As developer Mozilla reverses a prior decision, the Firefox app for Android will soon enable third-party plugins again.
In 2020, the business released an updated Firefox for Android phones, improving security and simplifying the user interface. One of the consequences of the makeover was a significant reduction in support for browser extensions. However, Mozilla’s mobile Firefox client for Android will soon have the essential infrastructure for extensions. So you can carry your favorite desktop add-ons with you everywhere you go.
Furthermore, this will be an “open extension ecosystem” in which any experienced developer can enter and produce something for the app. In the future, “Firefox will become the only major Android browser to support,” according to Mozilla, such a creative environment. People are free to come in and make whatever they want. This might give the mobile app an advantage over competitors like Google Chrome, which does not allow any third-party add-ons.
Future update: Before you go out and install the browser, keep in mind that the fix is not yet available. This is still being worked on. Mozilla said it will provide a “firm launch date” for its open ecosystem “in early September.” The corporation guarantees that everything will be available before the end of the year. Meanwhile, Mozilla is providing assistance and tools to developers interested in creating plugins for their software.
It’s unclear whether or not this patch will ever be released for Firefox on iOS. According to a Mozilla Support page, Apple’s iPhone extension system is “incompatible with Firefox add-ons.” On the off chance that it is possible, we asked the developer if there are any plans to extend this patch to iOS devices. If we receive a response, we will update this report.
It will be fascinating to watch what comes of it. According to Android Police, 22 plug-ins for Firefox on Android are now available, including TechRadar’s recommendation for the best ad-blocker: uBlock Origin. There are a few more we’d like to see. There’s Tabby, for example, to help organize browser tabs, as well as Enhancer for YouTube. The latter adds a slew of new YouTube options, such as the ability to customize shortcuts.
While you’re here, have a look at TechRadar’s freshly updated list of the top web browsers for 2023.
