I've covered Mozilla's long-standing feud with Microsoft for a couple of years, and it's safe to say the Firefox maker isn't exactly a fan of the tech giant's work. Now, Mozilla is throwing punches again, this time over Microsoft's push into AI.

In a new blog post titled "Old habits die hard," Mozilla argues that rather than offering Copilot in Windows 11, Microsoft pushed the AI offering to users by force. "The M365 Copilot app began auto-installing on any Windows device running Microsoft 365 desktop apps, with no prompt and no consent," Mozilla added.

Microsoft temporarily scrapped the forced rollout of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on eligible Windows 11 PCs last month without much of an elaborate explanation. However, it will still be added to the Windows 11 Start menu and enabled by default.

Mozilla highlighted more examples of Microsoft pushing Copilot onto Windows users, including the dedicated Copilot key on Copilot+ PCs and its deeper integration into the Windows 11 Taskbar.

At the beginning of this year, Microsoft pledged to improve user sentiment around Windows 11 by bringing back fan-favorite features, like the vertical Taskbar, and reducing where Copilot and its integrations appear across the OS. Yesterday, Microsoft started reducing Copilot's appearance in Windows 11 by removing it from Notepad.

Mozilla argues that user backlash sparked Microsoft's abrupt shift in intent with Copilot — "they’re really admitting that they made repeated choices to serve their business over their customers."

Perhaps more concerningly, the company says this isn't Microsoft's first example of dark and deceptive design patterns fashioned to force behaviors that help the bottom line. In 2024, Mozilla released a report suggesting that Microsoft doesn't give Windows users real freedom of choice when selecting the default browser on Windows 11.

Since then, Mozilla says Microsoft has only escalated its use of dark patterns to further its cause and has provided a comprehensive list, as highlighted below:

• The Windows Search bar, embedded in the taskbar on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, is hardcoded to only open Microsoft Edge, regardless of your default browser.
• Windows has not implemented a true device migration system, like we see with Android, iOS, and MacOS, where your apps, settings and data are all reflected on your new device when you buy a new computer. Instead, the defaults are changed back to Microsoft’s own products. 
• Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Teams by default ignore your default browser selection and open links directly in Edge.
• Windows does not offer a simple prompt that other browsers can trigger asking to become your default browser. Instead, other browsers have to direct you to Windows settings and hope you finish the multi-step process.

Should Microsoft introduce a killswitch for Copilot integrations?

Mozilla painted a vivid picture of what "genuinely useful" AI integrations should look like. Simply put, AI that works on your terms. The company pointed to Firefox’s AI enhancements, which, as it highlighted, are made for people, not just because they can increase profit.

Mozilla seemingly tooted its own horn, indicating that Firefox puts user choice first, which is why version 148 introduced an AI killswitch designed to block all artificial intelligence features from interfering with the browsing experience.

Mozilla warns that if tech giants like Microsoft keep controlling users and only respond when backlash becomes overwhelming, they’ll end up dictating the narrative and shaping public expectations of technology."It tells people that their only real move is to complain until, hopefully, the company relents," Mozilla added.

The company also indicated that this makes it harder for alternatives to compete on an even playing field. Windows Central has reached out to Microsoft for any comments.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft ended security updates and technical support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020, but the operating system still lingers with support in some apps, like Firefox. In 2024, Mozilla announced its plans to extend Firefox support on unsupported operating systems, including Windows 7, through its ESR (Extended Support Release) program.

The company argued that "enough" Firefox users are still running unsupported operating systems, including Windows 7, prompting it to extend support for the browser on old PCs.

While Mozilla was expected to drop support for Firefox on Windows 7 in February, the company has now postponed the end of support for Firefox 115 ESR to August 2026 (via Neowin).

This means that Windows 7 will continue receiving security updates for Firefox 115 ESR for an additional 6 months.

💬 Is upgrading to Windows 11 or switching to Linux becoming inevitable for Firefox users?

Technically, Mozilla has extended support for Firefox on Windows 7 for 24 months, and I suspect that we could see the company extend support even more. However, the company admitted that it's not an easy feat:

"Continuing to support it past October isn't going to be free (backporting security fixes is already getting increasingly painful due to the divergence which naturally happens over time as an ESR goes further into its lifecycle), but there's still enough users there that we felt it was worth doing for now at least."

In the long-run, it seems inevitable for users to upgrade to supported operating systems like Windows 10 or Windows 11 to continue using Firefox."Unsupported operating systems receive no security updates and have known vulnerabilities," Mozilla added. "Without official support from Microsoft, maintaining Firefox for outdated operating systems becomes costly for Mozilla and risky for users."

However, if your PC isn't able to upgrade to Windows 11 due to Microsoft's stringent hardware requirements, Mozilla recommends switching to Linux. Interestingly, this could play out in their favor since "the vast majority of Linux distributions come with Firefox as the default browser."

Do you think Firefox should continue supporting outdated operating systems like Windows 7, 8, and 8.1? Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Late last year, Mozilla's new CEO, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo, outlined plans to evolve Firefox into a modern AI browser, raising critical concerns among the browser's long-time users.

"I've never seen a company so astoundingly out of touch with the people who want to use its software," a user lamented. "Please don't turn Firefox into an AI browser," another user complained. "That's a great way to push us to alternatives."

But perhaps more intriguingly, the executive noted that the AI-powered features will be offered as an opt-in experience, remaining disabled by default. Now, Mozilla has rolled out Firefox 148, introducing several new features and improvements.

According to OMG Ubuntu (via XDA), the update ships with an AI kill switch, which will allow you to disable AI features and retain the classic browsing experience. For context, some of the AI-powered features include automatic language translations, AI-based tab group suggestions, summaries in link previews, and more.

• To access the AI kill switch in Firefox, navigate to the browser's Settings page and select AI Controls. Then, you'll see the Block AI Enhancements option. Once you click the toggle off, it'll disable all AI enhancements from your browsing experience, which includes ChatGPT and other chatbots in the sidebar.

If you decide to block all AI enhancements, Firefox won't try to compel you to keep interacting with the features. What's more, the browser will maintain your option to block all AI enhancements even if you upgrade to a newer version.

However, it is worth noting that you also have the option to select AI enhancements that you'd like to retain in your browsing experience. In essence, Firefox is allowing users to sort through the wide range of AI features available and manually select the ones they find useful while simultaneously allowing them to disable those that might not necessarily be as handy.

For instance, some users might consider the translation feature to be handy. It translates websites from other languages to your native language. The feature is considerably safer as it runs on-device rather than relying on the cloud.

• As such, if you want to enable this feature individually, you'll need to navigate through the Settings through the AI Enhancements page, then click on the drop-down button on the specific feature that says Blocked, and change it to Available.

Finally, Mozilla also addresses over 50 security vulnerabilities with the Firefox 148 update, including high-risk memory access errors and sandbox escape flaws.

🗨️ Is Mozilla doing the right thing with Firefox?

Rather than shoving AI down our throats with intrusive and deceptive techniques, Mozilla has seemingly chosen the high road and decided to give Firefox users more control over AI features via a kill switch. You can decide to block all AI Enhancements from your browsing experience or manually select the ones you'd like to use.

Do you think other companies should borrow a page from Mozilla's playbook when integrating AI across their tech stack?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Surprisingly, Windows 7 support lingered in Firefox for a while, even though Microsoft ended its own support for the operating system in 2023. In the following year, 2024, Mozilla highlighted its plan to extend support for legacy versions of Windows (and macOS) through March, including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 to 10.14 by continuing to ship important security updates via an Extended Support Release (ESR) version of its browser.

Mozilla was initially supposed to extend support for Firefox 115 via its Extended Support Release (ESR) channel until September 2024. The company later pushed the timeline to 2025, then changed it again to March 2026.

"This extension gives users more time to transition while ensuring critical security protections remain available," Mozilla indicated. However, the company has now updated its official support document, indicating that it's poised to end support for Firefox 115 ESR later this month (via Neowin).

As such, Mozilla will no longer continue supporting Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 security updates via its Extended Support Release (ESR) channel.

As it stands, the best option is to upgrade to an officially supported version of Microsoft Windows (Windows 10 or later). This allows you to continue using mainstream browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and now Firefox, while still accessing the latest features, security updates, and improvements.

"Unsupported operating systems receive no security updates and have known vulnerabilities," Mozilla added. "Without official support from Microsoft, maintaining Firefox for outdated operating systems becomes costly for Mozilla and risky for users."

Alternatively, Mozilla recommends switching to a Linux-based operating system if your PC can't upgrade to a supported Windows version for any reason. Besides, "the vast majority of Linux distributions come with Firefox as the default browser."

