Mozilla extends Firefox 115 support for old Windows and macOS devices
Firefox 115 is the last version of the Firefox web browser that is compatible with several old versions of Windows or macOS. This affects Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 to 10.14.
Any attempt to install Firefox 116 or newer on these devices is unsuccessful.
Support extension announced
Mozilla announced plans in July to extend support for these operating systems. Last week, it released the final version of Firefox 115 to the public. Mozilla did not mention a support extension for older systems at the time, which meant that users who used Firefox on these older systems did not know whether they would receive updates in the future.
Good to know:
- The Extended Support Release (ESR) allows users on these older systems to continue using Firefox.
- Mozilla's major competitors, Google and Microsoft in particular, have ended support for Windows 7 already.
Firefox ESR 115 is now replaced by Firefox ESR 128 for fully supported systems. This would have left users on older systems hanging, as they cannot install Firefox 128.
Now, there is official confirmation that support is extended.
Here are the details:
- Firefox 115 ESR support is extended until at least March 2025.
- In versions, it is supported until the release of Firefox ESR 115.21.
- Users get security updates for another six months at the very least.
Mozilla does not say if the extension is final or if there is a chance that support is going to be extended in March 2025 again for these systems.
The organization said that it is looking at usage numbers to determine whether it is extending support. Right now, about 10% of Firefox users use these older systems. The number goes down over time, as older systems do get replaced by newer ones eventually.
It is possible that Mozilla is going to extend support again in March 2025, if enough users are still using these systems.
Firefox users who run Firefox ESR 115 on devices with unsupported operating systems will receive updates automatically via the browser's built-in updating functionality.
Closing Words
About 10% of users are using unsupported operating systems. While the number has gone down significantly in the past couple of years, it is still a sizeable number for Mozilla.
The monthly active users have gone down ever since Google launched Chrome more than a decade ago. Mozilla recorded more than 200 million active users in 2021 for the last time. The number has gone down to about 160 million as of today. Other metrics, including daily usage, are going up, however.
Mozilla is working on reversing the usage trend and it appears that Google is helping to a degree. Google will end support for Chrome's old extensions system this year, which will make adblockers less effective on Chrome. It will also disable other extensions, all that are not updated by their developers or that cannot be upgraded.
While most Chrome users do not use extensions, it could drive some that do to Firefox, as the browser supports the old and the new extensions system going forward.
Firefox for Android got full support for browser extensions as well, which may persuade Android users to give it a try, as Chrome and Co. do not support extensions.
Do you run Firefox? What is your impression of the browser's development in the past year? (via Sören Hentzschel)
Longtime Windows 7 user here. I switched to Linux Mint at the start of 2023. It’s like a better version of Windows 7 if you don’t require proprietary windows only crap like Photoshop CS6 but it has driver support where windows 7 was lost. Most other programs work just fine in WINE. I don’t really miss Windows 7 anymore. Best part I’m not stuck to a walking dead operating system.
Win7 is still good with 0patch for another 18 months at least. I concur with others happy about the Firefox ESR extension. 0patch is also patching Edge on Win7, so maybe they will do the same for Firefox. They are also going to patch Win10 when that goes EOS with Microsoft.
I have not seen the need for the extra fluff Firefox has added over the past year especially, and turn it off or don’t use it. Yes, I will also likely go to a fork of Firefox when it finally stops being supported. Never underestimate the power and appeal of extensions. Even Edge does not have the, er, edge on that.
One thing I have noticed with the Firefox ESR in the past year is that using private browsing broke the video feeds on some sites after updates. Particularly The Guardian and The Onion. It also caused logins to fail in the background–not fully load the token, on The Guardian.
The new extended kernel VxKex allows you to run Win10 apps on your lovely Windows 7 with minimal impact on the system.
https://translated.turbopages.org/proxy_u/fr-en.fr.e58c801f-66dff2e8-5fef4382-74722d776562/https/korben.info/vxkex-faire-tourner-applis-windows-8-10-seven.html
Six months means only a single one day of rain in a cold winter. The final nail before the most obcure darkness. Oblivion has never been so sweet like nowadays.
