
Firefox Preview 3.0 - vidyesh
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/whats-new-firefox-preview-30
======
cwyers
Since it took me a little while to figure out what this was -- it's Firefox
for Android.

~~~
mkl
Not the ordinary Firefox for Android, though.

Specifically:
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fe...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fenix&hl=en_US)

"Firefox Preview marks a release of the early version for an experimental
Firefox browser for Android. Built on GeckoView, Firefox Preview is a pilot
for early adopters, developers, and anyone who wants to help make a better,
more private Firefox for Android."

~~~
asymmetric
What’s the difference with the regular Firefox for Android?

~~~
Leace
Extensions doesn't work. Initially they thought it was a great idea but after
some backlash Mozilla decided to add some popular ones:
[https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/5630](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/5630)

~~~
jeltz
The ability to install extensions, especially uBlock Origin, is the only
reason I switched to Firefox on mobile so it is good that they have changed
their minds. But what do you mean by "add some popular ones"?

~~~
zaarn
IIRC some known working extensions (uBO) will be installed if you log into
Firefox Sync and it's installed on the desktop. The Addon interface is still a
WIP afaik.

------
wldlyinaccurate
I've been using Firefox Preview since it was announced in June and so far I'm
really impressed. It's much faster than "regular" Firefox for Android, and I
like the UI better. There have been a few bugs and annoyances as they release
updates, and I really miss having a good content blocker like uBlock. Aside
from that, I'm just happy that there's finally a fast web browser for Android
that isn't Chrome.

~~~
solnyshok
same here. also missing ublock.

~~~
Leace
Subscribe to this issue: [https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/5630](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/5630)

------
nonbirithm
I'm liking Preview so far on Android. Especially the bottom bar. There are few
more things that would sell it for me as my only browser.

\- Extensions, for uBlock Origin.

\- Some equivalent of the most convenient features I've ingrained to muscle
memory from Brave, like pull-to-refresh, tapping a word to see a search/lookup
box or swiping left/right on the address bar to change tabs.

\- Or at least the ability to search DDG or Google from highlighted text (I've
tried doing this so many times but it isn't implemented yet).

\- The file picker on GitHub crashes.

Of course these will probably be addressed eventually.

~~~
II2II
> There are few more things that would sell it for me as my only browser.

It is a preview, so the important question is what does Mozilla have to do to
encourage people to test it? In my books, two major things need to be done:

\- Give it a more meaningful name. People need to know about it and remember
to follow it's development until they feel it is ready for them to test.

\- Focus upon the distinguishing features that compel people to use Firefox
instead of another browser.

For example: I am waiting until Firefox Preview has add-on support prior to
testing it. I would much prefer to put up with an incomplete rendering engine
or incomplete add-on support than live without add-ons altogether. Add-ons
would allow me to use Firefox Preview normally, switch to the release version
of Firefox when needed, then submit meaningful feedback. Without add-ons, I
would simply reach for the release version of Firefox by default and Firefox
Preview would soon be forgotten soon after installing it.

Now everyone is going to have a different must have feature. That's fine. This
is a development preview, so different people are going to come on line at
different times based upon what it offers. Which leads me to ...

... the name bit. I originally heard about Firefox Preview several months
back, never bothered to test it for the reason stated above, then promptly
forgot about it since the name did not scream, "hey, major Firefox
improvements are coming down the pipe, remember me for when you're ready!" Not
only is the name non-memorable, but I likely saw dozens of headlines for it in
the since then and did not even realize it. Something as simple as "Firefox
for Android Preview" or "Firefox for Android Technology Preview" would have
alerted me that it is something that I am interested in tracking. (While I use
the desktop version of Firefox, I have no interest in following articles on
its updates.) Since the name didn't distinguish the product, it has been
effectively out-of-sight and out-of-mind.

------
anotheryou
I just need my add-ons :)

Heard there is a hack to try them already, does anyone know how?

~~~
arthursilva
You probably want to follow this issue [https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/5630](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/5630)

~~~
reyqn
Or those User Stories [https://github.com/orgs/mozilla-
mobile/projects/44](https://github.com/orgs/mozilla-mobile/projects/44)

~~~
anotheryou
cool, that looks like progress!

------
RandomBacon
If anyone developing this is here: I don't like the drawer above the
URL/search bar which contains the share and bookmark buttons. The bar is
visually-distracting, and it's much easier to tap on the vertical three dots
menu and tap on a bookmark button there. I've never been a fan of "share", but
that could probably be moved inline with the URL/search bar (either the share
or bookmark button, and the other button going in the menu).

Is there going to be an option for the URL/search bar to automatically hide
similar to how it does on Firefox for Android when you scroll? That would be a
nice feature to have.

(Extensions is a must-have if I'm going to switch over!)

Thanks, and great job!