Over to you

Firefox is leaving Windows 7 behind in 2026. What’s your next move? Let me know in the comments.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Mozilla has cooked up a new way to keep your browser habits safe from spying eyes: Firefox VPN. The latest Firefox VPN is currently in a Beta stage for testing, and Mozilla says that it's only available for a limited time to randomly selected users (via TechRadar).

Firefox VPN is a free addition to the web browser, and the wording in the Mozilla support document suggests that it will remain free after the testing period. Firefox has not placed any data limits, at least during the testing period.

Firefox VPN is designed to work within the Firefox browser only. Any web traffic that originates in the browser is directed through VPN servers managed by Firefox; any other web traffic originating elsewhere is not protected.

Mozilla says it works by "concealing your real IP as well as adding a layer of encryption to your communications" on the official Firefox VPN support page. Sounds like a standard VPN, albeit with limited scope.

Because the new VPN built into Firefox is invite-only while it's being tested, not everyone will get to give it a try. If you're one of the lucky users who is selected for testing, you'll see a prompt pop up when you launch Firefox asking if you'd like to try Firefox VPN.

If you don't see the prompt, well, you're out of luck for now.

This is Mozilla's second VPN to enter the market

A lot of Firefox users wondered why Mozilla called its first VPN "Mozilla VPN" and not "Firefox VPN" when it launched a few years ago. They now have an answer.

Yes, this is Mozilla's second VPN to enter the market. Mozilla VPN officially launched in 2020 following the retirement/rebranding of Firefox Private Network.

Mozilla VPN is a full-fledged VPN service that covers your entire PC or device, not just your data in Firefox. Mozilla VPN has a standalone app available for Windows 10 and Windows 11, as well as plenty of other devices.

As with most VPN services that cover all of your web traffic, Mozilla VPN is not free. You can subscribe on a monthly or yearly basis, and the lowest price you'll get is about $4.99 per month when you subscribe for a full year.

Not bad, especially as it allows you to use up to five devices under the same account.

But for those who don't want to pay a monthly subscription fee, Firefox VPN should be a tempting feature once it arrives (hopefully for free) for all Firefox users.

A free VPN? I thought I was supposed to avoid those...

VPNs are powerful tools that block third parties and bad actors from seeing the data you send out over the internet. It achieves this by shuttling your data through encrypted tunnels, with endpoint servers managed by the VPN company.

Because whoever is managing the servers can technically see what everyone is doing and where the data is coming from, you always want to select your VPN provider carefully.

Free VPNs are usually the worst offenders when it comes to selling your data that you thought was private. If a VPN service is free, it's often suspected that your data is being sold somewhere.

However, Mozilla says that its new Firefox VPN only collects technical data that's required to keep the service operating smoothly. Mozilla states:

Mozilla has been a popular browser for years, and it has a reputation for being secure and user-friendly. The sentiment among users, however, changed recently after a March 2025 update to data privacy in Firefox's Terms of Use.

The new terms suggested that Mozilla had a right to leverage user data in ways that would seriously damage its data privacy reputation. Mozilla was quick to update the ToU with clearer wording, and Firefox VP Ajit Varma was quoted as saying:

"Mozilla doesn’t sell data about you (in the way that most people think about ‘selling data’), and we don’t buy data about you. We changed our language because some jurisdictions define ‘sell’ more broadly than most people would usually understand that word."

Edge has had a built-in VPN since 2023 — how does Firefox VPN compare?

Much like the new Firefox VPN, Microsoft's Edge Secure Network is a VPN designed to protect web traffic originating in the browser only. It began rolling out in 2022 for Windows 11 and Windows 10 and remains available today.

Edge Secure Network is, of course, only available in Edge, but it's free for anyone who signs in to the browser using a personal Microsoft account. Users get 5GB of free data per month, up from the 1GB data allowance at launch.

👉 Related: How to increase privacy using built-in VPN on Microsoft Edge

Edge Secure Network has some intelligent settings that can help manage data usage. The default "Optimized" setting automatically enables the VPN if you're connected to public Wi-Fi (or other unsecured networks) or when you visit a site without proper certification.

You can also set Edge Secure Network to run a VPN on all sites, or you can set a custom list of sites on which you'd like the VPN to work. Like Firefox VPN, Edge only collects some diagnostic and support data, which is deleted every 25 hours.

Overall, Edge Secure Network is essentially the same as Firefox VPN, albeit with some data restrictions. It will be interesting to see if Mozilla places a similar data limit on Firefox VPN once it arrives for all users.

Last week, Mozilla was trapped between a rock and a hard place after making a controversial update to its developer's Terms of Use (via PCGamer).

The update received backlash from Firefox users, especially because of a section indicating that Mozilla had the right to leverage user data, including "a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license for the purpose of doing as you request with the content you input in Firefox."

Perhaps more concerning, the company scrapped a section of its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that highlighted its promise to keep user data safe and private, away from third-party vendors.

The highlighted changes enraged users, prompting the company to update its documentation once again as an attempt to mitigate the arising issues and concerns about its dramatic data privacy shift.

Consequently, Mozilla issued an update addressing the issue. The company seemingly shifted blamed to a "confusion about the language regarding licenses."

Ajit Varma, VP of Firefox Product, indicated that the update was designed to introduce a new Terms of Use (TOU) and Privacy Notice for Firefox. However, the update seemingly brewed confusion among users about the company's Terms of Use, specifically on licensing.

According to Varma:

"Our intent was just to be as clear as possible about how we make Firefox work, but in doing so we also created some confusion and concern.”

The new update to Mozilla's documentation seemingly addressed the privacy concerns raised by users, but it might be a little for the company to salvage the situation.

While the controversial changes to Mozilla's documentation can be attributed to miscommunication on the company's part and misunderstanding on the user's end, the wording on some of the changes made was highly alarming.

For instance, the answer to "What is Firefox?" in Mozilla's FAQ section previously indicated:

"The Firefox Browser is the only major browser backed by a not-for-profit that doesn’t sell your personal data to advertisers while helping you protect your personal information."

But the section has since been updated and now reads:

"The Firefox Browser, the only major browser backed by a not-for-profit, helps you protect your personal information."

While it might be an assumption and misinterpretation of the updated terms, it seems Mozilla is no longer committed to not sell personal user data to third-party advertisers.

A thorough look and analysis of Mozilla's updated documentation, reveals that the company is seemingly shying away from affirming its stance on data privacy.

However, Firefox's VP claims the omission of "sell" is a result of the fluid definition of the term when it comes to data sharing and privacy.

According to the VP:

“Mozilla doesn’t sell data about you (in the way that most people think about ‘selling data’), and we don’t buy data about you. We changed our language because some jurisdictions define ‘sell’ more broadly than most people would usually understand that word.”

Users are less-than-pleased with Firefox

While Firefox has seemingly attempted to address the recent changes made to its documentation and affirm its data privacy and sharing stances, users are throwing a deaf year to its plea.

"People aren't upset about how transparent they're being, they just want to use a browser that doesn't collect and distribute their data," an enraged Reddit user indicated. "I'm no lawyer, but for example, it sounds like they have license to distribute the data below without contest."

Some used the opportunity to throw jabs at Microsoft, branding Windows as "the biggest data-mining operating system."

On the other hand, some users speculate that the controversial changes might be an attempt to bolster Mozilla's, and by extension, Firefox's AI efforts.

According to another Reddit user:

"Yes. Crazy stuff. I read recently that the new CEO wants to get into AI and ads. They'll no doubt claim that they're going to do it differently and "respectfully". Personally, I have mozzilla.org, net and com in my Acrylic HOSTS file. If you go to about:config and search for "url" you may be surprised at all the ways that Firefox claims the right to call home without asking."

It will be interesting to see how the controversial changes affect Firefox's user base, and whether Mozilla will be dabbling its foot deeper into the AI landscape.

Elsewhere, Mozilla has placed Microsoft under fire for using harmful designs and deceptive tactics to give Edge a competitive edge over other browsers in Windows 11.

As you may know, Microsoft cut support for Windows 7 in 2020, forcing users to upgrade to a newer operating system for critical security updates and technical support. However, Windows 7 still lurks in Firefox.

Last year, Mozilla highlighted its plan to extend support for legacy versions of Windows and macOS until March 2025, including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 to 10.14. The company has been shipping important security updates via an Extended Support Release (ESR) version of its browser — Firefox 115.

This means users running Firefox on unsupported Windows operating systems like Windows 7 have until March 4, 2025 to upgrade to supported software.

Mozilla initially planned to cut support for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 in September 2024 but abruptly changed its plans, leading to the shipment of two ESR releases, including 115 for unsupported operating systems and 128 for Windows 10 and newer.

According to Mozilla:

"Continuing to support it past October isn't going to be free (backporting security fixes is already getting increasingly painful due to the divergence which naturally happens over time as an ESR goes further into its lifecycle), but there's still enough users there that we felt it was worth doing for now at least."

