Mozilla is testing a Firefox version on the Microsoft Store, but it's not available for users yet
Mozilla Firefox has been listed on the Microsoft Store. But, before you get excited, I should tell you that you, the app is not available for users just yet (only those with a code to unlock the application).
Here's the listing, instead of the "Get" option, the button says you need to redeem a code to download the browser. A text above it reads, "Mozilla Firefox is currently not available."
The app does not appear in the search results if you look it up in the Store. Redditors were quick with the jokes about Mozilla running out of stock for the digital download, and supply chain issues. A Firefox developer chimed in the thread, to confirm that the Firefox Microsoft Store version is in the internal testing phase right now, and hence not available to the public.
There are a few issues filed on Bugzilla related to this. (1, 2, and 3). According to the bug-related discussions, the Firefox app will use the same user profile folder as the normal standalone browser. That will be good for users who can install the Store app, and switch to it, without losing their browsing history, extensions and other data.
Some users were able to install the Store version, and say that it can exist alongside the desktop version. But, you'll only be able to run one of those at a time.
Unlike Linux and macOS which ship with app stores that are handy to update programs, Windows users have to manually keep an eye out for updates, or use the app's built-in update checker. I use RSS Feeds to make this a little simpler. That's why I think having Firefox on the Microsoft Store is a good thing, timely updates with security fixes, that will be delivered automatically. And it would be easier for the layman to get the correct version of the browser, instead of obtaining a potentially malware-ridden one. Plus, putting it on the Store gives an additional way for users to download Firefox, it could be another way of drawing new users to it.
The minimum requirements on the Firefox Store listing says that users will need to be on Windows 10 version 17763.0 or higher. It is a 64-bit app. More importantly, this confirms that the app won't be exclusive to Windows 11. Speaking of which, the new OS allows developers to upload different types of apps, including Win32, .NET, UWP, Xamarin, Electron, React Native, Java and Progressive Web Apps. But there are some limitations to the other types, especially Win32, because the Store will not allow the apps to be updated. One of the discussions of Bugzilla reveals that the Firefox Microsoft Store version is an MSIX package. This means users will get automatic updates for the browser delivered through the Store app.
Windows 11's Microsoft Store is a lot better than Windows 10's, hopefully the experience will get better once more developers bring their wares to the table.
Oh, and we can't forget the meme. Soon, you will no longer need Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge to download Firefox.
Image courtesy: Reddit
Would you switch to the Microsoft Store version of Firefox, or stick with the standalone browser?
@Iron Heart
Ich wünsche Ihnen eine gute Reise! Kehren Sie nicht zu früh von diesen alternativen Plattformen zurück.
Hey, I’m not celebrating, I’m hoping! Although now, after a year or so reading your posts I kinda like how your claims about FF get shredded from time to time. It’s also funny you keep reposting links to same pages and bringing back cliqz case (wrongly, as ussual), while time passes and FF is nowhere near it was few years ago.
I guess that what is really touching is that arkenfox exists. With Chrome and descendants you can flip a flag here and there, not really much to do anyway. Most of security/privacy stuff is in hands of Brave, Opere devs. And that’s ok for most people. But with FF you can do anything, and there is arkenfox, there is ghacks where you get guides how to set this and that. And as @all hail pants has show earlier – you have no idea what you are talking about (some irrelevant user.js copied from Tor). And Tor – FF based, not chromium – is the best what you can have for security out there.
Ease of use, synchronisation you ask? I’d say Chrome. Need some shiny features? Go Opera. Wanna be somewhat different? Use Midori, kmeleon, OtterBrowser. Some people choose to be brave warriors on the dangerous grounds of sane, normal people.
Firefox is the lesser evil of MS Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera. BUT that was before… The Deepin Linux team took the effort to make their own web browser from Chromium open source project. All the agencies that spied on me thru FF/Edge/Chrome/Safari/Opera can kiss all their data mining goodbye.
There is another choice of modern up-to-date web browser and it’s called the Deepin Browser that comes preinstalled with Deepin Linux!
No thanks. This is only a pathway so Microsoft can create a wall garden. Stay away from this nonsense.
Time to move to Seamonkey.
@butcher baker
It’s kinda stuck in the 2000′. Try to use it on media pages, it fails unfortunatelly. I keep checking when are they going to switch to 2020 but it seems this project is too small to get there.
Glad I’ve moved to LibreWolf alongside Ungoogled Chromium. GNU IceCat, Pale Moon & Basilisk as backup browsers.
