinder 3y ago
I think you're reading too much into that one sentence—that seems more like a temporary measure to me—but it's possible that you're correct. However: > any meaningful change in regards to user privacy and control. There's an enormous difference in user control between the 22 extensions that are currently allowed on Firefox Android and an open library of add-ons, even if Mozilla is retaining control of the add-on installation process for now. I don't usually jump to Mozilla's defense, but saying this is no "meaningful change" is rank hyperbole.
- MrStonedOne 3y ago
  [dead]
mkl 3y ago
I'm hoping I'll be able to load my own extensions with something like ViolentMonkey, TamperMonkey, etc., as I do on desktop.
- selcuka 3y ago
  Tampermonkey already works with the current version of Firefox Android.

vsskanth 3y ago

Finally I can get off Firefox Nightly and move to the stable release

friend_and_foe 3y ago
Or you can get off Firefox and stop feeling like a kicked dog all the time. It doesn't have to be a chromium fork either, there's iceraven.
- c0nducktr 3y ago
  What does iceraven get you compared to firefox?
  - doctor_radium 3y ago
    Iceraven's reason for existence has been about allowing (pretty much?) all Firefox addons since day one. And about:config. Wish you hadn't downvoted him.
    - friend_and_foe 3y ago
      Yep, and I still have to deal with my settings being reset every time I update, their user hostile UX flows, strange highlights on web page elements, and all the other stuff Firefox says aren't important to users. But I do it, why? So that all those scaremongers who screech "but you have to use Firefox! Otherwise youre helping the evil only other game in town!" like they always do don't have a single argument. Mozilla shows utter disdain for their users with just about every announcement, update, new feature or new restriction. The irrationality with which people defend them is jarringly similar to a cult, it's really unsettling. I just want a web browser that doesn't feel like it fucking hates me.
      - orra 3y ago
        > Mozilla shows utter disdain for their users with just about every announcement, update, new feature or new restriction This is absolute hyperbole. Have you forgotten the context? You're on a story about full extension support being implemented, which is exactly what you wanted.

danShumway 3y ago

This is a big surprise and a welcome one. I honestly had given up hope of this happening. It's disappointing that it took this long, but it is a big deal to have full extension support on Android again. I'm very happy to see this news.

ncann 3y ago
In case you didn't know, you can have full extension support on Android with Kiwi Browser, which is based on Chromium.
- specproc 3y ago
  I did not like the look of Kiwi Browser one bit, lots of weird permissions and dodgy ad-tech smells. Plus it's not Firefox, I'd rather use the same browser on both desktop and Android. This is great news. Can't wait to have a no-fuss paywall bypass on mobile again.
  - friend_and_foe 3y ago
    Iceraven has been allowing a ton more extensions than Firefox all this time, no need to go chromium.
    - specproc 3y ago
      Yeah, I was doing Iceraven for a bit, but it was a pain to keep updated. Super stoked with this news this morning.
      - friend_and_foe 3y ago
        How was it a pain? Ffupdater has had it available for a very long time, and there's Unobtainium that lets you update from git repo releases among other things.
        3y ago

liminalsunset 3y ago

There used to be a way to sideload extensions onto Android FF but I found it too cumbersome so I switched to Kiwi, a build of Chromium with extension support. Will definitely give this a go when it's ready, and I hope Temporary Containers works as I miss having that on mobile

vsskanth 3y ago
The real annoying part about Kiwi is it doesn't seem to play well with 1password, never understood why.

sfmike 3y ago

Would it be possible to inject chrome extensions somehow into firefox that is the final piece where some websites force to just use chrome and it's really annoying and the singular time you have to switch for their chrome based widget/extension to do that websites functionality?

