this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2023
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Android

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[–] addison@lemmy.world 78 points 2 years ago (2 children)

This sounds like great news!

Firefox is already at the top of my list of preferred browsers on Android, but more extension support has always been on my feature wishlist.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.de 17 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You can do that now with a custom extension list

[–] RobotDaniel@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You do need firefox beta rn.

[–] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It also works on the Fennec branch for people who want a fully stable build that has full addon support, but yeah this is going to open it up to a lot more people, so hopefully more people will use Firefox

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It also works on the Fennec branch

Is that still supported in some shape or form?

[–] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

That's just regular Firefox with the addon restrictions and trademarks removed,. That doesn't just magically spawn API support. I thought you meant the 68.x branch which actually had broad extension support and received one additional update over Firefox 68 because the ESR branch was further updated for a bit: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/mozilla/fennec-f-droid/fennec-f-droid-68-12-0-release/

[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago

I so miss FF 68. It was so much better than the current version.

At least some of the missing features from 68 have been restored by now.

[–] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In 2023, everyone I know refers to the version I linked as the Fennec branch. I guess I assumed you were too.

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I was a bit hung up on the term 'branch' because in my understanding Fennec F-Droid falls more under patch set. Mozilla used Fennec as code name for Firefox Mobile before the GeckoView migration and I had hoped the old Fennec branch would live on in some shape or form.

[–] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago

Yeah I'm aware of that name's origins. People use "branch" to describe Waterfox and Mull as well. If you ask about "Fennec branch" in current year, it's what I've linked. Nearly anyone who talks about it is referring to that. Just a heads up.

[–] Zak@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Its current poor extension support is the reason I've been using Kiwi Browser, which is a basic Chromium build with full extension support, including loading from local storage.

[–] ijeff@lemdro.id 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Same here. I use custom collections on Fennec F-Droid but the inability to properly sideload keeps me on the auto rebased builds of Kiwi Browser. That and support for the black OLED theme and night mode website retheming built in.

Very glad to see this come to Firefox though! Hopefully they can also get those other bits added in.

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That and Kiwi is the only Android browser with proper developer tools.

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

At least when using Kiwi in desktop mode (via Samsung DeX), Kiwi doesn't fill out passwords for me. There also is no interest in supporting Firefox Sync.

[–] Ultra980@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago
[–] Zak@lemmy.world 22 points 2 years ago (2 children)

That took way too long, but better late than never.

[–] millionsofplayers@lemmy.one 17 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Apple needs to allow other browser engines at this point

[–] Mousepad@burggit.moe 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] EddieTee77@lemdro.id 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Nope. Every browser is basically Safari with a different coat of paint on it. It's very anti competitive and monopolistic if you ask me

[–] Matt@lemdro.id 2 points 2 years ago

It’s very anti competitive and monopolistic if you ask me

I don't disagree, but while I would love having full Firefox on iOS, the one positive of the current situation is that it is the only thing keeping Google from a complete browser monopoly. Firefox marketshare is insignificant, and without WebKit on iOS devices, Chromium browsers would make up 95% of the browser market. I think that would be worse overall in the long-term than iPhone users being stuck with Safari skins.

I hope they would include addon sideloading as well

[–] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 14 points 2 years ago

My ~~body~~ phone is ready.

[–] RobotToaster@infosec.pub 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

About damn time, they should never have disabled it in the first place.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

Super excited! Firefox is already great and this will just make it more great!

[–] b1tstremist0@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I'm just hoping for theming to come back to Firefox on Android. Really not into the new UI design either. (T_T)

[–] AlmostDachshund@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 years ago

Is there any hope for third party themes as well?

[–] kungfuratte@feddit.de 4 points 2 years ago

That's cool

[–] FarLine99@lemm.ee 3 points 2 years ago

Such a cool news! Mozilla, go on!

[–] miniu@beehaw.org 3 points 2 years ago

Cool! I've been using Firefox Nightly to workaround extension limitations. I'll be able to switch back to having nicer icon colors xD

I hope that with this being official support some extensions regain full features on mobile. For example, vimperator cannot open tabs on mobile currently(using it with samsung dex)

[–] mawp@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Heck yeah, have about 5 or 6 extensions I use on the desktop version I wanna use on the mobile version!

[–] jacktherippah@lemdro.id 1 points 2 years ago

I'd use Firefox for Android if it had working per - site process isolation.

[–] mrvictory1@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

cries in Firefox on iPad

At least my phone will make use of this.

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Don't buy Apple products if you don't agree with their policies.

[–] anon6789@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

Good to hear! I've been using using Kiwi, but it would be great if I can use Firefox. I would think security updates would come out quicker.

[–] sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf 1 points 2 years ago

The key takeaway from this is that they're finally rolling out their Web Manifest v3. I'm super excited

[–] Zerfallen@lemmy.world -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Is there an extension to bring the tab bar back for Android tablets? Otherwise nothing interesting for me.

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

No idea how good or bad this is but I saw a link to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tablet-ui-for-firefox/ posted somewhere a few days ago and still had a tab open.

[–] CatTrickery@lemmy.world -3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'd be happy with Firefox for Android if it didn't hang on loading 3/4 of pages. Its been an ongoing bug for years that my partner has also mentioned to be an issue.

[–] WidowsFavoriteSon@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Wierd.you must have an edge case because thats very uncommon.

[–] CatTrickery@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

We both have a very different setup that are used pretty normally so I doubt it is.