(I used to work on Firefox for Android via GeckoView) When I was there, my colleagues had more or less achieved extension API parity with Fennec, but not the entire WebExtensions API as a whole. A...
(I used to work on Firefox for Android via GeckoView)
When I was there, my colleagues had more or less achieved extension API parity with Fennec, but not the entire WebExtensions API as a whole.
A lot of the restrictions on extension installation were product management decisions, not engineering, however there were still some technical concerns around the extensions process for Android...
Your desktop browsers essentially host extensions in their own sandboxed process. Unfortunately the programming model for those extensions pretty much operated under the assumption that the extensions process would never be killed for the duration of the browsing session (notwithstanding anomalies like crashes and such).
These assumptions completely break down on mobile, where the OS pretty much reserves the right to terminate processes at any time as it sees fit. This didn't matter much with Fennec because it was single-process. OTOH, as the new Firefox for Android adopted multiprocess to an ever-greater degree, it became pretty apparent to us that the existing extension process code was not ready to deal with the realities of running on a mobile OS, and the WebExtension APIs weren't either.
A lot of progress has been made over the past couple years to get things into a state where everything could work in this environment.
That explains a lot. I started using Firefox for Android years ago because you could use the desktop extensions with it but you couldn't with Chrome. Then that big update came out and killed...
That explains a lot. I started using Firefox for Android years ago because you could use the desktop extensions with it but you couldn't with Chrome. Then that big update came out and killed everything but adblock, which still made it a better choice than Chrome, but it was a big step down.
Not entirely sure if I should post this to ~tech or ~comp. While this is aimed at developers, it's AFAIK the only indication that full extension support for Android is coming soon.
Not entirely sure if I should post this to ~tech or ~comp. While this is aimed at developers, it's AFAIK the only indication that full extension support for Android is coming soon.
In the coming months Mozilla will launch support for an open ecosystem of extensions on Firefox for Android on addons.mozilla.org (AMO). We’ll announce a definite launch date in early September, but it’s safe to expect a roll-out before the year’s end. Here’s everything developers need to know to get their Firefox desktop extensions ready for Android usage and discoverability on AMO…
I've been using extensions in the new Firefox for Android since 2020 (so nearly three years ago). I'm surprised they are just now making it accessible, I haven't had any major problems except for...
I've been using extensions in the new Firefox for Android since 2020 (so nearly three years ago). I'm surprised they are just now making it accessible, I haven't had any major problems except for the initial rollout.
Definitely makes firefox vastly better (especially with userscripts).
It's definitely about time, and I'm concerned it's taken them so long. Firefox used to support all add-ons on Android until a few years ago, they released an update that was a total rewrite, then...
It's definitely about time, and I'm concerned it's taken them so long.
Firefox used to support all add-ons on Android until a few years ago, they released an update that was a total rewrite, then slowly allowed about a dozen add-ons. It was a weird move for a company who claims to care about choice and freedom.
To be fair to Mozilla, pre-GeckoView Firefox was way too slow. If they waited until the extension APIs were ready to switch over, a lot more "casual" people (who are pretty hard to keep...
To be fair to Mozilla, pre-GeckoView Firefox was way too slow. If they waited until the extension APIs were ready to switch over, a lot more "casual" people (who are pretty hard to keep considering that's the audience literally every other browser is competing for (just read the full titles of any browser on Google Play)) would turn away from Firefox just because of the sluggishness.
If you weren't a power user you probably weren't using anything other than uBO. And for the power users that did -- that's an audience that's much easier to bring back even if it takes some time. (First with custom collections in beta, and now this)
(IDK I may just be incoherently rambling, I am running low on sleep)
It's actually semi-been available for awhile. I wanted to switch away from chrome-based browsers. I switched to Firefox on my PC's and preferred it so I switched to Android. What was available was...
It's actually semi-been available for awhile. I wanted to switch away from chrome-based browsers. I switched to Firefox on my PC's and preferred it so I switched to Android. What was available was TERRIBLE. I read that if you download the Firefox beta, then on desktop (you don't really have to - just enable desktop view) go to the Firefox plug-ins page and make a group. Add any pluhin you want and then download and enable in the Firefox android browser. I'd say at least half of the plug-ins works but, more importantly, I was able to change what I needed. I will be so much happier now to have access to so many more plug-ins.
(I used to work on Firefox for Android via GeckoView)
When I was there, my colleagues had more or less achieved extension API parity with Fennec, but not the entire WebExtensions API as a whole.
A lot of the restrictions on extension installation were product management decisions, not engineering, however there were still some technical concerns around the extensions process for Android...
Your desktop browsers essentially host extensions in their own sandboxed process. Unfortunately the programming model for those extensions pretty much operated under the assumption that the extensions process would never be killed for the duration of the browsing session (notwithstanding anomalies like crashes and such).
These assumptions completely break down on mobile, where the OS pretty much reserves the right to terminate processes at any time as it sees fit. This didn't matter much with Fennec because it was single-process. OTOH, as the new Firefox for Android adopted multiprocess to an ever-greater degree, it became pretty apparent to us that the existing extension process code was not ready to deal with the realities of running on a mobile OS, and the WebExtension APIs weren't either.
A lot of progress has been made over the past couple years to get things into a state where everything could work in this environment.
That explains a lot. I started using Firefox for Android years ago because you could use the desktop extensions with it but you couldn't with Chrome. Then that big update came out and killed everything but adblock, which still made it a better choice than Chrome, but it was a big step down.
Not entirely sure if I should post this to ~tech or ~comp. While this is aimed at developers, it's AFAIK the only indication that full extension support for Android is coming soon.
I've been using extensions in the new Firefox for Android since 2020 (so nearly three years ago). I'm surprised they are just now making it accessible, I haven't had any major problems except for the initial rollout.
Definitely makes firefox vastly better (especially with userscripts).
It's definitely about time, and I'm concerned it's taken them so long.
Firefox used to support all add-ons on Android until a few years ago, they released an update that was a total rewrite, then slowly allowed about a dozen add-ons. It was a weird move for a company who claims to care about choice and freedom.
To be fair to Mozilla, pre-GeckoView Firefox was way too slow. If they waited until the extension APIs were ready to switch over, a lot more "casual" people (who are pretty hard to keep considering that's the audience literally every other browser is competing for (just read the full titles of any browser on Google Play)) would turn away from Firefox just because of the sluggishness.
If you weren't a power user you probably weren't using anything other than uBO. And for the power users that did -- that's an audience that's much easier to bring back even if it takes some time. (First with custom collections in beta, and now this)
(IDK I may just be incoherently rambling, I am running low on sleep)
It's actually semi-been available for awhile. I wanted to switch away from chrome-based browsers. I switched to Firefox on my PC's and preferred it so I switched to Android. What was available was TERRIBLE. I read that if you download the Firefox beta, then on desktop (you don't really have to - just enable desktop view) go to the Firefox plug-ins page and make a group. Add any pluhin you want and then download and enable in the Firefox android browser. I'd say at least half of the plug-ins works but, more importantly, I was able to change what I needed. I will be so much happier now to have access to so many more plug-ins.