lolinder 3y ago
I have never run into this. What websites are you referring to?
- asaddhamani 3y ago
  Btw there are Chromium based browsers on Android that have allowed extensions for a long time. I do not recall the names as I’ve been on iOS for years now but I know they exist. EDIT: It’s kiwi and yandex browser apparently.
- maccard 3y ago
  In $LAST_JOB we used an ancient CI tool called Electric Commander. I don't know if it was us or them, but it didn't work in FF. We currently use playfab in work, and the admin panel is missing a few features on Firefox compared to chrome. Google Meets has been doing some nonsense over the last few weeks on FF causing it to break for our team (and pushed us back to slack huddles). My bank's search functionality doesn't work on FF (but the app works so I use that instead) Ironically, the biggest source of website breakages for me is extensions. UBlock breaks _way_ more, and I just disable it on a site by site basis.
  - lolinder 3y ago
    I'm not talking about having to switch to Chrome in general—I see that sometimes. I mean a website that requires a particular extension that is Chrome-only.
    - maccard 3y ago
      Oh I know. I use Firefox, but have to switch to chrome for those sites because they don't work in FF. I still use FF, and have done (proudly) since 2007!

friend_and_foe 3y ago

> the only major Android browser So Chrome and Firefox? I already have extensions. It's too little too late Mozilla, you burned me by removing them years ago.

bjord 3y ago
kiwi =/= chrome
- friend_and_foe 3y ago
  That's why I find it funny firefox is saying "only major browser" as if it's some club. Users who do not keep themselves in pens have had extensions in mobile browsers for years now. Firefox brings nothing distinguishing with this announcement, I don't have to use a "major browser".
  - shultays 3y ago
    Also Firefox accounts for 0.48% of the mobile browser market share I wonder what is the cut off for being a major

1vuio0pswjnm7 3y ago

Out of curiosity I recently did an experiment to investigate Add-Ons in Firefox for Android. Some facts: One does not need Firefox Nightly to run more extensions than the "supported" ones. Creating a "custom" collection of Add-Ons on addons.mozilla.org can be done using a disposable email address. There is no visible Settings option to add a custom collection in Fennec from F-Droid. To make it visible, one has to go the About page under Settings and tap the Firefox logo three or more times. One needs to enter an "ID" in Fennec to add a "custom" collection. The addons.mozilla.org site does not tell the user her ID, it's in the URL that points to her collection. After a custom collection is added, one loses the default collection of Add-Ons "supported" by Mozilla. No way to easily switch between collections. Need to remove the current collection. After installing a custom collection, whenever the user access the Add-Ons menu in Fennec, Firefox tries to connect to addons.mozilla.org. Mozilla's definition of user privacy excludes telemetry and data collection by Mozilla. As another commenter mentioned, many of the Add-Ons that are not "supported" by Mozilla work just fine. They work just as well as uBblock origin, NoScript and the other "supporteed" ones.

yukIttEft 3y ago
> Creating a "custom" collection of Add-Ons on addons.mozilla.org can be done using a disposable email address. I seriously don't get it. Why do I have to create a "custom collection" with an email address to install an extension. Why can't it work like it does on PC ?
- hexo 3y ago
  [flagged]
  - andyjohnson0 3y ago
    > Because of stage 2.5 - i.e. User abuse by company. Not everything fits into the framework of enshitification. This is about the transition to ff/android supporting the full range of extensions. Its a transitional measure.

xs83 3y ago

If Adblock works on this then I will switch to Firefox from Chrome - the internet is unusable without it

lolinder 3y ago
You can already use uBlock Origin from Firefox Android.
kome 3y ago
ublock origin already works on firefox on mobile (android). it's already supported, it's already available. and it's awesome. i don't know why and how people still use chrome on mobile. it is an awful web experience.
- dekatron 3y ago
  It is an awful experience indeed. I switched to Kiwi browser when Chrome forced tab groups on everyone with no option to disable it. Kiwi has add-on support and removes many of Chrome's annoying aspects. I could never go back to browsing on mobile without add-ons like uBlock Origin and Sticky Ducky.
  - sexy_seedbox 3y ago
    Never heard of Sticky Ducky, will add. For me, the other essential to install on Kiwi is Bypass Paywalls.
  - celsoazevedo 3y ago
    Isn't Kiwi really outdated though?
mordnis 3y ago
I'm using Firefox with Ublock Origin for years on Android.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

langsoul-com 3y ago

Finally, now it's possible to have actually good history with proper search on mobile!

