Firefox for Android migration begins for Stable channel users

Martin Brinkmann
Jul 29, 2020
Firefox, Google Android
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29

Mozilla has been working on a new mobile browser for Google's Android operating system called Fenix internally. Android users could install Firefox Preview and Firefox Beta versions of the new browser on their devices to test its functionality, and classic installations of Firefox Nightly and Beta on Android were migrated already to the new browser.

The migration process has started for users of the stable version of Firefox for Android. Firefox 68.11 for Android is the last classic version of the browser; Mozilla plans to migrate all installations in the coming two months to the new Firefox browser for Android.

The migration happens automatically on Android 5 and newer devices but only if Firefox for Android 59 or newer is installed, and if automatic updates are enabled.

The following items will be migrated:

  • Open Tabs in the browser.
  • The browsing history.
  • The bookmarks.
  • Top sites.
  • Firefox account authentication information.
  • Cookies and (part of) the browser cache.
  • Default search engines.
  • Saved logins, but only if the master password is not set.
  • Add-ons (the new browser supports only a handful of recommended extensions at this time, unsupported add-ons will be deactivated).

A restoration of the old Firefox browser is not possible after the migration. It is, in theory, possible to install it anew though on the device.

The new Firefox browser for Android offers better performance and web compatibility according to Mozilla. Some new features, namely improved tracking protection, Collections, and customization options such as support for dark mode or displaying the main toolbar at the bottom or top of the browser screen.

The classic version of Firefox won't receive updates anymore according to Mozilla but the browser itself won't be disabled in any form. Users who rely on certain extensions or other features could disable automatic updates to continue using the classic version until the missing feature set is introduced in the new Firefox browser for Android; the downside to this is that the browser won't receive security or stability updates anymore, and that Mozilla won't provide support anymore either.

Mozilla promises that it will release missing features with "every major release". You can check out the official upgrade FAQ for additional information.

Now You: Have you tried the new Firefox for Android?

Summary
Article Name
Firefox for Android migration begins for Stable channel users
Description
The migration of the classic Firefox web browser for Android to the new Firefox mobile browser for Android has started.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Dave said on July 30, 2020 at 5:25 pm
    Reply

    Privacy on a cellphone, there’s an oxymoron.

    1. Iron Heart said on July 30, 2020 at 6:49 pm
      Reply

      GrapheneOS, LineageOS without you installing the Google Play Services. You’re welcome.

  2. Auranyte said on July 29, 2020 at 10:52 pm
    Reply

    I switched over to the FDroid Fennec version last week to avoid issues with being updated without asking. I had to resetup my addons and then resync my bookmarks/logins but everything is back to how I’ve been using Firefox for awhile now.

    Maybe I’ll switch over to Fenix in the future once they add more addon support and allow us to disable their tab collection/group thing that seems pointless on a mobile browser that should be stressing on saving battery.

  3. Paul(us) said on July 29, 2020 at 5:31 pm
    Reply

    I am wondering is this Android version labeled Firefox 68.11.0 or Firefox 69?

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on July 29, 2020 at 6:19 pm
      Reply

      It is Firefox 79.

  4. Damien said on July 29, 2020 at 4:01 pm
    Reply

    I am lost. Too many FF versions for android, I am lost. I am running Firefox Browser Nightly, is it ok, do I have to switch to another FF?
    Thank you.

    1. yado said on July 30, 2020 at 7:54 pm
      Reply

      Just wait untill they update the normal Firefox in play store, then install it.
      Here is the link for the normal firefox:
      https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.firefox
      It should look exact like the one you are using.

      1. Damien said on July 31, 2020 at 12:51 pm
        Reply

        Thank you.

  5. RIdzvier said on July 29, 2020 at 3:25 pm
    Reply

    is it safe to update firefox mobile? i dont wanna mess firefox on my android

  6. Yuliya said on July 29, 2020 at 2:30 pm
    Reply

    It also has Leanplum.

  7. kuro68k said on July 29, 2020 at 2:28 pm
    Reply

    I’ve been using FF Preview for a while. Still doesn’t render many sites properly, making them unreadable. The bug report has been ignored.

  8. Shadow_Death said on July 29, 2020 at 2:07 pm
    Reply

    Well shit. There went a good thing. The old Firefox browser supported the use of Ublock Origin and Nano Defender. The new one doesn’t. Also the new one does things I don’t like… for instance when you run through your bookmarks opening multiple pages it doesn’t run them through the same tab, it makes a new one for each page. :/

    1. Ross Presser said on July 29, 2020 at 4:50 pm
      Reply

      The new browser does support uBlock Origin according to various sources. I haven’t installed it yet myself. It doesn’t support Nano Defender though.