After Mozilla cuts support for unsupported operating systems, it will move forward with its plans to clean up the code base, lessening the burden on Firefox to maintain newer libraries that aren't supported on pre-Windows 10 releases.

While the move to offer extended support for unsupported Windows versions might have give Mozilla a slight competitive edge in the browser market share against Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, it's now joining the fray.

Beyond March 4, 2025, users will be forced to upgrade to newer and supported operating systems to continue receiving important security updates and technical support, attempting to install Firefox 116 on these unsupported operating systems will be futile.

Microsoft has aggressively doubled down on its Windows 11 campaign as Windows 10's imminent death edges closer. Users have blatantly expressed their reluctance to upgrade to Windows 11, citing flawed design elements coupled with stringent minimum system requirements.

While Windows 11's market share is subtly on the rise, it remains to be seen whether it will gain broad adoption beyond Windows 10's end of support slated for October 14, 2025.

What you need to know

• Mozilla recently announced its decision to lay off 30% of its workforce.
• The Firefox maker also closed down critical divisions, including advocacy and global programs divisions.
• The company indicated that fighting for a free and open internet is still part of its core mission.

In case you missed it, Mozilla recently laid off 30% of its workforce due to a “relentless onslaught of change.” Mozilla's VP of Global Communications, Brandon Borrman, confirmed the layoffs while highlighting the company's plan to reorganize its teams to bolster agility and impact, forging toward an "open and equitable technical future." TechCrunch reports the company had approximately 120 employees before the recent layoffs.

While speaking to TechCrunch, Borrman indicated:

"The Mozilla Foundation is reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact as we accelerate our work to ensure a more open and equitable technical future for us all. That unfortunately means ending some of the work we have historically pursued and eliminating associated roles to bring more focus going forward."

In addition to the layoffs, the Mozilla Foundation has shut down critical divisions within the company, including its advocacy and global programs divisions. While the divisions are no more, Mozilla's VP of Global Communications confirmed that "fighting for a free and open internet" will remain a part of the company's mission (via The Verge). 

As you may know, this announcement marks the second round of layoffs to hit the Firefox maker this year. In February, the company laid off approximately 60 employees, citing a "strategic correction" that would include scaling down its work on a Mastodon instance. It also closed shop on its virtual 3D platform and channeled its focus toward Firefox and generative AI advances.

The highlighted changes were announced internally by Nabiha Syed, Mozilla's Executive Director, on October 30 via email. "Navigating this topsy-turvy, distracting time requires laser focus — and sometimes saying goodbye to the excellent work that has gotten us this far because it won’t get us to the next peak," indicated Syed. The executive further indicated that the changes will create a "unified, powerful narrative from the foundation and that their mission at Mozilla was more high-stakes than ever."

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What you need to know

• Mozilla announced its plans to extend Firefox support on unsupported operating systems until March 2025.
•  The company will offer two ESR (Extended Support Release) releases, including 115 for unsupported operating systems and 128 for Windows 10 and newer. 
• Mozilla argues "enough" Firefox users are still running unsupported operating systems, including Windows 7, prompting its decision to extend support for Firefox on old devices. 

While it's apparent Microsoft is moving forward with its plans to cut support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, users can continue running Firefox 115 on unsupported devices, including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 to 10.14 as Mozilla has extended its support and will continue pushing important updates until April 1, 2025. Firefox 115.21 will also continue receiving updates until March 4, 2025.

For context, Firefox 115 is the last version of the browser that will run on the highlighted unsupported operating systems. This means attempting to install Firefox 116 on these unsupported operating systems will be futile.

In case you missed it, Mozilla announced its plans to extend Firefox's support on these unsupported operating systems in July. Before Mozilla announced the extended support, the company shipped Firefox 115 without mentioning whether it would run on unsupported operating systems, leaving concerned users in limbo about updating the browser. 

Mozilla planned to cut support for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 in September 2024, but it changed its plans. The company offers two ESR (Extended Support Release) releases, including 115 for unsupported operating systems and 128 for Windows 10 and newer. 

Cutting support for Windows 7 would have allowed Mozilla to clean up the code base and relieved it of the responsibility of maintaining newer libraries that aren't necessarily supported on pre-Windows 10 releases. Interestingly, Mozilla claims enough Firefox users are running Windows 7, prompting it to extend support for the operating system. Microsoft's Edge browser and Google Chrome already cut support for Windows 7, perhaps giving Mozilla a competitive edge with an untapped market share. 

According to Mozilla:

"Continuing to support it past October isn't going to be free (backporting security fixes is already getting increasingly painful due to the divergence which naturally happens over time as an ESR goes further into its lifecycle), but there's still enough users there that we felt it was worth doing for now at least."

To this end, it remains unclear whether Mozilla will extend Firefox's support for these unsupported operating systems beyond the highlighted dates.

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What you need to know

• Mozilla has been under fire for shipping a private attribution prototype feature to Firefox 128, enabled by default, and is reportedly being used to collect extensive personal data for advertisers.
• Firefox CTO Bobby Holley has cleared the air by indicating the approach is designed to help advertisers achieve their goals without compromising the user's privacy.
• The approach sieves through surveillance parts deployed by advertisers to ensure the user's data remains private.

Firefox is arguably one of the best privacy-focused browsers, free from "shady privacy notices and advertiser backdoors." However, it recently received backlash after shipping an experimental feature — Privacy-preserving attribution, which collects data for advertisers. 

The privacy-sensitive feature is enabled by default, which made users more concerned about Firefox's commitment to its promise of safeguarding the user's privacy. The company CTO Bobby Holley took to Reddit to address some of the privacy concerns raised.

A Word About Private Attribution in Firefox from r/firefox

Holley admits that the company should have done more about the private attribution feature while shipping it to Firefox 128. Privacy and security remain core issues that users look at when selecting their default browser on any device. Mozilla recently placed Microsoft under fire for using deceptive tactics and harmful designs to keep Windows users hooked on Edge, leaving third-party browsers with the shorter end of the stick and at a competitive disadvantage. 

The CTO indicated the internet has turned into "a massive web surveillance," while talking about Mozilla's anti-tracking features designed to cripple these techniques. While the features successfully thwart these surveillance techniques, Mozilla's efforts are limited by two major impediments. 

Advertisers have access to enormous economic incentives that make it easier to circumvent the measures put in place to keep their surveillance techniques at bay. The lack of alternatives doesn't make the situation better. Next up, the measures are limited to Firefox users, but Mozilla's ultimate goal is to "improve privacy for everyone."

With the rapid evolution of advertising as an economic model, it's increasingly becoming harder to maintain desired privacy standards for users. "It’s a powerful industry that’s not going to pack up and go away," added Holley. "A mechanism for advertisers to accomplish their goals in a way that did not entail gathering a bunch of personal data would be a profound improvement to the Internet we have today, and so we’ve invested a significant amount of technical effort into trying to figure it out."

As a plausible alternative to the current approach where advertisers have access to extensive personal data, Mozilla is developing a system that could potentially satisfy the advertisers' goal without compromising the user's privacy.  

The company is working closely with Meta on this project, "because any successful mechanism will need to be actually useful to advertisers, and designing something that Mozilla and Meta are simultaneously happy with is a good indicator we’ve hit the mark," added Holley.

Mozilla says the project has been ongoing for the past few years and is already showing "real promise." The company shipped an early look of the approach as part of the Firefox 128 release "that is feature-wise quite bare-bones but uncompromising on the privacy front."

How does Mozilla maintain the user's privacy but still keeps advertisers happy?

The new approach leverages a Multi-Party Computation (MPC) system called DAP/Prio. Its privacy properties have been analyzed to identify loopholes. 

The prototype is temporary and restricted to a handful of test sites. It's worth noting that it only works in Firefox. The company intends to use the findings to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the final product.

According to Firefox's CTO:

"The privacy properties of this prototype are much stronger than even some garden variety features of the web platform, and unlike those of most other proposals in this space, meet our high bar for default behavior."

While the prototype allows advertisers to access the data they want from users, Firefox promises that their data will remain protected. Moreover, users with reservations about sharing their data with advertisers can disable the feature via the settings because Firefox "supports people configuring their browser however they choose."

Finally, Firefox admits that digital advertising isn't going away, but its new approach could help scrap the unwanted surveillance parts if implemented correctly. 

What you need to know

• In a new report, Mozilla details the importance of openness in AI models and systems.
• The report details that open-source foundational models are unpopular among most users because of the security and privacy risks. 
• Mozilla says people advocating for openness in the AI landscape often mention the vast benefits but don't have a clear path for exploring these opportunities.
• The report features an in-depth analysis highlighting ways to unlock some of these benefits and missed opportunities based on desired model and system attributes.

