Mozilla releases Firefox preview for Windows 8; try out the pre-beta today

By Michael Archambault
published

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 (opens in new tab) 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 (opens in new tab).

Source: Mozilla (opens in new tab); via Neowin

Michael Archambault
Michael Archambault
49 Comments
  • No chance of an rt version?
  • An RT version would need to come from the Store, which means it would need to be reviewed and published. I dont know if this complies with the MS Store policy since it is still in beta.
  • Alpha actually
  • I was gonna ask this as well because someone brought it up in the Surface AMA on Reddit.  If I understand correctly though, Mozilla is making a Modern UI app (Windows 8 and Windows RT) that will come eventually. This beta version is downloadable to the desktop and therefore not for RT. Is that an accurate understanding?
  • Never for RT. Can't run compiled applications.
  • It can if they're compiled for ARM and signed by Microsoft.
  • If you use the jailbreak script you can.
  • Also submit feedback to help development of features performance and bugs in browser feedback center!
  • Awesome wuuhuu, nimow bring it on windows phone
  • Eeek
  • Now you can watch all of your female porn sites... Meaning pics/video of men..............
  • Wait, what?
  • Long story short.. NIST just came out the closet..
  • What about WP8?
  • It always starts the Desktop Version, even if i start it from the metro screen. Any advice?
  • You have to set it as the default internet browser, then it will open as the metro app.
  • Thanks, i did that. But it still doesn't open the metro app version. BTW it is the same with internet explorer.
  • I'm in the same boat, I am not sure if this is just a desktop browser with some W8 features, or a new metro browser.
  • Is this different from the one that's been out for a while? I tried several weeks ago and it seemed more like a pre alpha than a beta. Also the whole "set as default to get the touch interface" is dumb on internet explorer's part and it's still dumb now that Firefox is doing it.
  • Windows 8 limitation. Not a FF thing, I think.
  • I suspected as much.  it can sit till next year. IE is fine
  • Hmm, is this a Modern/Metro app?  I fail to see the point of a Windows 8 specific Firefox if that's not the case.  i went to the link and it's an exe. 
    If I'm wrong, can someone please enlighten me on what the purpose of a non-modern Windows 8 specific Firefox is?
  • Touch friendly
  • Yeah this sure was a letdown. I was expecting a metro app.
  • I have to say it's really annoying that only one browser is allowed to open as a metro app.
  • I second that!
  • IE is actually faster. Sad.
  • What is so sad about IE being faster? I'd say that Microsoft is doing something right.
  • If only we could get some Google Chrome support on WP8 and WindowsRT
  • FF crushes Chome.
  • Yep.
  • If only Chrome was about supporting something more than locking people into the Google flytrap.
  • Sorry right now IE is much better with Win8 but then I've been using nothing but IE metro.
  • It needs more file support.. All my online porn won't play... Am I doing something wrong...
  • You're holding it wrong...
  • Ok Jobs.... Lol❕
  • You can also download the nightly's version...
     
    http://nightly.mozilla.org/
  • This is huge news.. I'm surprised there's not more comments.... No sarcasm..
  • No RT version... What's the point then? :-S
  • Does it have Pointer Events yet or is Mozilla still taking their orders from Mountain View?
  • Already using Aurora for my W7, for 2 years...
  • Gah, got all excited it was Windows Phone 8 only to realize Win8. Why is there Win8 (and Xbox) news on Windows Phone Central :(
  • OK, so I just installed this and opened up the Metro/Modern app. The scrolling is reeeally really weird and jerky. Is this happening to anybody else?
  • Provide feedback to Mozilla please at the feedback center about how it sucks and barely useful with no features they would appreciate it so the browser can improve provide it at the feedback center its what I am doing
  • Now vlc strike in
  • Any news about Windows Phone version?.. Render engine is not so important... Sync needed
  • If I recall correctly, Microsoft doesn't allow other browsers on WP apart from IE. You can have search engines (you have a Google app) but you can't have browsers. So no Firefox, Chrome, Safari etc.
  • LOL. Just search for "browser" in store :) Chrome for iOS works the same, via webview
  • I've been using it for some time (or rather, having the option to use it alongside the desktop one) in the Nightly channel of Firefox, the 64 bit version. It's pretty cool, I wish I had it in my Surface RT.