speedgoose 3y ago

I remember using extensions on Firefox android years ago. Is my memory failing in this or did they remove them before putting them back?

shmde 3y ago
Your memory is failing you. Been using firefox android ( stable and beta) with the addons (ublock etc) since a few years now.
- speedgoose 3y ago
  Another comment mentions the quantum Firefox update from 2017. I think I was using Firefox on Android from around 2014. But I probably also used it after the update. I guess all my extensions were quickly whitelisted by Mozilla.
- unmole 3y ago
  You could install custom extensions on Firefox Android. Now you have to jump through hoops to install anything that isn't blessed by Mozilla.
  - heap_perms 3y ago
    Indeed. They have too much authority with the marketplace. Does someone know if it is feasible to build Fenix from source, fork it and then add a startup function that sideloads any extension the user chooses, not just the blessed ones? I'm considerung doing this, but don't want to spend a lot of time doing something impossible.
    - unmole 3y ago
      This can be a starting point: https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser
    - prmoustache 3y ago
      Fennec allows you to install extensions you want afaik, even xpi files in your phone storage.

lemper 3y ago

even though i am an exclusively firefox user both on desktop and mobile, i don't even know what kind of desktop version's extension that i would use on mobile. currently, i only use adblock and so far my experience is quite stellar. though it should be noted that i use browser on phone just to consume text. no video, no audio, and even picture is rarely the focus. so, what do i miss?

quantumsequoia 3y ago
I use the nightly firefox app so I can use the bypass paywalls extension. Looking forward to being able to use it on the stable app
- aysfrm11 3y ago
  How do you do that since the extension is not listed in the Mozilla repository and has to be installed via XPI?
mrd3v0 3y ago
Dark Reader, LocalCDN, Firefox Relay, Firefox Translations, LanguageTool among others I have installed on Iceraven, a Firefox for Android fork.
- maccard 3y ago
  Dark Reader and Relay are both on Android. I'm not sold on LocalCDN being necessary or even helpful these days (but there was a time when it was. A bit like antiviruses other than Windows defender these days, or those registry cleaner tools). The others are missing for sure, though.
  - ReadCarlBarks 3y ago
    LocalCDN is helpful because it makes Firefox use local copies of popular JS libraries instead of downloading them over and over again. This makes browsing faster.
- 3y ago

CoBE10 3y ago

Great! Firefox on Android was perfect until it was redesigned, and only a few extensions were allowed. I switched to the Kiwi Browser just because of that. I hope that it will work as well as it did before the extensions were removed, so I can go back.

friend_and_foe 3y ago
You can also check out iceraven, if you want a gecko based browser that lets you do what you want with your property.
orbital-decay 3y ago
All this time non-approved extensions were actually available for Firefox, in the form of "collections". (source: I use them on Mull)

HexDecOctBin 3y ago

Meanwhile, on the iOS version, they can't even support the OS-provided content blocker API, meaning Safari has better support for privacy-related add-ons than Firefox. https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-ios/issues/7374 https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-ios/issues/7374

newscracker 3y ago
If you’re fine with a single tab browser, Firefox Focus [1] comes with a built-in content blocker.
- Knee_Pain 3y ago
  Firefox Focus is so poorly thought out. How can you have a content-blocking browser that only allows one single tab at a time? It happens so many times that while browsing an ad-heavy page an ad gets opened in a new tab (since Firefox fails to block it), but since it's a mono-tab browser it simply replaces the one I was browsing.
nabakin 3y ago
Yeah, well, if iOS didn't force everyone to use the Safari engine, maybe the situation would be better
Daedren 3y ago
You can’t use the App Store Safari extensions on webviews. They’d have to add their own content blocking list, much like they did with Firefox Focus.
- nfriedly 3y ago
  I never got why Firefox Focus was a separate app? I want the ad blocking from Firefox focus and the tab switching in history and whatnot from the regular Firefox on iOS. But, mostly, I just use Android so it doesn't really matter.

