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What should Firefox do for you to select it as your default browser? (It’s my default browser, I’m pretty happy with it, also use the pocket functionality quite

by ako 3y ago

What should Firefox do for you to select it as your default browser? (It’s my default browser, I’m pretty happy with it, also use the pocket functionality quite bit)

soundnote 3y ago
Features. Vertical tabs, PWA support. More technically solid browser on Android. Primarily though they should just focus on making a browser. The organization seems interested in doing anything and everything but building a tool for the user. Why not use Brave, or Vivaldi, or Arc, which actually add features and where the organizations are focused primarily on toolmaking?
rTX5CMRXIfFG 3y ago
Come up with their own privacy-focused computer and mobile OS, and mobile devices, really. I don’t think that browsers can survive as standalone software anymore. We’ve come to a point where default browsers are so tightly integrated with smartphone or computer OSes that a browser by itself offers too little value without integration. It’s going to be expensive, but they can compete with Linux distros that try to do the same but which all cannot gain any traction, polish, and long-term support.
- paulryanrogers 3y ago
  Or regulate a browser ballot. It's worked before.
anovick 3y ago
Add this feature (Chosen Bookmark Shortcut Indicator): https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/feature-suggestion-firefox-desktop-chosen-bookmark-shortcut/idc-p/41485/emcs_t/S2h8ZW1haWx8dG9waWNfc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9ufExOSVdKREtSWTExVktQfDQxNDg1fFNVQlNDUklQVElPTlN8aEs#M24106 https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/feature-suggestion-fire...
breischl 3y ago
It is my default, but keep a Brave install around just for the ability to "fake" a site into being an app. ie, it gets a separate launcher shortcut, a separate icon, etc. Very useful for sites I use constantly so they're not trapped in the same window as random surfing.
mcfedr 3y ago
Multiple profiles
- beej71 3y ago
  It could use smoother UI support, but I've been using multiple profiles on FF for years. I'm using them right now.
- dralley 3y ago
  Firefox has multiple profiles, I have used them every day for years. The UI is poor, particularly in terms of discovering that they exist, but they do.
- lazycouchpotato 3y ago
  I'm not sure what your use case is, but Firefox has Containers [1], allowing you to isolate different online identities into containers. It separates the cookies and storage for each container. An example of where I use this is for separating my personal Gmail from my uni's Google's Workspace account. It's annoying clicking on a uni Google Doc link only for it to block me because it chose my default login which is my personal Gmail. I have to switch between Google accounts (which I believe wasn't possible until recently?). With Containers however, I just open the link in my "Uni" container and I'm good to go. No fuss. I have seen classmates use Chrome profiles for the same example above, but from what they showed me they couldn't have their personal profile and their school profile open at the same time - they had to switch between profiles each time. With Containers, I can access tabs from all containers at the same time. Containers are colour coded so you know which is which. There are additional containers available. If you don't like Meta snooping on you outside of their websites, there's a Facebook container by Mozilla [2] that isolates your web activity from Facebook. Other than that, Firefox does appear to support profiles, but it appears to be a bit clunky. [3] I've never used it and until @dralley's comment didn't even know it existed. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account... [2] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-container/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-cont... [3] https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-...
kps 3y ago
Personally: 1. Let me install extensions locally (without making me hunt down some alternate build that harasses me to upgrade every day). 2. Fix using the GUI key for GUI shortcuts, which has been buggy since the Quantum transition. 3. I like Chrome's collapsible tab groups. I think Firefox also once had some sort of tab grouping I liked.
- quesera 3y ago
  To #3, extension Sidebery is great.

by ako 3y ago

What should Firefox do for you to select it as your default browser? (It’s my default browser, I’m pretty happy with it, also use the pocket functionality quite bit)

soundnote 3y ago

Features. Vertical tabs, PWA support. More technically solid browser on Android. Primarily though they should just focus on making a browser. The organization seems interested in doing anything and everything but building a tool for the user. Why not use Brave, or Vivaldi, or Arc, which actually add features and where the organizations are focused primarily on toolmaking?

rTX5CMRXIfFG 3y ago

Come up with their own privacy-focused computer and mobile OS, and mobile devices, really. I don’t think that browsers can survive as standalone software anymore. We’ve come to a point where default browsers are so tightly integrated with smartphone or computer OSes that a browser by itself offers too little value without integration. It’s going to be expensive, but they can compete with Linux distros that try to do the same but which all cannot gain any traction, polish, and long-term support.

paulryanrogers 3y ago
Or regulate a browser ballot. It's worked before.

anovick 3y ago

Add this feature (Chosen Bookmark Shortcut Indicator): https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/feature-suggestion-firefox-desktop-chosen-bookmark-shortcut/idc-p/41485/emcs_t/S2h8ZW1haWx8dG9waWNfc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9ufExOSVdKREtSWTExVktQfDQxNDg1fFNVQlNDUklQVElPTlN8aEs#M24106 https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/feature-suggestion-fire...

breischl 3y ago

It is my default, but keep a Brave install around just for the ability to "fake" a site into being an app. ie, it gets a separate launcher shortcut, a separate icon, etc. Very useful for sites I use constantly so they're not trapped in the same window as random surfing.

mcfedr 3y ago

Multiple profiles

beej71 3y ago
It could use smoother UI support, but I've been using multiple profiles on FF for years. I'm using them right now.
dralley 3y ago
Firefox has multiple profiles, I have used them every day for years. The UI is poor, particularly in terms of discovering that they exist, but they do.
lazycouchpotato 3y ago
I'm not sure what your use case is, but Firefox has Containers [1], allowing you to isolate different online identities into containers. It separates the cookies and storage for each container. An example of where I use this is for separating my personal Gmail from my uni's Google's Workspace account. It's annoying clicking on a uni Google Doc link only for it to block me because it chose my default login which is my personal Gmail. I have to switch between Google accounts (which I believe wasn't possible until recently?). With Containers however, I just open the link in my "Uni" container and I'm good to go. No fuss. I have seen classmates use Chrome profiles for the same example above, but from what they showed me they couldn't have their personal profile and their school profile open at the same time - they had to switch between profiles each time. With Containers, I can access tabs from all containers at the same time. Containers are colour coded so you know which is which. There are additional containers available. If you don't like Meta snooping on you outside of their websites, there's a Facebook container by Mozilla [2] that isolates your web activity from Facebook. Other than that, Firefox does appear to support profiles, but it appears to be a bit clunky. [3] I've never used it and until @dralley's comment didn't even know it existed. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account... [2] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-container/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-cont... [3] https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-...

kps 3y ago

Personally: 1. Let me install extensions locally (without making me hunt down some alternate build that harasses me to upgrade every day). 2. Fix using the GUI key for GUI shortcuts, which has been buggy since the Quantum transition. 3. I like Chrome's collapsible tab groups. I think Firefox also once had some sort of tab grouping I liked.

quesera 3y ago
To #3, extension Sidebery is great.