Mozilla launches Firefox Private Network VPN for Android
Mozilla launched Firefox Private Network VPN for Google's Android operating system recently. The standalone Android application extends support to Android devices.
The organization launched a beta of Firefox Private Network VPN back in December 2019. The service was, and is, limited to users from the United States at the time of writing and available for $4.99 per month during the beta phase; Mozilla has not revealed information on final pricing or about availability in other regions of the world.
Firefox Private Network was unveiled in September of the same year as the first product of the newly revived Test Pilot Program. The service was offered as an extension for Firefox initially before a Windows 10 program was launched in December 2019 that introduced full system support as the program can be installed just like any other VPN client on Windows.
Tip: check out our list of the best VPN Firefox add-ons.
The new Android version brings support to Android devices. Since Firefox Private Network is still in beta, the same limitations apply to the Android version. It is only available if you connect from the United States (Google Play), and there is a waiting list that you need to join right now if you have not done so already.
Users from outside the United States may install the application if they manage to download it from other sources, e.g. from mirror services that host Android APK files.
The application displays some of the main selling points of Mozilla's VPN service on first start:
- Connect up to five devices -- Stream, download and game. We won't restrict your bandwidth.
- Device level encryption -- No one will see your location or activity, even on unsecure Wi-Fi networks.
- No activity logs -- We're Mozilla. We don't log your activity and we're always on your side.
- Servers in 39 countries -- Stand up to tech bullies and protect your access to the web.
Firefox VPN users may install the application on their Android devices to connect to the VPN network; all applications and all traffic uses that connection once it has been established.
Closing Words
Firefox Private Network VPN is now available for Windows and Android. It is likely that other operating systems will follow eventually. The service is very important to Mozilla as it is hopes to diversify the organization's income which, to a very large extend, comes from search engine deals and, currently, Mozilla's main competitor Google.
Now You: Do you think that Mozilla manages to diversify revenue by much using Firefox Private Network?
Good choice mozilla. Now totally abandon the browser’s marketing and focus on these kinds of partnerships only.
I dislike their logging policy, “The browser-level protection, provided by Cloudflare, temporarily logs unidentified browsing history and deletes this data within 24 hours as a mechanism to detect and handle abuse on the network.” its 2020, we’re far beyond “just trust me bro”.
> we’re far beyond “just trust me broâ€.
Exactly this.
Does anyone uses ExpressVPN? How this compares with it?
Interesting that they chose WireGuard for the protocol. (I wonder if it factors into their partnership with Mullvad, because AFAIK they’re the only major VPN provider that supports WG at the moment.) WG if is faster because it’s UDP-based, but it is still very new and very untested compared to the likes of OpenVPN. I’ll be interested to see how that works out for Mozilla.
AzireVPN uses it too.
WireGuard is much better than any other protocol together. There is no DNS leak at all even when the connection fails.
The setup is not complicated and the PKI makes it the most secure VPN protocol.
VPNs have been using PKI long before WireGuard.
My point is that WireGuard is still very new and not as well-tested or as widely-deployed as other protocols. Some parts of WG still don’t have a stable release yet (as mentioned at the bottom of their website). Undiscovered bugs and security vulnerabilities are still quite possible, so most people don’t recommend it for use in critical or production infrastructure… yet. That’s why I was questioning Mozilla’s decision to roll the dice with it.
That said, I do like WG and am excited that it’s gaining traction. I plan on trying it out for personal use with my home network soon.
I’ve been using Wireguard in combination with both Mullvad and AzireVPN for the past year. I signed up to the latter first, but they only have five servers of which just three are in Europe. I subsequently switched to Mullvad which has 112 Wireguard servers worldwide.
Wireguard is still in BETA but works very well. Updates are frequent and the version in use when I tried it the first time was 0.0.15. The current version is 0.0.38.
With Mullvad Wireguard can be used in combination with their SOCKS5 proxy. The host is on IP 10.64.0.1 and port 1080. More on the SOCKS5 at https://mullvad.net/en/help/socks5-proxy/
I don’t know if Mozilla will offer the SOCKS5 option as well in their deal.
Another desperate stupid idea from Mozilla.
Why not just “torify” apps with Orbot for free? (Or donate if you would like to)
Why isn’t Tor integrated into Firefox to be able to visit .onion sites or bypass censorship for free?
Why has Firefox (even Tor Browser) unique amazon (tracking) response headers by default?
https://bewisse.com/modheader/headers/
>Why isn’t Tor integrated into Firefox to be able to visit .onion sites or bypass censorship for free?