NovaDudely 3y ago

About time! I mean I am happy enough with Firefox on android even with it quirks, and the main add-ons I use are already supported but this will fill in the last few gaps. Very welcome!

godelski 3y ago

There's a lot of hate any Firefox and the "blessed apps." But come on, chrome and Safari don't sorry add-ons at all! I know there are other apps that support add-ons but the fact is that Firefox is __the only__ "mainstream" browser that does this (quotes because it's 0.25% in the US, as the 4th most popular, behind Samsung fucking Internet). It's popular to hate on Firefox, but this is the nerdiest of nerd issues and if we're being honest, all this has accomplished in the last decade is a decrease in market share and keeping Safari and (more so) Chrome dictate the Internet and user experience. Firefox being so low puts no pressure on Chrome to add add-ons. Firefox being so low just means Chrome can continue pushing the ad first Internet. Yeah, it's fun to complain, but which do you hate more? That Firefox only provides 80-90% of what you want (when major competitors provide __0%__), or Google dictating the Internet (like AMP)? Complain, but maybe tone it down a bit. This is not the holy war you want.

drozycki 3y ago
iOS Safari has supported declarative content blocking extensions since iOS 9 in 2015 and a full extension API since iOS 15 released about two years ago.
- cubefox 3y ago
  Doesn't count.
  - drozycki 3y ago
    Does too.
    - tbossanova 3y ago
      Oh I'm sorry, is this a five minute argument, or the full half hour?
      - boredumb 3y ago
        I laughed entirely way too hard at this for it being 6am

jerrygoyal 3y ago

it's already possible via this Firefox fork https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser/releases https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser/release...

celsoazevedo 3y ago
They seem to be using this custom add-on collection: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/16201230/What-I-want-on-Fenix/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/1620123... But that was already possible to do on regular Firefox Beta and Nightly. We just had to create our own collection, like Iceraven did.

itvision 3y ago

What next? Allowing access to about:config? Nah, I'm dreaming. Will continue to use Nightly.

Nextgrid 3y ago
Does Nightly have a different user-agent or browser fingerprint? If so, that’s very generous of Mozilla to force users to segment themselves into an (even smaller) bucket so they can be easily tracked by fingerprint alone.

ptman 3y ago

We need to be able to directly fund Firefox instead of all the other mozilla stuff. https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/ability-to-donate-money-to-the-firefox-development-team-directly/idi-p/198 https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/ability-to-donate-money...

kikokikokiko 3y ago
We need to donate to a new team/foundation/corporation, anyone at all, that would fork Firefox and continue it's development. I would never, ever, give a single cent to the Mozilla Foundation. It's current form is not focused on what the users of it's products want or need. The ideology Mozilla loves to shove in it's users faces is just the cherry on top. I've been using Firefox ever since the early 2000s, and even developed some addons for it on the good old days. Nowadays I just use it while clipping my nose, to avoid giving even more power to the Devil incarnate itself that is Google.
- bjord 3y ago
  Just for record, I'm not with you as far as the anti-mozilla stance. That being said, what's stopping you (or anyone) from funding a team that continues to work on firefox within the same fork, rather than potentially duplicating their work? Is your impression that mozilla's ideology would prevent that other team from doing meaningful work or going in a direction that you believe they need to go?
  - evilpie 3y ago
    Igalia is regularly contracted to work on new Firefox features, so this is already happening.
- input_sh 3y ago
  I can think of like four Firefox forks. In no particular order: Pulse browser, Waterfox, LibreWolf, Pale Moon. Which of those are you currently donating to?
- aleph4 3y ago

shultays 3y ago

coming *coming back They removed it. It was one good thing about Firefox mobile and they removed it. Now please bring back the old UI and fix other issues you broke with that update (so the window that shows tabs so it doesn't forget where its position was, or make external video player work again) and I might switch back.