Mozilla has published a new report highlighting the importance of openness in AI models and systems (via IT'S FOSS NEWS). The paper highlights the benefits of open-source approaches for AI, particularly with foundational models. However, the company details that it isn't an easy feat to open-source foundational models, making it extremely hard to leverage these benefits. As such, lack of clarity has heavily contributed to developers being unable to advance openness and unlock its benefits.

According to Mozilla:

"The paper surveys existing approaches to defining openness in AI models and systems, and then proposes a descriptive framework to understand how each component of the foundation model stack contributes to openness."

A huge deterrent to the progression of AI lies in its openness, depending on how you view it. Lawmakers have blatantly questioned the safety and privacy of AI models with open access. Interestingly, Mozilla says some of these claims are often "without concrete or rigorous evidence."

On the flip side, people advocating for openness in AI, cite a handful of benefits but don't have a clear path mapped out for the exploration of these opportunities. Some of the key benefits include reduced cost implication, expedited bug and security fixes, promotion of accountability of systems via audits and transparency, and more. 

The paper provides an in-depth analysis, highlighting ways to unlock some of these benefits and missed opportunities based on desired model and system attributes. Mozilla's report isn't the gospel on how AI operations should be run, but it does paint a clear picture of how these advances can be made more beneficial without compromising on security. 

What you need to know

• New research commissioned by Mozilla reveals the Microsoft uses harmful designs and deceptive tactics to push its Edge browser to Windows users.
• The report details that the tech giant uses misleading UIs and ads, and more to prevent users from using other browsers aside from Microsoft Edge as default on Windows.
• Mozilla points out that this places other browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox at a disadvantage, and calls on regulators to look into the matter.

Even in 2024, browser wars continue to be a thing. Users have varied interests and wants regarding the browser they use on their devices. Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are arguably the most popular browsers among users, but is it by choice or design?

The folks at Mozilla have openly indicated that it's the latter, further throwing blame at Microsoft. The company pointed out that users don't have free will to use any browser as their default on Windows devices. 

Mozilla tasked Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, alongside researchers and experts, to investigate the matter. As it turns out, Microsoft might be playing a foul game by preventing freedom of choice when selecting default browsers on Windows (via TechRadar). 

In the report "Over the Edge: The Use of Design Tactics to Undermine Browser Choice," the researchers point out how Microsoft has placed its Edge browser on a pedestal across its operating system, leaving its competitors at a disadvantage. 

The report also outlines the deceptive ploys the tech giant leverages to affirm its position in the race for browser dominance, including misleading UIs and ads, alarming notifications that are worded and presented as system warnings, and more.

Microsoft, Google, and Apple were some companies listed as gatekeepers by the EU Commission last year. Microsoft made the list because of its Windows OS and LinkedIn, and Google for its Chrome browser and search engine. The Commission gave the gatekeepers six months to comply with the DMA; failure would attract hefty fines and penalties. One of the requirements under the DMA tasks the companies listed to make their services interoperable.

Interestingly, Microsoft's Bing was initially listed as a gatekeeper service, but the company argued that the search engine hadn't hit the threshold to fall under this category. The Commission investigated the matter and recently concluded that Bing and Edge aren't dominant enough in digital markets, exempting them from DMA regulation. 

Mozilla hoped that the DMA regulation on Microsoft Edge would give Firefox some breathing space and the opportunity to compete on an even playing field. But as it happens, that ship has seemingly sailed off with its competitive advantage. Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, shares the same sentiments regarding search, adding that Google doesn't play fair with Bing. 

It's the same script for Microsoft, just a different play

This isn't the first time we've learned about Microsoft pushing its browser and search engine down users' throats. Late last year, some users trying to download Google Chrome while using Microsoft Edge were slapped with a survey asking them to detail why they wanted to try another browser.

How can we forget when Microsoft deliberately placed ads on Google Chrome's download page, perhaps to prevent users from transitioning? The fact that Windows 11 and 10 come with Microsoft Edge preinstalled doesn't improve the situation.

Mozilla further makes its case in the in-depth report and pleads with regulators to look into the matter to promote healthy competition.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is looking to win a bid with Mozilla that would make Bing the default search engine for Firefox, according to a report.
• Bing has drawn a lot of public interest, but recent data suggests that the introduction of the new Bing powered by AI has not resulted in a significant increase in market share.
• Mozilla's current Firefox contract is scheduled to expire at some point this year, which paves the way for Microsoft to bid for the next contract.

Bing added several AI features this year, including a chatbot that utilizes OpenAI's GPT-4. While the new Bing has garnered attention from the media and interest from the public, it doesn't appear to have resulted in a significant increase in search engine market share. Our Managing Editor Jez Corden recently gathered together data from several sources which suggests Bing usage is generally flat.

But Bing may gain some market share through another avenue, becoming the default search engine for Firefox. A report by The Information states that Microsoft is looking to win the Firefox contract, which is due for renewal this year.

The report cites two people with direct knowledge of the situation, stating that Bing leaders reportedly want to win the contract with Firefox.

At the moment, Google pays Mozilla, which owns Firefox, a percentage of ad revenue that is generated by Google. Microsoft does not make as much money per ad, according to The Information. That could require Microsoft and Mozilla to structure a deal differently than what Mozilla currently has with Google.

Bing would not need to gain much in market share to generate meaningful revenue. Microsoft CFO Phil Ockenden said in an investor call earlier this year that "For every one point of share gain in the search advertising market, it’s a $2 billion revenue opportunity for [Microsoft's] advertising business."

If becoming the default search engine for Firefox results in even a modest increase in market share, it could be lucrative for Microsoft and, in turn, Mozilla.

What you need to know

• Mozilla recently published research about how people use web browsers.
• A large portion of the report focuses on how large companies, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Apple, make it difficult or impossible to switch default browsers on certain devices.
• Mozilla makes Firefox, a browser that competes with those made by Microsoft, Google, and Apple.

Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, recently released a report that focuses on how people use web browsers. Mozilla focuses on several areas, including how educated people are on web browsers and how important browsers are for modern computing. The report also argues that tech giants use a variety of tactics to make it difficult or impossible to switch web browsers.

It should hardly come as a surprise that Microsoft, Apple, and other companies want people to use their respective browsers. Mozilla argues why it believes restricting users to specific browsers can be harmful. The company shares five examples of "harm from operating system self-preferencing:"

• Limited or frustrated choice - an operating system provider making it difficult or impossible for a consumer to switch browsers ultimately removes their ability to choose for themselves. It also hampers existing competitors and deters new products from entering the market and providing increased choice.
• Lower quality - where the monetary price for consumers is zero (as is the case for browsers) providers might be expected to compete on quality. But without effective competition from independent browsers, consumers may receive products which are lower quality.
• Lower innovation - linked to quality is innovation. Consumers miss out on developments (for example, improved features and functionality). And a reduced likelihood of disruptive innovation might be accompanied by reduced choice for consumers.
• Poor privacy - consumers can be left with a product which subjects them to compulsory data sharing, misuse of data or other privacy harms. These outcomes can be an indication of low quality caused by ineffective competition.
• Unfair contracts - without proper choice, consumers may be forced to enter into contracts which might be exploitative or unfair.

Mozilla argues that major platforms, such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Amazon, use their market dominance to push people to certain browsers. "Microsoft Windows users searching for Firefox face a barrage of nudges... to remain with Microsoft Edge in the start menu, in the App Store and even in Bing search." It adds that many voice assistant devices don't even provide options for alternative browsers.

Microsoft has been criticized heavily for forcing certain links to open in Edge, even when a different browser is set as default. Mozilla called out Microsoft in the past for how difficult it was to change the default browser on Windows.

The report warns of the risks Mozilla believes would be increased if the browser market runs out of competition:

"Why does this matter? Without Mozilla’s Gecko engine, there would be no competition to Google’s Blink engine, centralizing control of the web in the hands of a single company and creating a single point of failure for security and privacy."

Apple has its own engine, but it is only available on Apple products, so Mozilla focused on other platforms.

Mozilla concludes the report by claiming that people would find "compelling substitutes" to default browsers if they were given a "meaningful opportunity" to seek them.

"These opportunities have been suppressed for years through online choice architecture and commercial practices that benefit platforms and are not in the best interest of consumers, developers or the open web."

What you need to know

• Microsoft recently made it easier to change the default browser on Windows 11.
• Mozilla calls the move a "step in the right direction" but says more can be done.
• Mozilla asked Microsoft to give developers access to more APIs related to default browser settings.

Earlier this month, Microsoft rolled out an optional cumulative update for Windows 11 that made it easier to change the default browser on PCs. Previously, people had to manually change the default setting for every file and link type, which could require dozens of steps to accomplish. Following the recent update to Windows 11, people can set their preferences for more than one link and file type with a single click.

