Mozilla extends Firefox Support for Windows 7 to September 2025
When Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 officially for most users in 2023, it soon thereafter stopped supporting its browser on the operating system. Other companies, including Google, pulled support as well.
Mozilla did not. The organization's initial plan was to continue supporting Windows 7 with Firefox's extended support release 115 until that release would run out of support. Mozilla announced an extension in late 2024, so that support was guaranteed until March 2025.
Today, Mozilla announced another extension.
In short:
- Firefox 115 ESR remains supported until September 2025.
- Users who still run it will continue to receive security updates until at least September 2025.
Note: Windows 7 is not the only operating system that is getting an extension. The same applies to Windows 8.1 and macOS 10.12 to 10.14.
The last Firefox ESR version for Windows 7 will be Firefox ESR 115.27 according to the new release schedule. Firefox ESR 128 continues to be supported for newer operating systems as well.
Mozilla's announcement on the official What Train Is It Now website confirms the decision. The organization plans to evaluate the September 2025 end of support date in August 2025. This could mean that there will be another support extension
Windows 7 still widely used
When you look at the distribution of Windows systems on Statcounter, you will notice that Windows 7 continues to cling to about 2.x percent, even two years after its support ended.
With hundreds of millions of Windows devices, that is still a sizeable number of systems that still run the operating system. Statcounter records hits to websites and uses the data for its statistics. There could be even more Windows 7 systems, those that are not connected to the Internet anymore.
Closing Words
You could say that Mozilla needs these users, as Firefox's usership has been declining for a long time. There may be some truth to that. For Windows 7 users who use Firefox, it does not really matter why Mozilla is extending support again. They can continue to use a browser that remains supported and should work on most websites.
Being based on Firefox 115 means that it lacks some of the advancements made in browser technology since its introduction back in July of 2023.
still on Netscape 4 here and still going strong.
@ LOL, you knowing in which country I live doesn’t bother me at all. ;)
Windows 7 support ended back in 2020, not 2023. Windows 8.1 support ended in 2023. At least consider switching to a Linux-based OS so you’re still getting security updates.
Yes, but also no. Windows 7 received security updates for three extra years via ESU until January 2023. And ESU for the variant for point of sale systems (POSReady 7) kept going until Oct 8, 2024. These can be used by anyone by looking around a bit.
I’m still waiting for all of the dreaded things to happen on my Windows 7 machine that Microsoft said were going to happen. I haven’t been hacked, turned into a botnet, infected with viruses, or exploited on my Windows 7 machine yet.
Glad you feel that way.
Well, I see my nondescript post just appeared so I assume the previous one was lost when I inadvertently hit Enter, so here goes again…
Mozilla’s extension to FF 115.x ESR is most welcome since I was dreading having to blow the dust of my Win 11 machine and start using that, but the extension partly solves that.
I say partly because it doesn’t work anymore for online banking, or at least not in the Netherlands. I just discovered that while trying to initiate an online transaction which didn’t go through even though I was able to login. After speaking to customer service I was advised that Firefox is no longer supported and I would have to use Google Chrome.
After performing that step and completing the transaction I promptly got rid of Chrome.
It’s good though that I can use FF 115.x for everything else and I shall send them a small donation as a thank-you present. :)
Damn, just accidentally hit Enter while filling in my personal details. I wonder if the post went through without name and email address… ?
Yes, now we all now the place where you are living.
Good news indeed, except it doesn’t work for online banking anymore, or at least not in the Netherlands. After calling my bank to complain about a financial transaction I was trying to initiate I was informed that I would have to install Google Chrome to complete it since Firefox is no longer supported.
Having downloaded it and completed the transaction I promptly uninstalled it again. It may the case that the current full version of Firefox will work using Windows 11, but I haven’t tried that yet.
Still, I can use FF 115.x ESR for everything else so that’s a boon.
Firefox is like the old 90 years guy that thinks he has 25 years while entering into a disco.
Well, at least he’s made it to 90 … Long live Firefox :)
Not anymore, Firefox will soon die or be changed to Blink.
Good news. I still use Windows 7 everyday. Thank you, Mozilla.
Great news! I can continue using ESR 115.x as my primary browser, along with ESR 128.x as a second browser on two Linux Mint 22.1 desktops. 115 still works very well, no different than 128, perhaps because I do not use any browser extensions or any newer features of 128 as well as both are configured exactly the same using various Arkenfox settings.
pfff i don’t care, we have r3dfox now
https://github.com/Eclipse-Community/r3dfox/releases
Except he’s delaying his 128.8 updates. Crap! I could have just stayed on ESR 115. Oh well!
I’ll have moved to Linux by then. mainly because the PC is getting too old. Besides security updates I linger to know the major improvements (improvements, no gadgets) introduced to Firefox since the 115 branch (115.20.0 ESR here).
Postponing, when considered as a relief, is of course but a relief : destiny is on its march, whether we like it or not. On the other hand, the carpe diem attitude, that is to enjoy the present and put aside the worries of the future, is perhaps a tempting one as we, ourselves, get older. I wouldn’t rejoice the same should I be in my twenties.
Mr. Hawack, be aware that if you install Mint on that computer the Mint team controls the update cycle of the pre-installed Firefox browser. You can uninstall that and then install whatever version you prefer. Just an FYI.
Dear Mister just an Ed — fortunately your pseudo is not ‘Mister Ed’, American television sitcom of the sixties! — thanks for bringing that to my attention. Perhaps I should have developed my comment.
What I meant was that I’ll move to Linux once I will have purchased a new PC.
I could have added that if I relatively rejoice of Firefox 115 ESR EOL postpone it is less because I’d be interested by Firefox ESR releases than because 115 ESR is the last release supported by Windows 7 which is the only OS I run on the PC.
To summarize, given I’ll get a new PC currently this year, it’ll be operated by Linux and from there on I’ll install the latest Firefox release, not the ESR branch. I’ve never liked ESR given it requires too much work to update personal settings, tweaks once the ESR reaches EOL, anyway on heavily tailored to one’s likes browser, which is my case.
Our dear @Tom Hawack should be very happy after read this news…
Now if Mozilla wants more users then make Firefox for android to support ancient versions as well. Include the ability to install extensions.
It supports Android 5. I have a 10 year old Android 6 device with the latest Firefox. Chromium browsers dropped support 3 years ago.
Running here Firefox on Android 6, no single problem.
@Akina
Android 3 or 4 would be a plus.
Way too old! Way too old! May as well support 2K/XP as well …lol
@Bobo – I use it on Android 7, and it’s a current version