npigrounet 3y ago

[dead]

qwerty456127 3y ago

That's awesome. I really want the Copy All Tab URLs extension. I will probably switch from Brave (which doesn't have it either, so I already have hundreds of tabs opened in it, waiting for a solution) to Firefox just for this. I don't want to sign up for any acount and use any cloud for my browsing history, just copy everything and dump it to another app I use to move data between devices. That's very sad and weird mobile browsers usually don't have extensions. Firefox can probably repeat the history here - as I remember it was the first to introduce extensions (on desktop) and they are a cornerstone part of what have made it great in the first place.

heap_perms 3y ago

I want to load my own XPI files. Because apparently, I'm not allowed to embrace the full potential of my browser by installing any extensions that haven't been hand-delivered and serenaded by the majestic Firefox Marketplace. Please share if you're familiar with a method. I'm contemplating the creation of my own customized version of Android Firefox, incorporating code to enable installation from XPI files.

prmoustache 3y ago
have you tried fennec from the f-droid repo? AFAIK it allows you to do that, by taping on an xpi file in your phone storage it proposes to install it for you.
- heap_perms 3y ago
  Thanks, I didn't know that. I'll check it out. Edit: Just tried it, not working: Tabbing on the xpi file -> Open with. Getting the toast "None of your Apps can open this file" even tough I just installed fennec.
- mod50ack 3y ago
  Unfortunately Fennec doesn't do that right now, although it does support AMO collections.
mdhen 3y ago
SmartCookieWeb preview. Pretty sure it's the only browser that supports it on Android. I have bypasspaywalls clean set up on it.
- heap_perms 3y ago
  That was exactly my use case. I'll look into it.

jokoon 3y ago

Funny, I realized 30min ago I could not install reddit enhancement suite on firefox android.

yoavm 3y ago
You can install whatever you want already, it just takes a little longer and requires Beta or Nightly (both very stable) https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2020/09/29/expanded-extension-support-in-firefox-for-android-nightly/ https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2020/09/29/expanded-extensio... https://www.ghacks.net/2022/10/20/firefox-beta-for-android-now-supports-custom-add-on-collections/ https://www.ghacks.net/2022/10/20/firefox-beta-for-android-n...

oracle2025 3y ago

Looking forward to finally have the i-dont-care-about-cookies add-on for my phone.

knallfrosch 3y ago
I was scratching my head why I'd want addons at all (running DNS66 on the phone, so no need for an adblocker.) but this is honestly a great idea. God how I hate the cookie banners.
rcMgD2BwE72F 3y ago
Don't. It's been acquired. Use the community fork: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/istilldontcareaboutcookies/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/istilldontcar...
riskable 3y ago
You can already do this with uBlock Origin: Just go into the (uBlock Origin) settings and enable the AdGuard and EasyList stuff under "Annoyances". "AdGuard – Cookie Notices" and "EasyList – Cookie Notices"
- celsoazevedo 3y ago
  That's only cosmetic filters (or at least it used to be). "I don't care about cookies" or the open source fork "I still don't care about cookies" also clicks the buttons to accept/refuse. The best one seems to be Consent-O-Matic as it actually tries to disable all trackers, but it doesn't work on some sites/popups.

raffraffraff 3y ago

Ooh, I wonder if it'll support container tabs and containerize...

pipeline_peak 3y ago

[flagged]

xrd 3y ago

I love this. It has been possible to use extensions on Android, but keeping them loaded on Android after OOM reclamation has been a pain up until now. I wrote up a hack where I push Android Firefox extensions over Wireguard and OCR. https://blog.plzat.me/2023-05-23-android-in-wireguardland-pushing-extensions-down-the-firefox-hole-using-ocr https://blog.plzat.me/2023-05-23-android-in-wireguardland-pu... Hopefully this is the end of the need for this kind of hack. I love Firefox on all my platforms and having extensions on Android makes it even better.