Mozilla, the makers of the Firefox browser, said that the move is a "step in the right direction" by Microsoft but that more can be done to "respect default browser choice on Windows." The company calls on improvements for both end-users and developers when it comes to setting a default browser.

"People should have the ability to simply and easily set defaults and all operating systems should offer official developer support for default status," said a Mozilla spokesperson. "In practice, we'd like to also see progress on reducing the number of steps required to set a new browser as default, and on opening and making APIs available for apps to set default that other Microsoft applications use."

I installed Firefox on a PC running the latest version of Windows 11 and set the browser as our default by following a prompt within Firefox. This swapped the default browser for the PC to Firefox for quite a few file and link types, but not all of them. For example, AVIF, PDF, and WEBP were all still set to other applications. When clicking to change the remaining file and link types to Firefox, I was shown a message discussing Edge before I could confirm the change.

It's important to note that reversing the process and setting Edge as my default browser leaves the settings for the same link and file types unchanged. It appears that even setting your browser to Microsoft Edge does not change all of your defaults on Windows 11.

What you need to know

• You can now set Mozilla Firefox as your default browser from directly within the app.
• Firefox bypasses Microsoft's anti-hijacking measures to make this option possible.
• Usually, you have to go through the Windows 10 Settings app to change your default browser.

Windows 10 allows you to switch your default apps, but that process seemingly isn't quick enough for Mozilla's preferences. Recently, the browser maker figured out a way to bypass Windows 10's anti-hijacking protections, allowing people to set Firefox as their default browser with a single click. Microsoft's Edge browser can be set as your default with a single click, but no other browsers on Windows 10 have that privilege.

Firefox 91 came out on August 10, 2021. The latest version lets you set it as a default directly within the browser. You don't have to jump into the Windows 10 Settings app, which is normally the case.

"People should have the ability to simply and easily set defaults, but they don't," said a Mozilla spokesperson to The Verge. "All operating systems should offer official developer support for default status so people can easily set their apps as default. Since that hasn't happened on Windows 10 and 11, Firefox relies on other aspects of the Windows environment to give people an experience similar to what Windows provides to Edge when users choose Firefox to be their default browser."

Mozilla wrote a letter to Microsoft in 2015 regarding default apps and the choice of consumers.

Microsoft didn't set up Windows 10 this way exclusively to make it more difficult to have competing browsers as default apps. That's certainly a byproduct of the security measures in the operating system, but there are legitimate reasons to prevent apps from being able to set themselves as defaults. For example, attackers could trick people into downloading a seemingly innocent app that would then get people to set it as a default.

In addition to Windows 10 requiring a few extra steps to set default apps, there are times when the operating system ignores your default browser settings. For example, clicking links through Cortana will open in Edge regardless of your settings. Similar issues remain in Windows 11. You can force Windows to use your default browser settings with EdgeDeflector.

What you need to know

• Mozilla explains how to set up Windows single sign-on in its Firefox browser in a new support post.
• The feature lets people sign in to Microsoft accounts, work accounts, and school accounts using credentials from Windows 10.
• The feature requires Firefox version 91 or higher.

Mozilla Firefox recently gained support for Windows single sign-on (SSO). With the feature, people can log in to Microsoft accounts, work accounts, and school accounts using credentials from Windows 10. A new support document from Mozilla breaks down how to set up the feature. Note that Firefox version 91 or higher is required to use SSO.

Merill Fernando, program manager of Microsoft's Azure AD, recently highlighted the new feature on Twitter.

Mozilla breaks down how to enable the feature in its support post:

1. Click the Firefox menu button.
2. Click Settings.
3. Select Privacy & Security.
4. Navigate to Logins and Passwords.
5. Check the box for **Allow Windows single sign-on for Microsoft, work, and school accounts.

Mozilla also outlines how to make sure your accounts have been configured within Windows 10. To check these settings:

1. Open the Windows 10 Settings app.
2. Select Accounts.
3. Select Email & accounts

You'll then see any accounts that you've configured on your PC.

What you need to know

• Mozilla recently released Firefox version 91.
• Firefox 91 includes support for Windows single sign-on, making it easier to sign in to Microsoft accounts on the web.
• The latest version of the browser also has over 1,200 bug fixes and a handful of other new features.

Mozilla released Firefox version 91 this week. The latest version of the browser has over 1,200 bug fixes and a handful of new features compared to its predecessor. Among its new features is support for Windows single sign-on (SSO). This feature lets you log in to Microsoft work and school accounts with credentials from your PC.

The update also adds a "more comprehensive logic for clearing cookies," according to Mozilla. This prevents hidden data leaks.

Here's what's new, as outlined by Mozilla:

• Building on Total Cookie Protection, we've added a more comprehensive logic for clearing cookies that prevents hidden data leaks and makes it easy for users to understand which websites are storing local information. Learn more
• Firefox now supports logging into Microsoft, work, and school accounts using Windows single sign-on. Learn more
• The simplify page when printing feature is back! When printing, under More settings > Format select the Simplified option when available to get a clutter-free page. Learn more
• HTTPS-First Policy: Firefox Private Browsing windows now attempt to make all connections to websites secure, and fall back to insecure connections only when websites do not support it. Learn more
• We've added a new locale: Scots (sco)
• The address bar now provides Switch to Tab results also in Private Browsing windows.
• Firefox now automatically enables High Contrast Mode when "Increase Contrast" is checked on MacOS
• Firefox now does catch-up paints for almost all user interactions, enabling a 10-20% improvement in response time to most user interactions.

Firefox 91 performs catch-up paints for "almost all user interactions," according to Mozilla. The company explains that this results in a 10-20% improvement in response time for most interactions.

What you need to know

• Mozilla's Hubs platform now supports Windows Mixed Reality in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
• Hubs is a virtual socializing platform that works in VR and on mobile devices and computers.
• Hubs recently received a redesign that improves the experience on non-VR devices.

Mozilla's Hubs allows you to share virtual private rooms with friends, family, and coworkers. It recently received a new design that made it easier to use on PCs and mobile devices. Now, just a few days after the redesign, Hubs rolled out support for Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome in Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

Brian Peiris from the Hubs team shared news about Edge and Chrome support on Twitter. His tweet also includes a video of Hubs in action.

Many will recognize Hubs as a way to socialize in VR, but according to Mozilla, the majority of people use it on non-VR devices. Improving the experience on non-VR devices was a large part of the recent Hubs redesign. The company explains:

You can learn more about Hubs and create a private room right away by visiting the Hubs website.

What you need to know

• Mozilla Firefox now supports picture-in-picture mode on Windows.
• The same update also brings improvements to Lockwise.
• The update brings Mozilla Firefox to version 71.0 and is available now.

Mozilla Firefox now supports picture-in-picture mode on Windows. The latest update to the browser brings it to version 71.0 and brings several improvements to go along with the new picture-in-picture mode. You can read the complete changelog in Firefox's release notes.

The update to version 71.0 also brings improvements to Lockwise, the integrated password manager within Mozilla Firefox. Here's a recap of all of the changes.

You can download the latest version of Firefox from Mozilla for free.

Mozilla today announced the formal launch of Firefox Send, a file-sharing service that got its start as one of the organization's "Test Pilot" experiments. Along with its graduation from an experiment, Firefox Send has also picked up some enhancements to upload limits and control over what you send.

Firefox Send acts as a secure file-transfer service, intended to help you privately share sensitive files with others. Available through any browser at send.firefox.com, Firefox Send allows you to upload files and send them to someone else with end-to-end encryption. It also gives you control over how the files are treated, allowing you to set the file link to expire, limit the number of downloads, and set a password for the recipient to enter before being allowed to download the files you share.

At its most basic, Firefox Send allows you to share files up to 1GB in size. If you sign up for a Firefox account, that limit expands to 2.5GB. Crucially, recipients don't need a Firefox account to download files that you share; all they need is the link and, if set, a password.

If you're curious, you can learn more about Firefox Send at Mozilla's full blog post. Otherwise, you can give the service a spin for free by heading to send.firefox.com.

Mozilla has today released the first pre-release build of Firefox for the ARM64 architecture, making it the first third-party browser on Windows 10 to support Windows 10 on ARM natively. Today's release comes in the form of an early nightly build, which is an unfinished, untested, pre-release version of the Firefox web browser.

As such, this isn't an official launch of Firefox for Windows 10 on ARM just yet, but users are welcome to download the latest nightly builds for the ARM64 architecture to give them a whirl and report and bugs that may arise during use. Firefox Nightly is not intended to be used as a daily browser, and Mozilla says that this is especially the case with the ARM64 compiles of Firefox Nightly.