    2. anona said on July 29, 2020 at 4:44 pm
      Reply

      the new one does support uBO actually

  9. asd said on July 29, 2020 at 12:44 pm
    Reply

    Good thing PlayStore updates are disabled on my phone.
    I had the pleasure of testing that shitty beta version some weeks back. I switched back to the normal one after five minutes.

  10. anona said on July 29, 2020 at 12:31 pm
    Reply

    >unsupported add-ons will be deactivated

    Ok, time to abandon Firefox then. Maybe I’ll have to use Yandex Browser or Kiwi. Brave also promised to support extensions on Android.

    1. ShintoPlasm said on July 29, 2020 at 2:13 pm
      Reply

      Yandex Browser = worse than FF for privacy.
      Kiwi = abandonware.

      Good luck.

      1. Iron Heart said on July 29, 2020 at 6:08 pm
        Reply

        @ShintoPlasm @anona

        Kiwi isn‘t abandonware, only the version in the Play Store is. New builds do appear on GitHub:

        https://github.com/kiwibrowser/src/releases

        You need to allow installation of apps from other sources in Android‘s settings and then download the APK of Kiwi under „Assets“, then install from your file manager using the APK file.

        I agree regarding your assessment of Yandex:

        https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/02/27/brave-beats-other-browsers-in-privacy-study/

        That being said, it‘s a bold assertion of Firefox users to say that other browsers are bad for privacy, seeing how Firefox on Android literally comes with hardcoded trackers (it doesn‘t get much worse than this, obviously). Yandex is bad for privacy though, so nothing wrong with the basic statement.

        @anona

        The best browser for privacy on Android is probably Bromite, which also has an adblocker built-in, no extension support so far, though. Installation procedure is the same as the one for Kiwi described above:

        https://www.bromite.org/

      2. Testertime said on July 31, 2020 at 8:50 pm
        Reply

        @Iron Heart Thanks for the link about Kiwi Browser, I did not know it is still being updated. I feel it’s not okay that the developer lets people sit on a 9 months old version of a browser, but more importantly, without telling anyone and where to get a newer version. Is the developer secretly boycotting Google Play or what is the thoughtprocess of the developer here?

      3. Iron Heart said on July 31, 2020 at 10:26 pm
        Reply

        @Testertime

        I don’t know exactly what the rationale of the Kiwi developer is here, but it seems to me that resources are somewhat scarce currently, judging by this:

        https://github.com/kiwibrowser/src#roadmap

        The repo hasn’t been terribly active since late May, either, which is not a great sign.

        However, Brave is about to get extension support on Android:

        https://www.xda-developers.com/brave-browser-android-dev-would-add-extension-support-2020/

        Extension support should be operational in the late summer or in the fall. I am looking forward to this, because this will enable me to replicate my desktop setup on mobile:

        https://www.ghacks.net/2020/07/05/behave-for-chrome-and-firefox-warns-you-of-port-scans-and-local-attacks/#comment-4467393

        The Kiwi project resuming some activity would also be nice, though.

      4. Yuliya said on July 29, 2020 at 2:37 pm
        Reply

        i.imgur.com/9Ku8tEN.png
        mozilla is the worst. they sell you(r data) to random 3rd parties.

  11. hj said on July 29, 2020 at 12:11 pm
    Reply

    Apparently its hijacking typed urls, something they frothed at the mouth about Brave doing?
    Some deal with Alexa and a top 100 list, even with suggestions off.
    Any confirmation on this?

    1. ShintoPlasm said on July 29, 2020 at 2:12 pm
      Reply

      I’ve been using FF Preview and now Beta, and have not seen any hijacking. Where are you getting this from?

  12. Mark said on July 29, 2020 at 9:26 am
    Reply

    Where can I download that thing, outside of Google’s playstore?

    1. Mic said on July 29, 2020 at 10:17 am
      Reply

      Maybe try APK Mirror.

      1. asd said on July 29, 2020 at 10:49 am
        Reply
      2. Anonymous said on July 29, 2020 at 11:30 am
        Reply

        > https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mobile/releases/
        Fenix does not seem to be there

      3. q said on August 1, 2020 at 2:45 am
        Reply

        https://firefox-ci-tc.services.mozilla.com/tasks/index/mobile.v2.fenix

        Download the appropriate version for your device. Most probably it’d be arm64.

      4. Anonymous said on July 29, 2020 at 11:28 am
        Reply

        cool, thanks

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