1y ago

Mozilla Blog: Is your extension ready for Firefox for Android? Be part of the launch of a new open mobile ecosystem

blog.mozilla.org Is your extension ready for Firefox for Android? Be part of the launch of a new open mobile ecosystem

During the release cycle of Firefox 120, we’ll begin to see the emergence of dozens of new, openly available extensions on Firefox for Android on ...

Includes an incentive for ensuring extension compatibility with Android in the form of a free t-shirt.

Android @lemmy.world

AlmightySnoo 🐢🇮🇱🇺🇦 @lemmy.world

1y ago

At least 200+ desktop extensions to be available on Firefox Android in December

blog.mozilla.org /addons/2023/11/01/is-your-extension-ready-for-firefox-for-android/

422 36

18 comments

It's about time. This has been a much needed feature since Firefox Android was first released. It basically is the only mobile browser that allows extensions.
- What's really annoying is that a lot of existing extensions already work. Mozilla just makes it unreasonably difficult to install them.
  Change your user agent (using Firefox Nightly and the user agent switcher extension, which is supported) and you can install extensions exactly as on desktop.
  Installing directly from an .xpi is still seemingly impossible though, annoyingly.
  
  What’s really annoying is that a lot of existing extensions already work. Mozilla just makes it unreasonably difficult to install them.
  Change your user agent (using Firefox Nightly and the user agent switcher extension, which is supported) and you can install extensions exactly as on desktop.
  That's only telling half the story because often features silently failed for many extensions because of the great idea to switch from proper Firefox to the GeckoView based one which actually did not implement many APIs used by extensions.
  
  There is a fork called Smart Cookie Web Preview that lets you sideload extensions with no rigmarole, no Custom Collection nonsense, I have yet to find an extension that does not work. Even things like Behave and Jshelter work fine. I have no idea why Mozilla has been dragging this out for so long, lack of extension support on Android is a very common complaint.
- This has been a much needed feature since Firefox Android was first released
  Actually, Firefox on Android did originally support desktop extensions when it was first released. But then they did a major rebuild of the app back in 2020 and lost its addons as a result.
  https://www.androidpolice.com/firefox-bringing-back-full-extension-support-android/
  BTW, Kiwi browser (Chromium based) has had full extension support since 2018.
  
  Yeah. I was horrified when they basically broke extensions on mobile. And had no urgency to fix it. I personally would have said it's not ready to replace the previous revision until it supports extensions..
  A 3-year gap in software is awful, it's only forgivable because nobody else supports extensions. Except apparently kiwi browser
- Kiwi browser is also open souce and supoorts extensions. But yeah, it's very rare
  
  Kiwi browser hasn't been updated in a long time, I wouldn't recommend it to people anymore, security updates and all that.

I love that Mozilla supports extensions on mobile. But I wish they would provide PWA support on desktop. I end up having to use edge for PWAs.
- I use this for Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pwas-for-firefox/
  
  I think this is the one that installs extra... "Firefoxes" for each to run as their own browser and open the site you set as their homepage.
  Honestly I wish it could be better, but this is some pretty amazing thing to code out, so I appreciate it.
  
  Will check this out

Does anyone know if this will finally introduce the storage sync APIs that make NoScript sync across desktop and mobile?

I want the T-shirt but my theme addon only looks good if you use tree style tabs on desktop lol

Unlock origin is a must for android and desktop

Great! Finally Local CDN and other can be available.
I also hope they fix the sync stuff, as uBlock can't seem to download already backed up version of my settings.

18 comments