Librewolf is awesome – it finally cleaned up it’s prefs and allows overrides, and it now follows the lead of the mighty arkenfox, which it mostly matches. Librewolf dropped about 300+ useless pref changes. Arkenfox is the gold standard for Firefox information. Long live Queen Pants – https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/issues/1191#issuecomment-861705546
I love Librewolf, not quite the same settings as arkenfox, but almost, and easily tweaked. It’s good to see fxbrit being mentored or listening to the mighty “Queen Pants” – he’s even part of the arkenfox repo chatter
– https://github.com/privacytools/privacytools.io/issues/2184#issuecomment-833926671
> Pants, is that you?
pants is clearly living in your head
> Which in turn is copied and pasted from the mighty Tor
funny then how it changes every Firefox release based on stable while Tor Browser is up to a year behind on ESR. funny how it has prefs changed that Tor Browser doesn’t. Funny that all changes are documented and discusses on github independent of Tor Browser. So weird.
If pants gets some pointers from Tor Browser then that’s smart. Be smart, be like pants. Pants is so smart. Makes arkenfox even more impressive.
you sure do get triggered over arkenfox. So your reply is to make up lies and slander some user.js project. LOL, you’re such a baby
Hm, I guess Mozilla wants Firefox to be discoverable on any possible avenue, so they put it in the MS Store as well. Here is the big problem, though: People still have to SEARCH for Firefox in order to find it, and if the Google Play Store listing is any indication, the presence of FF in some store will not significantly increase its market share as there is no immediate interest. Unless they can get daddy Google to pay for some Firefox ad at the front page, that is.
What Firefox would need to get new users on board would be… being unique and being significantly better than the competition in regards to web compatibility, performance, security etc. (LOL, as if that’s going to happen). In reality, this is what Mozilla’s vision for Firefox looks like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9A_KkNyxh8
Meaningless, clueless, and confused.
I guess Brave Software wants Brave to be discoverable on any possible avenue, so they put Iron “Brave shill” Heart in ghacks.net …
Will there ever be a “hate reveal”, like they do “face reveals” etc? Where did FF and user.js touch you?
“I guess Brave Software wants Brave to be discoverable on any possible avenue, so they put Iron “Brave shill” Heart in ghacks.net …”
Lol
@Yash
When will you start contributing something useful here? One year later and still waiting, LOL.
COPE.
Someone is fuming. It would be good for you to say those same words to reflection of yourself in mirror.
@Yash
Are the facts fuming? I have not seen you contribute anything useful here so far, it’s just what it is.
@Iron Heart
And did you contribute anything usefull here? I saw this once, when some guy was actually gratefull for tips on Brave. The rest is trolling and hate speech against some niche software you claim not to use.
@m3city
Dude, I am helpful all the time here. Even when I get around posting some ugly truths about Mozilla, this is helpful. The facts can’t be hate speech (only to your ears, I guess).
That you celebrate my “departure” (even though I won’t depart) as if it’s Christmas and your birthday together is just pathetic. Neither the Tor copy & paste girl nor the resident Firefox fanboy horde can stop me from commenting, deal with it.
@Iron Heart
> I am helpful all the time here.
So much wholesome. UWU. You are the fool that brings me (and maybe others) back here from time to time for entertainment.
Entertainment – Now that’s the perfect word to sum Iron Heart’s nonsense ramblings.
Grave Browser = Troll with trollish nick I have never even seen before here.
Yash = Irrelevant poster writing irrelevant shit.
When you too write dumb shit about me, this really cuts deep. /s
Look man say what you want if it makes you feel better. I’m still smiling at what anonymous wrote which was funny.
@Anonymous
COPE.
Show us on the doll where arkenfox touched you LOL
thanks @all hail pants for providing some sanity and the very knowledgeable well thought out and always up-to-date arkenfox user.js that really gets the most privacy out of Firefox. I’ve been using this for a little while now and it’s fantastic
all hail that smart Queen Pants indeed
@milton I’m just the messenger – if you want to thank someone for arkenfox, then Queen Pants is at github
– https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js
@all hail pants
Show me on Firefox whether or not arkenfox actually works. Scam project copied from Tor.