Now that ARM support is being tested in the nightly branch for Firefox, it shouldn't be much longer before we see an official release of Firefox for Windows 10 on ARM. Chromium and Firefox are two web browsers we know are coming to Windows 10 on ARM in the near future, which should improve performance in these browsers when using them on an ARM devices.

Will you be downloading the Firefox Nightly build for Windows 10 on ARM? Let us know in the comments. You can download the Firefox Nightly for ARM64 installer here.

Thanks for the tip, Simon!

Firefox may be the biggest project on Mozilla's plate, but Thunderbird, its 14-year-old email client, is set to get some significant attention in 2019. Coming on the heels of Thunderbird 60's release in August and its revamped UI elements, Mozilla is planning more interface and usability improvements this year.

Thunderbird's team is growing this year, Mozilla says, in part to focus on more interface and user experience overhauls throughout 2019. Part of the improved experience planned for this year is better Gmail integration, with support for labels and other Gmail specific features on deck.

Mozilla also plans to focus on native notifications for each operating system. For Windows users, this means Thunderbird will deliver notifications through Windows 10's built-in notification center.

Finally, the settings and encryption interfaces are set to be overhauled, with the goal of making it easier to ensure your emails are encrypted and find specific settings.

There's no word on a specific timeframe for any of the outlined changes, but you can expect these features to ship throughout 2019 if Mozilla sticks to its roadmap.

See at Mozilla

Qualcomm today broke cover on the Snapdragon 8cx, a powerful new chip purpose-built for Windows 10 PCs. But alongside the "extreme" new chip and all of its performance metrics, Qualcomm slipped in another announcement that should have Mozilla fans happy: a native ARM64 version of Firefox is in the works.

Mozilla and Qualcomm are working together to get a native ARM64 version of Firefox out the door, which should help to solve any performance issues caused by the current app. As it stands, Firefox must be emulated on Snapdragon-powered PCs, which causes some inherent performance issues. A native version built for ARM64 chips would solve any of the outstanding hitches, hopefully boosting the browser's speed by a noticeable margin.

There's no word on when this version of Firefox is expected to launch, but it's reassuring for the sake of the app ecosystem for Snapdragon PCs that it's in the pipeline.

The news comes alongside word that a native version of Chromium is also being worked on, and Windows 10 Enterprise will also be supported on the Snapdragon 8cx.

Windows 10's Timeline feature lets you jump back to previous sessions of apps. It's a great way to jump back to a website or document you worked on before. Unfortunately, not many developers support it. Thankfully, developer Dominic Maas has made an add-on for Mozilla Firefox that adds Timeline support to the browser.

The add-on is free and available for Firefox on both desktop and mobile. There is also a version of Timeline Support for Google Chrome, though we did not test it for this review because it was available during the time of writing.

Download Timeline Support for Firefox

Time travel

The add-on does exactly what the title says: it brings Timeline support to Firefox. When you've browsed a webpage, you can then jump back to it by opening your task view button and scrolling down to your Timeline. Timeline shows a preview of the webpage, so you can easily identify any instance of browsing. You can select how many seconds you need to be on a page before it's added to your Timeline, which helps keep your Timeline clean when you quickly bounce between websites.

Timeline Support is also available on the mobile version of Firefox. I used it on my Galaxy S8+ and it worked very similarly to the desktop version. Unfortunately, my mobile browsing didn't show up on my PC's Timeline. You can use the add-on to continue browsing a website from your phone on your PC's default browser.

Sadly, not that common

There really isn't much else to say about the add-on, but it's a great chance to highlight the fact that this feature isn't used by many developers to its potential. Some normal big names among the Windows community support it, such as myTube! But overall, it's mostly just Microsoft apps that support the feature.

I'm not surprised Google wouldn't support it, because it has very few apps available on anything running Windows. But the fact that opening Timeline on my device shows basically just my Edge history with a few other apps thrown in is disappointing. If Timeline doesn't want to become the next My People, a great feature that basically no one uses, more developers need to get on board.

Overall thoughts on Timeline Support for Firefox

It's great to see this add-on for a big-named browser like Firefox. Too few developers utilize Timeline and adding it to one (soon to be two) of the world's most popular browsers is great.

The ability to push a website from one device to another is nice, but I'd also like my histories from multiple devices to show up on my Timeline, like they do for Microsoft Edge. Overall, it's a great add-on that's free and brings a lot of functionality.

Pros

• Works seamlessly
• Available across multiple platforms
• Customizable
• Free

Cons

• Sites from mobile and desktop don't show up on each other's timelines

Download Timeline Support for Firefox

Updated August 13, 2018: We updated this post to add availability information and a link to the Google Chrome version of Timeline Support.

As news continues to trickle out concerning the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal and Facebook's role in it, the social media network is receiving more scrutiny than ever. Of particular concern is the realization of just how much data Facebook has on its users. If you're a Firefox user, however, you can now limit at least some of your exposure with a new extension from Mozilla.

In a post on its blog, Mozilla has announced the new Facebook Container Extension, a tool that is intended to make it much more difficult for Facebook to track what you do on other websites with third-party cookies. It does this by entirely isolating Facebook from all of your other browsing activity. From Mozilla:

The only downside to the container is that, if you use your Facebook account to create an account or log in with another service, Mozilla says that it may not work properly and you may not be able to log in. Likewise, embedded Facebook comments and Like buttons outside of the Facebook container tab will not work.

If all of the recent controversy surrounding Facebook has you concerned, but you're not quite ready to give it up, then Mozilla's extension looks to be a viable middle-ground. But there are also a number of other steps you can take to limit your exposure, and our friends at iMore have put together a pretty handy guide on how to make sure you're keeping your Facebook data as private as possible.

See at Mozilla

Fans of the Firefox web browser who also use Windows 10 will see a few changes when they download the newest version. Firefox 40 is now available from Mozilla, and as promised, there are some tweaks in its user interface specifically developed for Windows 10.

Mozilla says:

Even with this new Windows 10 support, Mozilla is not happy with Microsoft. It claims that it is harder for Windows 10 users to set up third-party browsers like Firefox as their default browser in the OD compared to earlier versions of Windows.

Source: Mozilla

Mozilla has started a war of words with Microsoft over Windows 10. Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox web browser claims that Microsoft has made it harder in Windows 10 to change the default web browser to something else compared to previous versions of the operating system.

The blog post says:

Mozilla even posted a video to show how Windows 10 users can change their default browser in Windows 10. In addition, Mozilla's CEO Chris Beard has posted an open letter to Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella that also talks about the company's issues with Windows 10:

Mozilla is developing a version of Firefox for Windows 10, which is currently in beta testing and will move to its stable channel in mid-August.

If you want to see how easy or difficult it actually is to change your default web browser, check out our how-to post here

Source: Mozilla (1), (2)

Recently it was revealed that Mozilla would be making a version of its popular Firefox browser for Windows 10, but at the time details were pretty scarce. More details about the browser, specifically the design specifications, have been revealed. In addition, a few of the first images showing how the browser will look have been made available as well.

On the surface, the Windows 10 version of Firefox looks very similar to the version that is available now, and that was done on purpose. Chad Weiner, director of product management, told VentureBeat:

Support for Windows 10 was added in Firefox 40, which is currently available through the company's beta channel. It is said that the browser will move to stable channel mid-August.

Source: VentureBeat

Mozilla quietly revealed its plans to bring its Firefox web browser to Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system last week. However, that's pretty much all we know at this stage, other than Mozilla says it will be released "soon".

Mozilla started developing a version of Firefox that would have worked with Windows 8 and its "Modern" touchscreen user interface in 2013, but after a number of early releases and delays, Mozilla abruptly ended development of the Windows 8 version in 2014, claiming that only a few people were actively testing the browser.

Mozilla has not indicated any word on what the Windows 10 version of Firefox will be like, saying only that it plans to "provide an independent and high-performing alternative to the stock browser."

Source: Mozilla; Via PC World

We’ve covered the journey of Firefox for Windows 8 since the project was announced in late 2012. Our first real look at the app came in February 2013 when we took the app for a spin and did a hands-on of Firefox for Windows 8. This past August the team at Mozilla announced that Firefox for Windows 8 would come out in December.

We later learned that the release was pushed back to 2014. A bunch of updates later and the app finally went into open beta last month. Turns out that was all for nothing. Mozilla is killing Firefox for Windows 8.

In a blog post today, Firefox states that development for a modern Windows 8 app has stopped and won’t be resumed anytime soon. The company cites low user adoption. Here’s what Johnathan Nightingale, vice president of Firefox, said in the blog post:

The team at Firefox was optimistic with the massive ecosystem that would be present in Windows 8. At least that’s what the team at Firefox saw when they started working on the Windows 8 app in late 2012. Sadly though, they never saw the adoption they were looking for. Some more words from the Firefox vice president:

Sad to see Firefox for Windows 8 go? Sound off below.