herewulf 3y ago
Okay, that's an impressive hack! One that should be totally unnecessary, but wow, nice job working around limitations! By the way, seems like you could use inotify to detect new screenshots rather than polling the Syncthing API. Probably not enough of a functional difference to change something that is already working though.
- xrd 3y ago
  Thanks for reading through that long convoluted post! I appreciate the comment. Syncthing was necessary to get the files onto my desktop machine, and I don't know how I could have automatically pushed from my android phone otherwise. Syncthing was so ridiculously easy to use, I basically just started a docker container, and then added the backend on my Android device. Zero firewall configuration. So simple. I suppose I could have easily used inotify, but either way I needed a script to launch the OCR, and I don't really see a big value in using a filesystem watch over an API when the syncthing api is very simple. Cheers!
  - herewulf 3y ago
    Absolutely. I very much enjoyed the write up. You make a good point about Syncthing. It's just that polling kind of offends my sensibilities if there's something better. But.. I'm one of those hackers running multiple bash processes per second just to update my status bar... For about ten years now! So, don't mind me. ;) Syncthing is great software and I'm using it on all my devices. I'm glad it provided an easy solution to your use case.

anotheryou 3y ago

I'm still very annoyed there is no about:config setting to allow any desktop plugin like in the old days. I had one for great gesture controls.

alganet 3y ago

This sounds cool. I have a wildly paranoid Firefox setup (hardened config, NoScript, Cookie AutoDelete, ClearURLs, uBlock). It basically runs everything off (js, custom fonts, cookies, etc) unless I whitelist it explicitly. I was never quite able to replicate it on Android because some extensions didn't worked as expected or were clumsy on mobile. Will give another try.

backendanon 3y ago

I didn't get through the article, had a hard time trying to read the text with the contrast. To check if it was just me I used this site: https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/audit/?website=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mozilla.org%2Faddons%2F2023%2F08%2F10%2Fprepare-your-firefox-desktop-extension-for-the-upcoming-android-release%2F&flag=us https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/audit/?website=https%3A... On the up side, at least it isn't stark white on a stark black background.

snird 3y ago

Firefox for Android is lacking on so many basic features, it's amazing that they prioritize anything else before fixing those. E.g deep links. Which is very, very basic feature for mobile. Firefox on Android is unusable without it - and it seems like no one prioritize this, so excuse me for not being excited by any other feature. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54653641/app-links-not-working-on-firefox-but-chrome-works https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54653641/app-links-not-w... https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/15202 https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/15202 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1809264 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1809264

dralley 3y ago
The bugzilla issue you linked was fixed 3 months ago. So it would seem that they did, in fact, prioritize it.
earthscienceman 3y ago
Again, like much of the discussion around Firefox, feature vs bug is in the eye of the beholder. I think the UX of deep links on Firefox is vastly preferable. I hate when a website opens the play store and forceably tells you to install an app. I'm in a browser because I want a web interface. If I want to open your app, I will click the menu button and hit open in app. But that is reserved for very very few trusted apps. The browser is a sandbox that I use specifically to protect me from this kind of predatory shit.
- aleph4 3y ago
  Yes, I also love this. I much rather have control, and decline to install apps.

v8engine 3y ago

I am facing this issue in the recent versions of Android Firefox where if I switch apps and come back, or lock and unlock the phone instantly leads to the page refreshing and scrolling back to the point where I was reading. This is quite frustrating as I have to keep the Firefox app always open or wait a frustrating amount of time for the page to completely load and scroll down. Some pages with progressive loading will take a huge amount of time for the page to completely re-download and if you scroll even slightly, the auto-scroll to where you last left is lost. I can replicate it with just a single tab and I have excluded Firefox from all my battery saving and memory saving features.

phreack 3y ago

This is most definitely a step I the right direction but as I'll always say, the one and only killer feature on mobile is Text Reflow. Being able to zoom into a long text and knowing you'll be able to read it without scrolling sideways is a must have feature for mobile browsers, yet nearly none of them have it on Android save Opera and at least at one point Samsung Browser.