> project copied from Tor
funny then how it changes every Firefox release based on stable while Tor Browser is up to a year behind on ESR. funny how it has prefs changed that Tor Browser doesn’t. Funny that all changes are documented and discusses on github independent of Tor Browser. So weird.
of course it works
– want to isolate by first party, bingo – as proven by Tor Browser and Mozilla devs
– want to stop region updates – done, as proven by mozilla code and the prefs doing what they are meant to do
– want to disable session restore – done
– want to clear all site data on close – done
– want to disable auto filling signon forms – done
The prefs work exactly as they are meant to – tested by mozilla
you sure do get triggered over the ability of firefox’s tweakability and the use of user.js and arkenfox. So you’re reply is to make up lies and slander some user.js project. LOL, you’re such a baby
for the record, arkenfox is not a copy of tor browser’s settings as someone likes to keep claiming
Here are tor browsers’s pref changes
– https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser/-/blob/tor-browser-91.2.0esr-11.0-1/browser/app/profile/000-tor-browser.js
Here is arkenfox
– https://raw.githubusercontent.com/arkenfox/user.js/master/user.js
diffs summary
– 43 matching prefs, both value and state (active/inactive)
– 7 prefs with different values but matching state
– 298 prefs not declared in user.js [tor]
– 339 prefs not declared in user.js [arkenfox]
– 39 prefs with matching values but inactive in user.js [arkenfox].js
– 9 prefs with both mismatching values and states
only 43 matching prefs, out of approximately 170 that arkenfox changes from default
@Martin, looks like you’re being threatened by a PITN’ omnipotence :=)
Amazing.
@Tom Hawack
“Threatened”, were you out of stock for even more melodramatic terms? :….D
The moderation here has deleted my comments for no specific reason.
@all hail pants, that “someone” is an authentic pain in the neck.
I’ve been using Arkenfox’s user.js ever since version 0.10 when it was then named “ghacks user.js” and have always been satisfied and grateful for the work, the insights, the settings, explained and commented when the pref is arguable. Not only does this user.js offer pertinent settings for privacy and security but also for prefs related to personal preferences, always explained : I mean, even if you don’t use it, going through the list is a great way to better understand prefs; not to mention that several hidden prefs (those that don’t appear natively in about:config) are also available and documented.
The Pain In The Neck is a patented trouble-maker. My advice to all : ignore him, or at least ignore his comments.
iron heart keeps using the word “copy”, i do not think it means what iron heart thinks it means
for the record: some more stats
There are
– 437 unique prefs in user.js [tor].js
– 396 unique prefs in user.js [arkenfox].js
– 735 combined unique prefs
only 43 out of 735 prefs match – that is less than 6% in common with Tor Browser
There are
– 298 prefs not declared in user.js [tor].js
– 339 prefs not declared in user.js [arkenfox].js
so clearly arkenfox doesn’t have 339/437 tor browser prefs – that’s over 77% “not copied”
and clearly arkenfox has 298/396 prefs which tor browser doesn’t even use – that’s over 75% “not copied” because it’s not there to be “copied”
There are
– 7 prefs with different values but matching state
– 39 prefs with matching values but inactive in user.js [arkenfox].js
– 9 prefs with both mismatching values and states
– 43 matching prefs, both value and state (active/inactive)
– 98 prefs in common
so clearly arkenfox has changed 55/98 of the prefs in common – that’s 56% clearly “not copied”
anyway you slice and dice it, arkenfox is not a tor copy
> There is no use case for a Tor-inspired user.js outside of Tor itself
Pants is smart if he checks what Tor Browser thinks and does. Be smart, be like pants. The prefs flipped are all privacy related and created by Mozilla, not Tor Browser, and increase privacy, and most eventually ride the train to stable
—
@Tom Hawack
The 169 prefs flipped at most from default are all section 4500 or lower – all privacy related
– https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/issues/1263
here are some more stats about arkenfox
currently there are 396 unique prefs in arkenfox – i.e prefs added for info and documented: some are enforced defaults, some are flipped, some are warnings not to change, some are there to tweak – but all are prefs arkenfox added and researched and documented if required
If you’re going to compare it to Tor Browser as a project, compare it all. But if you like, 362 prefs are privacy related (i.e exclude 33 at the end in a “personal” section and the one parrot)
Changes between ESR releases is negligible. e.g. Firefox 79-91
– 9 new active prefs = just over 2%
– 10 prefs were completely removed = just over 2%
– 6 new inactive prefs were also added (just for your info)
– did not count, but about another 30 prefs might have changed state and/or value
There are 735 combined unique prefs between Tor Browser and arkenfox, call it 700 (take out the non privacy ones in arkenfox); The only common changes are 43 prefs or ~6%: 50 or so prefs changes (9 new, 10 removed, 30 changed) is not going to meaningfully change this percentage to prove the point that the two projects are wildly different
Clearly arkenfox is not a “tor copy” – https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js – the proof is all here
Anyone who repeatedly continues to say that it is a “tor copy”), in the face of the above posts and stats and proof on arkenfox vs Tor Browser, is clearly off their rocker and will not even believe in math, or space-time (since arkenfox adds prefs before Tor Browser even thinks about them)
@Tom Hawack
Just because you like to grovel at the feet of the Tor copy & paste project doesn’t mean I have to. I see this for what it is. There is no use case for a Tor-inspired user.js outside of Tor itself and I have to wonder why the project even exists, if not for the self-gratification of someone who has otherwise not shown any skill whatsoever, coding or otherwise.