Source: Firefox Via: TechCrunch

Thanks for the tip Laura! 

Mozilla has today unveiled that its Firefox for Windows 8 Touch Beta is available for download and testing. The touch-friendly version of the popular web browser has been in development for some time, but finally we're beginning to see the app take shape. 

Should you be currently using a Windows 8 tablet or laptop with touch-screen support, we urge you to check out the Firefox beta and see what you think.

When launching the browser, you're greeted by a tile-inspired start screen with one-top access to your top visited websites, bookmarks and history. Some friendly hints are thrown in to get you familiarised with how everything is laid out. If you're used to the "Awesome Bar," you can also continue using this feature over the new additions.

The Firefox for Windows 8 Touch Beta comes with support for both touch and swipe gestures, including pinch to zoom and swipe transitions. The team have also attempted to add some minor UI elements and functionality to make general browsing easier.

Here are some more highlighted features packed into this small package:

Full, Snapped and Fill views – snap Firefox to the side of your screen or opt for the full experience.

Visual Navigation –​ reorganise the start screen to how you wish to be greeted each time you fire up Firefox. The tiles utilised also help make browsing more convenient from the get go.

Windows Share integration – share a Web page or a piece of content from any web page to any of connected social network.

The Firefox team have so far done a superb job bringing the popular web browser to Windows 8, implementing touch support while retaining ease-of-use for mice and keyboard users. 

Ready to get started and download the beta? Head on over to the Mozilla website for more details and download links. Be sure to leave feedback and whatnot when beta testing to further support development prior to its gold release.

Source: Mozilla; thanks, David, for the tip!

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has come a long way from the days of IE6 and may even represent one of the best touch screen web browsers around. Other third party companies don’t want to be left out of the future though, and Firefox has been the strongest advocate as its beta version of Firefox for Windows 8 continues to be developed. Recently, a blog post by Mozilla’s Brian Bondy, revealed that one annoyance of using Internet Explorer on the desktop and modern interface, will be remedied.

For users who switch between the desktop version of Internet Explorer and the Windows 8 application, they know that their data is not shared between the two pieces of software. If you login to your favorite site (let’s say WPCentral) on the desktop version and then switch your hybrid device into tablet mode and pull up the Windows 8 app – you are going to need to re-login.

Mozilla has a solution for your problems though, initially they announced that they were going to use a syncing method in the cloud to keep the two applications matched. Today, it was announced that the company will be going another route – instead, Mozilla will allow the two different applications to share a single profile file on the local machine.

In essence, users who switch between the two versions of Firefox will not have to worry about their bookmarks, cookies, and other data being kept in sync. In a world where users are flipping, twisting, and detaching their devices – a synchronized system between legacy desktop and Windows 8 applications are needed.

Bondy released a comment about the recent change on his personal blog, stating that:

The one downside? The desktop application and Windows 8 app will not be able to run side by side, but there may be a work around by using different profile setups.

Are you happy with Internet Explorer or are you waiting for Google/Mozilla to release (or improve upon) their own Windows 8 style web browsers?

Source: Brian Bondy; via Neowin

Mozilla, the company behind Firefox, has announced that a version of their web browser is now available for download and features optimization for Windows 8 tablets. It is important to note that the download is a preview and may contain bugs alongside its enhancements. This is after we learned that the company would be delaying the release until 2014.

The new preview is codenamed "Aurora" and supports Firefox Sync along with "Windows 8 touch and swipe gestures, snapped and full views, and Windows Share integration". The browser continues to use the Gecko engine to render webpages when browsing. The Gecko engine has support for WebGL, asm.js, hardware accelerated HTML5 multimedia and more.

If you want to test out the browser, download it here from Mozilla’s website. Next, make sure to set Firefox Aurora as your default browser and pin it to your Start screen.

Have fun testing out Firefox for Windows 8 and if you find any bugs, you can submit them to Mozilla by clicking here.

Source: Mozilla; via Neowin

Mozilla is looking to launch Firefox on Windows 8 with a Modern UI (Metro to you and I). Think of Internet Explorer, but a browser made by Mozilla and you get the idea. If you're a huge fan of the popular web browser and have been using the desktop version (or own a Windows RT tablet), fear not as you'll soon be able to enjoy all the features and functionality with Microsoft's simple look and feel. ETA? December 10th.

Billed as the "Preview Release," the touch-friendly version of the web browser will be bundled with Firefox 26 for the desktop, which will be released on that very day. If you're interested in trying out the new version before the final release, Mozilla is said to be planning to pair the Modern version with the browser's "Aurora" and "Beta" channel builds, which will roll out on September 16 and October 28 respectively.

By taking part in both above builds, you'll be able to help shape the final product by supplying feedback and reporting on bugs to be exterminated.

Earlier build of a Windows 8 Firefox app

This will provide an interesting challenge for Mozilla to overcome as only the default web browser will run in the Modern UI environment, which is Internet Explorer. This can of course be altered by the consumer to likes of Google's Chrome or Firefox, but it's making consumers switch to use its web browser all the time that the company will have to look at seriously.

We previously took a quick peek at a nightly build released earlier this year to see what Mozilla had been up to regarding Firefox and the Modern UI. We liked what we saw thus far and already believe the Chrome version for Windows RT is a neat addition to its desktop counterpart, so not much can go wrong for Mozilla. We're excited to see how the final build of Firefox will perform on both PCs and tablets.

Source: Mozilla, via: PC World

We haven’t been following the Mozilla Foundation’s progress too much on a Windows 8 browser—we just know that they were working on one.

So either we missed it or this is hot off the presses but they have released a “nightly build” of their Windows 8 App (Modern Style) Firefox browser for x86 devices. That means you Surface RT (ARM CPU) folk will have to wait a bit, but if you’re on full-fledged Windows 8, you may want to take a look.

Heading over to their site (https://www.mozilla.org/en-CA/firefox/channel/desktop/) you can download the “Standard” version to install on your PC or laptop. It will then walk you through the normal install.

Now, like Chrome there are two versions of the browser: one for desktop and one for RT/Start. To make it RT-styled, open as a Start app, make it the default browser by choosing ‘Nightly’ from the popup menu.

Reader of the site Rockartisten also tips us how to get those tabs to always show:

Indeed the browser ain’t half bad and it’s always great to see alternatives using the new RT style come to the platform. Now if only alternative browsers for the Surface RT and associated hardware could happen…

Source: Mozilla; Thanks, Rockaristen, for the tip!

For the last few years, Mozilla, makers of the king of indie browsers Firefox, have been working on a new mobile OS called Boot2Gekko. The OS was built around HTML5 and CSS coding tools and it tended to look very much like Android and iOS—that is it was a collection of icons laid out in a grid with some notifications.

Today, in a somewhat surprising move they announced the re-naming of the OS to Firefox OS and they intend to put it on phones next year. In a press release, the company noted that it had deals with TCL Communication Technology (Alcatel) and ZTE to make the hardware for new devices with carrier partners Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Telenor are all backing the initiative.

What caught our eye though was Sprint. The company who has the HTC Arrive, who claimed sales are miserable and were “thinking about” Windows Phone 8 but who were the only major US carrier to not publicly endorse it after the recent Summit.  This is the same company now throwing their hat in with Firefox OS which no one has even seen yet let alone knows what’s unique about it. Yet they can’t sign on with Microsoft and their one-two punch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8? Yeesh

In fairness, Firefox OS looks to be aiming for low cost handsets, the same market that Windows Phone Tango wants to grab but can't. Even Android evidently can't go as low as Firefox OS though OEMs are certainly trying (don't forget, Android licensees have to pay Microsoft to use Android). Both Google and Microsoft have publicly commented about the "$99" smartphone--referring to the cost to manufacture, not sell. Just today Microsoft reiterated the flexibility of WP8 and its ability scale up as well as down for low-cost hardware.

Early screenshots of Firefox OS

Although we have a soft-spot for the Mozilla Foundation and we think they have made the internet world a better place, we can’t help but wonder if this will go anywhere. Microsoft, with all of their money, large ecosystem, media tie-ins and strong partnership with Nokia are barely making waves. Most people have already written off RIM with Blackberry 10 and that’s a company with an established track record and valuable IP—what chance does Mozilla have with Firefox OS?

So 2013 will be an interesting year of the giants, Android and iOS with the juggernaut-in-waiting Microsoft dominating the smartphone market, while Blackberry 10, Firefox OS and Bada all fight for fourth place.

We’ll let the free market decide this one but we know where to place our bets. As for Sprint, if they don’t say something soon about Windows Phone 8 or we don’t start to hear rumblings of new WP8 devices, we seriously suggest you ditch them and look at T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T or US Cellular for your next-gen handset.

