Firefox for Android is getting a major update this week, but it’s much more than just a facelift.
While users can now take advantage of a fancy dark mode and new place for all of your tabs and favorite websites, Mozilla has incorporated its own GeckoView mobile browser engine, no longer using Google’s Blink engine that powers browsers such as Chrome, Brave, and Edge. The advantages of using GeckoView, in Mozilla’s words, is the ability to “have complete freedom of choice when it comes to implementation of standards and features.”
Beyond a quicker browsing experience, Mozilla highlights user security and privacy, enhanced mobile productivity, as well as a revamped extensions experience. For said extensions, Mozilla will be highlighting select extensions that will improve privacy and user experience via its Recommended Extensions program.
On the visual side, expect some big changes for Firefox. I mentioned a dedicated dark mode above, but Mozilla also mentions Collections for tabs, which users can create to help organize their sites. Additionally, Firefox users will be able to choose where the browser’s address bar lives (top or bottom), which is a very nice touch.
The updated Firefox for Android will be available in the US starting August 27.
Google Play Link
// Mozilla
Hate is hate it hate it. Look for a new browser after more than 15 years.
“have complete freedom of choice when it comes to implementation of standards and features.”
That reads to me as “we get to decide if we want to implement standards or not.” I suppose that could mean they could choose to implement things Blink doesn’t, but it also means the opposite, along with continuing the fractured nature of the web as a whole.
I’m using the beta now.
I like that you can install an ad blocker.
Still some features missing like support for more extensions, password generation, and security keys.
And videos don’t work on some sites.
Same here, it’s overall a great browser but does have a few minor issues.
So is this their last big revision before the Firefox team gets gutted?
Probably a last hurrah.
Don’t understand what is groundbreaking. Chrome already has a dark theme. Collections sounds like it does the same function as folders in Chrome bookmarks. As far as privacy, if you are logged in to sync booksmarks, pages, passwords, forms, etc then you are sharing anyways with their servers just like Chrome.
There are benefit to there being more than a single viable browser. And you can install uBlock Origin. Wait until Chrome guts ad-blocking capabilities (it’s in the works right now).
Sharing every little thing with Google vs not sharing everything with Google… I trust Mozilla foundation way more than I trust Google. Too many people don’t care about privacy, we’ll see how they feel in ten years. If your data wasn’t valuable why would they give all these products for free?
Still prefer Microsoft’s Edge. So quick, simple, clean.
Amazing?
Sweet I’m looking forward to this. Just wish Google would actually let you delete Chrome from your phone.
You can disable Chrome and it will be hidden in the app drawer. Just as good
Almost as good because it still takes up the space and your device still knows it’s there
I asked my device if it still knew if Chrome was there, and it said “Whaaa?!”
…so I dunno, man. It might not know after all.
Hahahaha. Eye literally lol
I know that but I rather it be completely removed. That’s the one of thingsI like about iOS, you can uninstall their own apps.