Also, you mentioning hidden settings is hilarious, ever wondered WHY there are hidden settings? No? OK.
What disgusting behavior. Trying to “dox” someone without any proof and continuing to slander “pants” and arkenfox with false information
Iron Heart is actually Donald Trump… a grifter has-been loser living in an alternative reality .. see, not civilized (and the name isn’t true)
> yet another part of them were not included in ESR (on which Tor is based) but rather in newer Firefox releases
Right. So you DO AGREE then that arkenfox doesn’t copy Tor Browser, because clearly some of them are not in Tor Browser. You need to keep your story straight.
When you keep making up widespread generalized lies, instead of debating the topic, the problem is you then need to lie even more to cover those lies, and eventually you forget what you lied about and get caught in a hypocritical BS statement. I mean come one man, it’s only been a few days and your posts are right here in this comment thread – are you that incompetent?
PS: i hope pants reads this
I am not pants. You sure do have a fixation on her. Why does it matter who the commentator is? When you post in a public forum and spread BS, be prepared to get called out. Debate the argument, instead of attacking the person. If the only way you can win in your mind is to name call, spread lies and go off topic, then you have already lost
Once again, you have falsely claimed arkenfox is a copy of Tor Browser. It clearly is not. Now you’re falsely claiming the comparison isn’t fair. What arkenfox does is clearly NOT the same as Tor Browser by a substantial margin
There are
– 437 unique prefs in user.js [tor].js
– 396 unique prefs in user.js [arkenfox].js
– 735 combined unique prefs
only 43 out of 735 prefs IN COMMON match – that is less than 6% in common with Tor Browser
Windows Store? Never have used it, never will use it. Ever!
“Oh, and we can’t forget the meme. Soon, you will no longer need Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge to download Firefox.”, thank you very much for this phrase! @Ashwin, you made me laugh and make my day happy for a while, very good sense of humour! :]
“Windows users have to manually keep an eye out for updates, or use the app’s built-in update checker. I use RSS Feeds to make this a little simpler. That’s why I think having Firefox on the Microsoft Store is a good thing, timely updates with security fixes, that will be delivered automatically.”
Timely updates with security fixes (and often with unwanted greyware added too) are already delivered automatically by default with Firefox. That nefarious Microsoft Store isn’t adding anything to that. In fact Mozilla even removed the option to stop checking for updates, which is bad. And Mozilla installed a background service to check for updates when the browser is not running, which is bad too. They had occurences of using background tasks as spyware for business purposes already.
“And it would be easier for the layman to get the correct version of the browser, instead of obtaining a potentially malware-ridden one.”
The correct version of the browser is already malware-ridden and the best security advice should not be to run further under the boot of Microsoft or Google for “protection”, but to use non malicious alternatives.
As for the stores of those companies adding a positive contribution to security against at least malware that they don’t approve, it’s also totally false. Those stores are full of malicious software even according to their own definitions and policies (Ashwin promoted one of them on this site earlier), including look-alike, that they won’t remove even when aware of their existence because that’s not a profitable activity.
Because their stores exist mainly to kick out/downrank software that threatens their business, spy on users, and steal developers’ revenue, while encouraging small spyware as the norm as a sort of infantry screening for the big tech surveillance tanks. When remembering that lots of the stolen data by third parties often ends in the pocket of the Google or Facebook ad duopoly, that makes even more sense.
Iron Heart? Or Bronze Heart?
My principle is to avoid, as much as possible, the entities that monopolize the market: the platformers GAFMA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon).
In other words, I do not want to use the Microsoft Store.
I want to apply downloads and updates from official websites.
However, I’m making use of “PatchMyPC” for update management.
May as well be there, it’s been everywhere else for a long time. The rest of this is contrived.
First of all I think its wise to keep away from any store and Microsoft and Apple in particular
The standalone version installer is updating and the store version is not updating.
Next to that its always wise to download the file you want to install because when the internet connection is going down, during your installation, mostly you will have problems fixing this.
So I will stick to a standalone installer.