Firefox for Android will soon support all extensions
After years of waiting, Firefox for Android users may soon install any browser extension in the mobile browser. When Mozilla launched a redesigned Firefox web browser for Android, it limited extensions to a small subset. While the elite group of extensions included important add-ons such as uBlock Origin or Tampermonkey, it lacked support for thousands of Firefox add-ons the previous version supported.
Granted, not all desktop extensions worked in the classic mobile Firefox browser, but thousands worked. Mozilla added a handful of extensions to the illustrious list over the years, but failed to realize the full potential until today. The organization did hint at the possibility of unlocking the extensions system in late 2022.
Now comes the announcement from Mozilla that it has made the decision to unlock Firefox for Android's extensions system. Instead of giving users the choice of a few dozen extensions, Mozilla plans to give all extension developers the option to create and release extensions for Firefox for the Android operating system.
The organization explains that it used the years to strengthen Firefox for Android's functionality and "build the infrastructure necessary to support an open extension ecosystem on Firefox for Android". It also claims that it used the time to understand "the unique needs of mobile browser users".
The change will land in Firefox for Android before the end of the year according to Mozilla's announcement. Mozilla suggests that developers start optimizing their extensions for Firefox for Android in the coming months.
Developers should consider transitioning extensions from using persistent backgrounds to non-persistent Event pages, as this improves the stability of extensions in Firefox for Android. Mozilla reveals further that it has switched on multi-process support in Firefox for Android Nightly, and that this means that extensions won't be hosted in the main Firefox process going forward.
Android's process management may shut down resource-intensive processes, and that is a danger for browser extensions and the reason why Mozilla is suggesting that developers switch to non-persistent Event pages.
Mozilla provides guidelines and support, and a good place to start is the blog post on the Mozilla website, as it contains a list of suggestions and links to resources.
Closing Words
Mozilla expects that the introduction of full add-ons support will increase the attractiveness of Firefox for Android. The change adds a unique feature to Firefox for Android, at least when compared to the other major browsers available for the operating system.
It is too early to tell if this could help rejuvenate Firefox for Android and help it increase its usage share on the platform. There are still other restrictions in place, such as blocked access to about:config, that is limiting the mobile browser.
All in all though, it is a welcome change as it gives Firefox users on Android numerous possibilities to change how they use the browser.
Now You: with extensions support coming, will you give Firefox for Android another chance?
I use Privacy Browser on Android for general browsing most of the time with javascript and cookies disabled and turned on for specific sites. Can find this on F-Droid. I also use Firefox Klar/Focus when I need to look at something quickly and mainline Firefox when I need to do more specific tasks like logging into certain websites.
Oh God, use normal browsers like Mull and IceRaven, extensions are already there for years.
Stock firefox is not much better than chrome. Think that in a couple of years they degrade it completely.
I was a firm user of Firefox. Even back in the old days when it was firebird I loved that damn browser. It was speedy and zippy.
I gave up on Firefox two weeks back. The browser is a shadow of what it was on desktop. It does the job but only follows everyone else. The best extensions no longer work. The sync feature works well but is buggy.
I reckon it is also a lack of direction from Firefox management that is killing the browser. The team heading Firefox needs to know what they want to do.
Sure sure. Everybody here believe your story. Go concern trolling elsewhere.
I’ll just wait for the relevant IceRaven release.
but will I ber able to install any XPI downloaded to my phone?
For the webview browsers, Fulguris has picked up where the Lightning browser left off.
Firefox for Android is a terrible browser (actually I use a sanitized fork- Mull, with all Mozilla trackers removed) just because I can install Ublock Origin which is absolutely indispensable (Kiwi is not stable while Vivaldi ad-blocker is junk). Firefox Mobile and its clones are the only browsers which I know that can neither import nor export HTML bookmark files so the users are locked out of their bookmarks. Also bookmarks and bookmark folders are set in stone- one cannot even reorder them in alphabetical order. It is needless to mention that Firefox mobile is amazingly slow. I am stuck to version 113.0.0 because the newer ones are even worse and cannot render webpages right while these same pages are rendered just fine by version 113.0.0. That everything is wrong with Firefox of course does not mean that Chromium-based browsers are better, they are even worse in many regards- no support for extensions with the exception of Kiwi which lacks stabikity, appallingly bloated, bulky and heavy resource hogs with exceptional appetite for battery. Bromite is apparently abandoned, its replacement Cromite is not much better, Vivaldi is plain bad and the heaviest resource offender Brave cannot even be consideted. My favourite browser, the WebView-based Yuzu, is seemingly abandoned (no new release for more than 2 years). In short- the sitution on mobile is as dismal and hopeless as on desktop.
@smaragdus,
Well, your argument (current melancholy) may be valid (our family has transitioned to a digital detox lifestyle, and virtually ignorant of the mobile situation). However, that view is “putting the cart before the horse”!
The current dismal state is nothing but the fact that mobile device platformers (Android: led by Google, iOS: Apple) have monopolized the market (customers have bought them). Above all, Google specializes in the advertising business, and only develops browsers and the like as a means of doing so (for the advertising business, with no user perspective).
Third-party software such as Mozilla has no choice but to comply with its API, and the platformer repeatedly “blatantly interferes with other companies in order to secure an advantage”.
Considering the current situation, I would like to have high hopes for the Linux-based mobile OS “PinePhone” (mobile users should actively support development).
PinePhone | Pine64
https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/
Agreed it is terrible but Android is the only place I use Firefox, simply because uBlock Origin is available. I don’t like using small projects, such as Kiwi, because I never know when they might be abandoned.
I use Edge on desktop with uBlock, shame it doesn’t make it available on Android.
> I don’t like using small projects, such as Kiwi, because I never know when they might be abandoned.
Unfortunately, this has historically been the case almost without exception.
I’m not an android user, so I’m not interested in this article, but I’ll share “your view” from my years of experience.
What a useless and baseless rant.
Kiwi has kicked ass for years, good to finally see some competition. In fact, Kiwi doesn’t get updated that frequently anymore and the latest one brought with it all kinds of issues some of which are still unresolved. The classic homepage is still broken for example.. The modern one is shit. So Firefox stepping up to the plate is welcome news, we all benefit when we get alternatives.
@Vlad:
“No about:config
No like”
INDEED! IMO THEY WANT TO SUCK DOWN TELEMETRY LIKE MAD MEN! (in minecraft)
Good news, but… I use FF on desktop and really want to use its Android version but can’t. Firefox on Android is painfully slow. I don’t think lots of add-ons can attract many more people to FF unless its speed on mobile devices is improved.
might aswell add the tab bar they removed from the old firefox, jesus christ what is wrong with having a nice tab bar like a desktop browser!?
Never left Fx for android
Oh cool. They finally caught up to Kiwi browser. I’ve been running all kinds of extensions on my phone for ages now.
Kiwi is chromium, chromium has google’s new drm in it, no thanks.
No about:config
No like
Fennec F-Droid has it too, among other Firefox anti-user problems solved.
Use the Beta – still there
Like!
Fantastic news!
Firefox already had the extensions I needed on mobile (uBlock Origin and Google Search Fixer), but I’m glad to have more options soon!
Do you know about ‘Video Background Play Fix’? Arguably the best FF mobile addon after uBlock Origin.
It will allow you to continue listening to media in Firefox (eg. youtube) even after locking your screen.
Only 3 years late to the party!
Who knows, aybe in 2026 we will see Mozzilla supporting Firefox on tablets?