The person who intended to do that was voted out of the organization not long after, so brave browser has it instead. He was replaced at firefox with the person who made webrtc ;)
Because TOR integration adds far more complexity to Firefox that mozilla is trying to win against it in all these years.
Firefox is really complex browser that its development is equal to an OS complexity.
This is also the reason google used webkit engine instead of gecko (mozilla engine) so it don’t deal with its complexity.
The request is sent by the browser, the response is sent by the server. Stop spreading misinformation.
Im no Mozilla hate but this just sounds silly.
“No activity logs — We’re Mozilla. We don’t log your activity and we’re always on your side.”
You can trust me – source: Me
>we’re mozilla. we don’t log your activity and we’re always on your side
Not even two years after they stole my data, they come up with this line? It genuinely made me laugh, btw, I’m at work and colleagues saw me laughing, they’re probably thinking I’m reading jokes online – though considering this wouldn’t be too far from the truth.
You are still coping after 2 years? I’m sorry to hear, please get well soon :(
I don’t get it.
Firefox VPN;
– uses Mullvad backend
– works only on Mozilla browsers? (not sure here, correct me if I’m wrong)
– requires Mozilla/Firefox account
– only available in Yankville for now
– costs $5 (not sure about accepted payment methods)
Mullvad VPN
– works on any OS that supports OpenVPN or Wireguard
– you don’t even need to give your email to register
– available almost everywhere (not sure about places like China, Turkey, etc)
– costs $5
– various payment methods accepted (can even mail them hard cash)
Which one to pick seems like a no-brainer to me
“browse privately by linking your browser to your real life identity (needed for payment)”
If it costs you the same money, and you are a Firefox or Mozilla user, it is a no brainer signing up with Firefox because this way you support your favourite free software company and help them out releasing new features.
I don’t need that much brain to choose which is cheaper.
Let’s just say that they “resell” mullvad, so it’s browser have one stop privacy product. “just download, login, you’re now going private” browser.
Kind reminder that Firefox Preview “Fenix” on Android comes with built-in trackers:
https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/8tenbx/please_correct_me_since_im_not_an_expert_but_why/
Read the “Measure and support our marketing†section here, as well:
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/privacy/firefox/
In the following, Firefox fanboys will try to tout Firefox as privacy-respecting in the comment section, despite not even privacy-hostile Google Chrome behaving like this. If you have any respect for privacy, use Bromite: https://www.bromite.org/
If you depend on Firefox for Android for some reason, use Fennec F-Droid (gets rid of all the spyware crap): https://f-droid.org/packages/org.mozilla.fennec_fdroid/
Get rid of Google-funded Mozilla, which doesn’t even respect its own manifesto.
> citation of IH:
>In the following, Firefox fanboys will try to tout Firefox as privacy-respecting in the
>comment section, despite not even privacy-hostile Google Chrome behaving like this.
>If you have any respect for privacy, use Bromite
This is a fallacy because the moral character or actions of the opponent are generally irrelevant to the logic of your argument. It is often used as a red herring tactic and is a special case of the ad hominem fallacy, which is a category of fallacies in which a claim or argument is rejected on the basis of facts about the person presenting or supporting the claim or argument.
Also nice shilling of Bromite.
Is this an article about Fenix? I don’t see how this is related to Mullvad VPNs?
@SilentObserver, Ignatius: Because Iron Heart will do this. It’s his thing to shittalk Mozilla in every single news article about them, regardless of how relevant.
@Dude without a suit.
> It’s his thing to shittalk Mozilla
You are asking the wrong questions. The real question would be: “Does Mozilla deserve the flak they are getting?”
@SilentObserver
1) Mozilla plans to introduce a VPN subscription in Firefox.
2) People who think about buying into it should know to which degree Mozilla can be trusted.
Quote from their site:
>The VPN is built by Firefox and runs on a global network of servers powered by our partner Mullvad using the WireGuard protocol. Mullvad respects your privacy and has committed to not keep logs of any kind.
Just saying before people attack Mozilla/Firefox again, when they don’t even run the service themselves. They are just a RESELLER.
>> Just saying before people attack Mozilla/Firefox again, when they don’t even run the service themselves. They are just a RESELLER.
If anything in life is a constant, it’s the zealots who hate anything and everything from Mozilla so the trollish comments are inevitable.
Unfortunately we now live in a time where some people just can’t accept the choices others make for themselves. Reader comments and user forums are now just sewers of extremists full of morale outrage — some are just nuts but some think they’re actually contributing something useful to any discussion with their biased rants and posturing.