~~~
Vinnl
From the linked page:

> An updated browser menu has replaced the Quick Action bar

So the drawer is gone when this is released.

IIRC, the toolbar did auto-hide at first, but they were still running into
some bugs so they've disabled it for now. It was also pretty weird with the
bottom bar, given that it disappeared if you scrolled down.

Extensions are on the roadmap.

------
m712
I can't find it on F-Droid, hopefully they get it on there soon. The main repo
doesn't seem to have the Pocket spyware in the app yet, at least.

~~~
yoavm
"the Pocket spyware"? In what way is the Pocket integration spying on you? I'm
not a fan of it either, but isn't it a little of stretch?..

------
Vinnl
Apparently these are draft release notes; v3 hasn't been released yet:
[https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/6852#issuecom...](https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/6852#issuecomment-559522175)

------
jakub_g
> Open links in private tabs by default

Nice! This is why I use Firefox Focus as a default browser on Android. Would
be cool if other browsers (Brave?) implemented this as well.

~~~
xvf22
Firefox Klar[0] is a version of Focus for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
vthat has user activity tracking disabled by default.

[0]
[https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.mozilla.klar/](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.mozilla.klar/)

------
jeltz
What does it even mean to open them in private tabs by default and why is that
a behavior I would want? I use private tabs as a way to keep things out of my
browsing history or to check what happens to a page when it does not get any
of its normal cookies.

~~~
Acinyx
If you are using a different app to browse stuff you don't want in your
history, say in the reddit app, this feature means clicking a link in that app
will not immediately make it show up in your history.

------
Andrew_nenakhov
> Open links in private tabs by default

I'm not sure it's a great idea. I like having my browsing history available
and synced between devices. Also, if all private tabs share the same profile,
it might be kinda pointless

~~~
fluidcruft
It's actually something I adapted to and really came to like about using
Firefox Focus (and have missed since switching to Firefox Preview). The main
thing about Firefox Focus is it was extremely easy to reopen a page in a
different browser or app (Chrome, Firefox, whatever). So some app on your
phone would send you somewhere in Focus and you would peek at a website and
then decide to transfer to the "real" browser if you actually cared.

------
svnpenn
I dont think this has any option for "open in app" like Firefox for Android:

[https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/4575](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/4575)

So if you use NewPipe or similar, dont install Firefox Preview.

~~~
Aissen
I use this open source app to solve this with any app:
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.audioattack...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.audioattack.openlink&hl=en)

~~~
svnpenn
I dont see how this solves the problem.

~~~
Aissen
Use native Android sharing to open a link in an app that has registered it.

~~~
svnpenn
Im not installing an app just to get back functionality that was and should be
already part of the browser.

------
g4d
Can I download files with it yet without the download failing?

~~~
orra
Were you unable to download files which required authentication?

That seems to have been fixed in a previous release.

------
jplayer01
Useless without add-on support. I'm going to be avoiding Fenix until I can
install a proper adblocker.

------
qUb5633v
I've been using it off and on. My only complaint is not being able to use an
ad blocker.

------
ajot
How good is the baked-in ad and analytics blocking, compared to uBlock Origin?

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mehdix
First impression: it's fast compared to the regular Firefox for Android.

------
jhoechtl
What I sorely miss is the ability to add tags to bookmarks. Whenever I add
bookmarks in mobile, I have to edit them on the desktop version.

------
steveharman
Is there a way to set the position of the address bar to the top of the screen
instead of the bottom (as there is in Chrome) ?

~~~
benji_is_me
Yes, there is. Settings > Toolbar > Top.

~~~
RandomBacon
I don't see Toolbar. Did they nust update it and remove it?

Hmmm... About:Config doesn't work.

~~~
Vinnl
Version 3 (which this page is about) hasn't been released yet, apparently, and
the option was added there. Might be that you're still on the previous
version.

------
valeg
I'll wait for addons and PWA support.

------
rvoje
I am unable to add a custom search engine even though it is listed as a
feature. Anyone else tried to add one?

~~~
abrowne
I personally haven't tried yet, but at least one other is saying it's not
working yet: [https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/5577#issuecom...](https://github.com/mozilla-
mobile/fenix/issues/5577#issuecomment-558564183)

------
dbcooper
Does it support page translation?

------
kgwxd
If it was ported, could this run decently on a Raspberry Pi?

~~~
kbrosnan
It would not make any sense to Port Firefox Preview to RPi as the project is
built around the Android API and widgets.

Some of the Gecko work to support Firefox Preview could help performance on
low spec hardware.