Browsing with an unsupported browser is not safe. Using an unsupported OS is not safe neither.
However if you browse only for porn, you can use whatever crap you choose. You only need to be worried if you try to do serious things (banking, online shopping and so forth).
True history!
Herr G. thing, were you the runt of the litter. You talk of being most hungry for seafood sites like prawn. Your parent-things are much aware you have such depraved need, yes?
Yes, most happy you do this. They can shout-shout, share-tell of this to all pack-friends in town. 🍑
Using an older Operating System can be most safe as is using an older browser. However, an “Idiot man-thing” browsing the web is not safe…
Telling man-things, you only have to worry if visiting money lender is stupid-dumb. Stupid, like saying brain-rot Chromium is mighty-god. Even gHacks got the plague: [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/22/notification-of-security-issue/], but it’s not a money-lender, nor a house of ill fame.
Firefox knows different than vile chrome-snake. Firefox make much support for the smarter man-things. The sages that use better less bloat spy-riddled OS. Those users may know the secret ways of Operational security.
Welcome news! I was dreading having to switch to Windows 11 come the end of this month, but the additional six months of support means I can consign Win 11 back to the cupboard.
Maybe Mozilla can be persuaded to extend support a second time come March 4, 2025. Donating some pocket money a few times will maybe sway their decision to end support next year in favour of extending it for a further six months. I just got the ball rolling by donating €30. :)
@TelV
You can’t donate to the development of Firefox, only to the crappy non-profit which pushes for woke stuff. I looked into this a while back. Sad to say you have wasted your money, as did I a couple of years ago.
Switch to Linux Mint. You can play games, run .exe programs and you don’t get spied by Microsoft and it doesn’t wear out your hardware with all that telemetry. You get better performance and everything positive you can think of. There are more positives to abandoning Windows and moving to Linux than negatives.
What downsides are there in switching from Windows to Linux ? I mean, except not getting Recall, that thing, that logs all your passwords and financial data and most private communication etc ?
Great news. Windows 7 still is my primary operating system at home.
If you’re using a browser that means these systems are using internet. I do not think enabling users to use outdated operating systems does anyone any good. Just because the browser is updated still leaves a whole lot of exposure by way of an operating system not receiving security updates. A desperate attempt for Mozilla to keep more market share of Firefox maybe?
I’m still getting security updates for W7.
Personally I don’t care even if it was supported for years. Compared to r3dfox which is what i use for months now, ESR 115 is slow and heavy on resources
https://eclipse.cx/projects/r3dfox
redfox tries to be as close to stock firefox as possible. I’m using ESR 115 with Echelon theme (it’s so good I’ve vowed never to use an unthemed firefox again). Are there any theming options for redfox?
I’m on the homepage for it now and screenshots show they didn’t even bother to sort the “frosted glass” issue Firefox introduced 1+ year ago. I mean, I may have to use this eventually at one point, but my life became slightly brighter when I stopped having to think about userchrome editing, can’t wait to return to that…
Bro!! Say what you will, but this is a respectable thing for FF to do… they’re throwing a real bone to Windows 7 users, and they have absolutely no need to!
I know one day I’ll have to move to a third party fork, but this is a very nice gesture which postpones this issue. Thanks to the firefox devs for what is basically charity at this point.
Pushing forwards the inevitable may appear as a challenge for a rational mind, so I won’t mistake my relief as a Firefox 115 ESR user with the pertinence of a 6 months EOL extension understood as a requirement. I perceive this information as the guarantee of a quiet 2024 autumn and winter. Little personal comfort is in no way an argument, even if as the article states it about 10% of users are using unsupported operating systems.
Now for the emotional : you know what? I’m happy :)
I’ll be honest, things don’t look so bleak for Windows 7, there’s a chromium fork, there’s a firefox fork – now the official firefox ESR gets an extension too, who knows if that old MyPal is still kicking around too, plus those niche “older” firefox forks people go on about.
The thing that many don’t mention is that after a browser stops getting updates it’s still good for 1-2 years+. My brother still uses Chrome 109 on one of his computers.