neop1x 3y ago

Great to hear. I have been using Kiwi Browser (Chromium clone) on mobile for several years precisely because of full extension support and _full Developer tools_! I will reconsider going back to Firefox after this, though...

hunters_laptop 3y ago

I ditched firefox after mozilla CEO spreads propaganda about january 6 and proud boys

UtopiaPunk 3y ago
Source?
- hunters_laptop 3y ago
  just go to his twitter, good luck find those old tweet
  - UtopiaPunk 3y ago
    Does Mitchell Baker even have a Twitter?

yellowapple 3y ago

About time. Granted, uBlock Origin and maybe Tampermonkey are all I really care about on mobile, and both of those are already in Firefox for Android's whitelist, but still.

Funke5 3y ago

Thanks for sharing this, I like it alot.

cykros 3y ago

There's a lot of talk about Chrome and Firefox. It seems simple to me -- Brave literally pays me in crypto to use it on desktop, and Firefox Nightly has by far the best extension support on mobile (I've had bypass-paywalls on there for years, which you just can't do on anything else). And then on desktop, Opera has GPT support built in, comes in handy when working on old machines for general system resource use being moderate. Chrome never even enters the equation. Even at work, when I've got a choice between Chrome and Edge, Edge has taken over for me because of the ability to "turn a site into an app" which lets me have work resources on the taskbar as unique icons I can easily access to switch between. I think the one thing I keep Chrome installed on my desktop for (because I have all of them) is the superior Chromecast support if I feel like casting some streaming media to the TV in the other room from a site that isn't supported by the Roku TV. I get the social and business issues with Mozilla, but I don't see it going anywhere for me on mobile. Probably not coming back on the desktop until they literally pay me to use it though.

nottheengineer 3y ago

Finally! I hate having to regularly clear my browser data or navigating those horrible consent UIs when I don't have cookieautodelete.

WASDx 3y ago
I'm very happy with Consent-O-Matic for auto accepting cookie popups with privacy preserving choices done for me. Prior to that I used "i don't care about cookies". https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/consent-o-matic/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/consent-o-mat...
- Moldoteck 3y ago
  Why autoaccept?
  - Karunamon 3y ago
    Because rejecting all tends to break things or make them work non-optimally, and practically speaking there are no negative consequences from accepting, so even the mental overhead of thinking about what to do with the dialogue is a waste of time. If you do really, truly, care that much then you would be better served by accepting everything and then simply throwing them out when some time has passed or the tab has been closed.
  - WASDx 3y ago
    I meant "accept" as in OK'ing the dialog, which it does with the most restrictive options by default. So, autoreject if you wish.
- mgbmtl 3y ago
  On uBlock Origin, the list "Easylist/uBO Cookie Notices" and the Annoyances lists help remove a ton of those cookie popups.
happymellon 3y ago
Consent UI's are not for putting cookies on your computer. One of the things might be putting cookies on your computer. I'm fine with just blocking and not giving consent.

brucethemoose2 3y ago

Mmm, too bad FF is so slow compared to Chrome/Chromite, at least on my older phone. I suppose newer phones can handle it, but at the same time, I don't think many users realize the additional performance impact extensions can have on the browser.

bryanlarsen 3y ago
Firefox is significantly faster than Chrome once you install UBlock Origin.
- brucethemoose2 3y ago
  We have Chromite (formerly Bromite) for that, as well as its native dark mode.
bitsandboots 3y ago
Never stopped me from using it on all the phones I've had - maybe somewhat slower, but I can be a little patient in return for some semblance of data protection & nuisance blocking.

wkat4242 3y ago

I hope they'll bring back sideloading too. It's really annoying that's not available anymore.

throwaway67743 3y ago

Maybe they can fix some of the many outstanding bugs in Firefox Android while they're at it... Like not suggesting logins if autofill is disabled, or at least allowing mass delete for logins so it doesn't suggest them. It's impossible that this hasn't already been seen so it's absurd it's still an issue.