Firefox’s Android Browser: Unveiling Over 450 New Extensions Three Years After Its Redesign
For the select group in the market that favors Firefox over the default Chrome browser on Android devices, there’s exciting news. Mozilla, the creator of Firefox, has just unveiled an array of over 450 new extensions—commonly known as browser add-ons—now accessible through Mozilla’s Firefox Browser Add-ons page. These extensions provide users with the freedom to tailor their mobile browsing experience, offering options such as anti-tracking privacy tools, content blockers, productivity enhancements, and more. Some extensions even introduce novel experiences like streaming music or facilitate personalized tweaks to the browser’s interface, such as enabling universal dark mode across websites or introducing improved tab management capabilities.
The lack of extensions has been an issue for Firefox for Android users for years following the 2020 launch of a rebuilt version of the mobile browser that replaced the app’s previous codebase with “GeckoView,” a new, faster, and more customizable browser engine. At the time, the company said it made a decision to limit the supported extensions to only those within the “Recommended Extensions” program — meaning those that were commonly installed by end users. This choice allowed Mozilla to quickly get the new browser into consumers’ hands, but squashed the long tail of extension development — and opportunity for software developers focused on this market.
While Firefox’s nightly builds later enabled more extensions, the publicly available Firefox for Android browser did not have access to these hundreds of extensions, meaning most of Firefox’s mainstream users were also without.
In August of this year, Mozilla said it had finally completed the infrastructure needed to bring the open extension ecosystem back to Firefox for Android. It then began to test and make hundreds more extensions available to Firefox for Android users, culminating in today’s news that there are now 450+ extensions available.
The company stressed the importance of having an open ecosystem, noting that nearly half of all Firefox desktop users have an extension installed to customize their experience.
Many of the recommended extensions for the Android browser have user numbers in the six digits or more, but the app itself only retains a small slice of the mobile browser market, due to the traction that the default browsers, Chrome and Safari, have achieved on Android and iOS, respectively. On mobile devices, Firefox has a mere 0.5% market share as of November 2023, according to data StatCounter. By comparison, Chrome has a 64.23% share. Safari, Samsung’s browser, Opera, and others are also ahead of Firefox in the mobile browser race.
Nevertheless, the app boasts a modest yet dedicated user base, particularly among those seeking alternatives outside the sphere of Big Tech giants. A standout feature attracting users is its automatic tracker blocking, catering to the privacy-conscious demographic. According to data from the Google Play Store, Firefox for Android has surpassed 100 million installations, indicating a steady and considerable user adoption.
Giorgio Natili, Firefox’s Director of Engineering, expressed enthusiasm regarding the extensions’ launch, highlighting the expansive scope for innovation. “The potential for groundbreaking advancements is immense,” Natili remarked in an announcement. “It’s invigorating to witness extension developers seizing this opportunity to craft innovative browsing experiences and features for Firefox on Android users. Now, users aren’t confined to a singular browsing experience. Through extensions, they have the liberty to transform both the appearance and functionality of Firefox on Android. As more developers delve into this exciting realm, the future promises even more remarkable enhancements,” he concluded.
