In this post, we will tell you the top Firefox for Android features that make it a must-try. A browser is our gateway into the world of the Internet, whether it’s on desktop or mobile. Hence, it’s necessary for a user to have the best one with all the necessary features and services. Many browsers such as Opera, Opera Mini, Brave, and Samsung Internet Browser etc. are available on Google Play Store. Google Chrome, however, is the only browser that comes pre-installed on all Android devices besides being the most popular one too. However, many would like to shift to some other browser and that’s where Firefox comes in. If you are wondering that it’s been there for ages so why would someone shift, then let’s first tell you what’s new in Firefox.
What’s New About Mozilla Firefox
The desktop version of the browser is known as Firefox Quantum. The same moniker, however, is not given to Android and iOS yet. Primarily because all the Quantum features that are present in the desktop tool are not fully implemented in Android yet. But, some of the features are available on Android as well. Known for being an open-source browser that respects privacy, Mozilla Firefox tackles its topmost drawback in the upgraded version i.e. the performance issue. The new Mozilla Firefox is significantly faster and more efficient. Along with the new UI, the third-party apps on Android can now use Firefox too, besides Google Chrome, to open custom tabs. For those who are not in the know, custom tabs are the browser tabs that are opened in the third-party app itself. I tried Mozilla Firefox and it seems good. Here are the top five features that make the Mozilla Firefox browser a must-try on Android.
1. Clean Design
The upgraded Firefox introduces the new Photon UI across all the platforms. The modern and minimalist Photon UI focusses on speed, making it faster. If you have been a Firefox user, you will notice that the new UI has less color that gives it a clean look. The old gray and orange designs are gone, replaced by a white design with the blue accent color. If you are migrating from Chrome like me, the new design would look quite similar to Chrome. Further, Firefox offers a clean home page that lets you access the frequently-visited sites easily. You can easily access multiple search engines from the search page too. For instance, if you enter “Guiding tech” and press the Twitter search button present at the bottom, it will redirect to Twitter and search for tweets that include the term Guiding tech. I even found the tab-switching process quicker. It shows all the open tabs with a small preview for each. The Photon UI really uses the space well. Not just that, the overall experience feels much quicker and responsive. And the best part, all the platforms now have a similar UI.
2. Upgraded Performance
The new Firefox offers an enhanced and improved performance over its previous versions. It is fast if you compare it with its previous versions but, honestly, not faster than Chrome. As mentioned above, Mozilla is yet to incorporate all the under-the-hood changes that will drastically improve the performance on Android. The upcoming Quantum CSS renderer will boost the speed by 2X, all thanks to lower memory usage and multi-core CPU support. That said, we are not saying that the current version is bad, in fact, it is extremely good and powerful if you compare it to other browsers available on Google Play Store. It offers a competitive performance even without the upcoming Quantum CSS renderer.
3. Do Not Track Privacy Feature
If you are fed up with the tracking codes on various sites that you visit via your browser, Mozilla Firefox comes to your rescue. It is the first mobile browser that offers the Do not track privacy feature in both the regular and the privacy mode. When the feature is enabled, advertisers do not collect your information to sell you targeted ads using trackers. It blocks online trackers and informs third-party websites that you are not interested in those ads. Not only does the Do not track feature block trackers, it makes pages load faster as the wicked ad trackers are now blocked by your browser. If you want to opt out of the Do not track feature, you can do that from the browser settings (Settings > Privacy > Do not track) In addition to the Do not track feature, Firefox also offers other privacy features such as guest session (Tools > New Guest Session) where the guest user doesn’t have the access to your saved logins and browsing history. Further, the browser also comes with an option that automatically clears browsing history and data whenever the user exits the browser. If you want a dedicated browser for safe browsing, Mozilla Firefox offers another simple, small and fast browser known as Firefox Focus: The privacy browser.
4. Add-ons or Extensions
While the famous Chrome browser lacks the extension support on Android, Mozilla Firefox, on the other hand, offers a huge collection of extensions, or as Mozilla calls them ‘Add-ons’. From the user interface, bookmark organizers, social networking to productivity add-ons, Firefox has it all. Currently, no other Android browser offers such a broad range of add-ons like Firefox.
5. Ad-blocking Measures
One of the best add-ons for Firefox is the ad blocker. If you hate those annoying ads, Firefox will take care of them automatically. All you need to do is install an ad blocker extension from the myriad of add-ons available. You can try ad blockers such as Ublock Origin or Adblock Plus on your Android device.
What Else?
In addition to the above-mentioned features, Firefox comes with other cool tools. These include reading mode, themes, powerful synchronization of tabs, and bookmarks. In addition to that, Firefox syncs login and browsing history across platforms and offers excellent customization options for the home screen. Let us know how you feel about the updated Firefox for Android. The comment section is below. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