Does Mozilla have a chance for the prepaid/pay-as-you-go market or will Android and Windows Phone get there first? Should Microsoft be worried? Let us know in comments.

Source: Mozilla

Mozilla's Director of Developer Relations, Christopher Blizzard, sat down with Gizmodo to discuss Firefox's mobile browser (formerly known as Fennec). Blizzard took the opportunity to reaffirm the company isn't developing for Windows Phones. This isn't anything new but it's more so how Mr. Blizzard make the affirmation that caught our attention.

"[On Windows Phone 7] they said, 'You can use stuff in Silverlight if you want, but you have to come through our app store, and we get to veto.' We're not going to bother. They're gonna ship some version of IE, which is gonna be terrible..."

We will assume "they" is Microsoft.  In referring to Windows Mobile Blizzard said,

"We were going to do Windows Mobile because Windows Mobile really needed a good browser, but they shut down their platform.".

We can't blame for Mr. Blizzard presenting Mozilla's mobile browser as the best thing since sliced bread but there are good browsers out there for the Windows Phone. Skyfire and Opera come to mind.

So, can a Windows Phone 7 ever survive without Mozilla's mobile browser? Are the current crop of browsers on Windows Mobile that bad? Personally, I think Mr. Blizzard is well off the mark. How about you?

The lines between desktop and mobile computing just got a little more blurry. (That's a good thing.) Mozilla's Weave service, which, in a nutshell, syncs your browser data — including bookmarks, passwords, history and even open tabs — just his 1.0 beta status. Why is this important for Windows Mobile, you ask? Because Mozilla's been working on its mobile browser (codenamed Fennec) for some time now, and Weave will play an integral part in it.

If you've been using a desktop browser sync, you already know what we're talking about. Your data is seamlessly synced between one or more computers and the cloud. Weave goes a step further, also syncing the data with the Fennec browser. I've been using Weave off and on with Firefox for a while now, and it's steadily improved. And v1.0b is even faster and more transparent. Now we just need to see Fennec get out the door (and get much faster), and we'll have a real browser war on our hands. [download Weave via Mozilla Labs]

We're still eagerly anticipating the release of the mobile Firefox browser, and the boys and girls at Mozilla are hard at work. Vice President Jay Sullivan recently talked with Lifehacker about plans in the mobile space.

And in case you missed it, we also had our own interview with Firefox mobile's Brad Lassey some time ago.

Lifehacker: Mozilla VP on What Firefox Mobile Means for Your Phone

When Firefox released the first Alpha build of its mobile browser -- aka Fennec -- in May, it left a lot of you underwhelemed. Hey, it was an Alpha build. Don't say we (and Mozilla) didn't warn you. But work has been progressing, and Mozilla just released the Alpha 2 build. Here's what's new in Alpha 2: [via Pavlov's blog]

• Improved panning performance
• Newly designed theme
• JavaScript error console is now built in
• Improved add-on support
• Numerous bug fixes
• Improved UI polish

As per the usual, Mozilla is developing for the HTC Touch Pro. So back up your info, and get to testing. Here's the download link. (Don't have a Touch Pro? Try out the desktop versions.) And let us know in the comments how things look.

Update: Here's one fairly big known bug worth noting:

The feature list for the Firefox mobile browser is steadily growing. In addition to the (soon-to-be) standard Firefox 3.5 engine, we're also expecting to see:

• Weave: The all-remembering password/bookmark/tab/add-on/everything sync feature.
• Geolocation: Your browser can tell where you are.
• Gesture browsing: Possibly. We've seen a cool demonstration.

And now, we see a prototype that could bring automatic Web site logins to the mobile and desktop browsers via Weave sync. It'll handle OpenID, as well as normal username/password logins.

Of course, all of this is still in the early stages, and work on the Firefox mobile browser continues. Check out the demo video of the auto log-in.

Mozilla Labs blog via Lifehacker

Work continues on the Windows Mobile version of the Firefox mobile browser (heretofore known as Fennec), but the Nokia version is farther along. And it's there that we take a quick peek at what we expect to eventually see in our version.

At the top of our list is Weave, which basically is a monster sync extension that will connect your phone's Firefox browser with your desktop version of Firefox.

If you use the XMarks (formerly Foxmarks) extension, you're already used to syncing bookmarks and passwords. Weave does even more, as you can see in the picture above. You also can sync cookies, tabs, history, forms and input.

Head on over to the Fennec blog and see more of Weave running on a Nokia N810.

Ask and ye shall receive. No sooner do we get another very cool look at what Fennec – Mozilla's Firefox Mobile browser – can do, the team releases the first "Milestone Release" for the HTC Touch Pro.

A word of warning: This is a "Milestone Release" and is not the finished product. As Mozilla's Brad Lassey explains:

Lassey also takes on the recent "leaked" versions of Fennec that were floating around. (See our own "There's a Mad Fennec on the Loose")

While today's Milestone Release isn't the finished product, it's the first time most of us are going to get a good hands-on with the mobile browser best positioned to take on mobile Safari. So, back up your phone (we'll say it again — back up your phone) go download the CAB file here (again, HTC Touch Pro only, for now), and get to playin'. Let us know in the comments how it's holding up for you.

Update: Looks like the browser loads just fine, but the actual, uh, browsing may not be going so fine. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Update 2: Mozilla's on the case, as its own Ben Combee notes in the comments. Thanks, Ben!

We'd had a fleeting hope that after last month's Alpha 2 release we might see an actual Windows Mobile beta build of Fennec, the upcoming Firefox Mobile browser, in the first couple of months of the year. Alas, it's not to be.

Mozilla's Fennec test plan notes Feb. 27 as the scheduled date for the Beta 1 release, then lets us down in no uncertain terms.

So, work continues, and it sounds like they're making progress. Here are the WinMo notes from this week's Fennec meeting:

Patience, grasshopper.

Windows Mobile is all about having options, sometimes to a fault. If you want someone else to decide how you're going to use your device, go here.

That's why the advent of yet another browser for Windows Mobile is a time for celebration. Opera Mobile, Skyfire, Webkit — they all bring something to the table that Internet Explorer does not. And they're all different enough to make having more than one browser not seem silly.

We're eagerly awaiting the alpha release of Firefox Mobile, aka Fennec (we'll save you the trouble: It's a small desert fox), any day now. And after a quick read through Mozilla's mobile roadmap, we can sum up our excitement with a couple of points (after the jump).

Mozilla Weave

Fennec is being developed by Mozilla, makers of uber-browser Firefox, so it's pretty safe to assume that it should be a competent mobile browser. Fennec and Weave are where it can get really sexy.

A spin through that Fennec roadmap brings us a couple of juicy tidbits:

Release themes

In priority order, here are the key themes of the first Fennec release:

1. Simple, fast navigation to Web content 2. Compatibility with the Web 3. Secure 4. A "whole product" 5. A platform for innovation on mobile

Getting to Web content

• Awesome bar
• Search integrated into URL bar
• Password manager
• Weave

By comparison, here are results from my browsers on a Windows XP desktop, plus what I run on my Motorola Q9h:

• Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.13: Scored 12 out of 100 (I think) after about 30 seconds. It rendered so horribly it was hard to tell.
• Internet Explorer 8 beta (8.0.6001.18241): Scored 15 out of 100.
• Firefox 3.0.3: Scored 71 out of 100.
• Safari 3.1.2 (525.21): Scored 75 out of 100.
• Google Chrome 0.2.149.30: Scored 79 out of 100.
• Opera Mobile 6.5: Scored 3 out 100.
• Skyfire 0.8.0.68.43: Scored 52 out of 100.

So, Fennec appears to have a bit of browsing power under its belt. I'll be interesting to see how older devices handle it. That said, the Fennec roadmap lists Windows Mobile 6 as the earliest version supported.

Not quite drooling - yet

At this point, we're mildly excited about Fennec. Having more options on your Windows Mobile device is a good thing, especially one that's open source. We won't go into full-on drool mode until we see some actual hands-on video and get to try it for ourselves.

But Fennec is looking like it may be a fine addition, along with Skyfire and Opera, to our browsing arsenal.

Back a couple months ago we mentioned how the Mozilla Project was taking a serious stab at mobile browsing to which our response was "Hallelujah! What took you so long?".

Well, looks like the project is finally off the ground as Mozilla has launched their Wiki site to discuss development of their new super mobile browser, which will evidently come in Touch-screen and non-Touch screen flavors. Some of the goals are pretty basic but well thought out:

• 1-2 taps for most frequent activities
• Finger taps -- no stylus required
• Familiar (to desktop users) where possible
• Intuitive

For the non-Touch screen devices, a "virtual cursor" is on deck for easy mobile navigation. And just to whet your appetite a little more, we've tossed some screens shots of what the future browser may look like after the break. Delicious.

Touch Screen

Non-Touch Screen