Mozilla Add-ons Community Blog
Firefox Preview logo
Categories: developers end users mobile webextensions

FAQ for extension support in new Firefox for Android

44 responses

Dec. 12, 2023 UPDATE: Please see this post for the most updated information around extensions on Firefox for Android.

*************************************

What add-ons are supported on the new Firefox for Android?

Currently, only a limited number of extensions in our Recommended program are supported on the new Firefox for Android (codename: Fenix) release channel. These extensions can be found and installed from the Add-ons Manager. See this article for more information.

Will more add-ons be supported in the future?

We wanted to ensure that the first add-ons supported in the new Firefox for Android provide an exceptional, secure mobile experience to our users. To this end, we have prioritized Recommended Extensions that cover common mobile use cases and that are optimized for different screen sizes. For these reasons, it’s possible that not all the add-ons you have previously installed in Firefox for Android will be supported in the near future.

Will add-ons not part of the Recommended Extensions program ever be supported on the new Firefox for Android?

We would like to expand our support to other add-ons on the release channel, and we are continuously working on increasing support while taking into account usage and feedback to ensure we are making the most of our available resources. We will post updates to this blog as plans solidify each quarter.

Can I install extensions from addons.mozilla.org to Firefox for Android?

Currently, you cannot install extensions directly from addons.mozilla.org to Firefox for Android. In the near term you will need to install extensions from the Add-ons Manager on the new Firefox for Android. However, we are thinking about how to support the installation process from AMO as we evaluate future plans.

Can I install other extensions on a pre-release build of Firefox for Android?

Yes, there is an override in Firefox for Android Nightly that you can use to install extensions listed on addons.mozilla.org (AMO) via AMO’s Collections feature. See this post for instructions. Currently, you cannot install an unlisted extension on Firefox for Android Nightly.

We’re working on building a pref for  to allow persistent loading of an arbitrary extension. Once we have more details, we’ll post updates to the Add-ons Blog.

What WebExtensions APIs are currently supported on Firefox for Android?

Most of the WebExtensions APIs supported on the previous Firefox for Android experience are supported in the current application. You can see the current list of compatible APIs on MDN.

Extensions that use unsupported APIs may be buggy or not work at all on Firefox for Android Nightly.

How can I test my extension’s compatibility with Firefox for Android?

You can find more information about developing and testing extensions for Firefox for Android on Firefox Extension Workshop.

What happens to add-ons during the migration from the old Firefox for Android experience to the new one?

Any extensions that are supported on the new Firefox for Android that you had previously installed will be migrated when you upgrade. All other add-ons will be disabled for now.

What is GeckoView?

GeckoView is Mozilla’s mobile browser engine. It takes Gecko, the engine that powers the desktop version of Firefox, and packages it as a reusable Android library. Rebuilding our Firefox for Android browser with GeckoView means we can leverage our Firefox expertise in creating safe and robust online experiences for mobile.

44 comments on “FAQ for extension support in new Firefox for Android”

  1. Christian wrote on

    Will the new geckoview-powered browsers allow installing non-supported addons? How is ” supported” defined?

    1. Andrew wrote on

      From the article:

      Will add-ons not part of the Recommended Extensions program ever be supported on the new Firefox for Android?
      We would like to expand our support to other add-ons. At this time, we don’t have details on enabling support for extensions not part of the Recommended Extensions program in the new Firefox for Android.

  2. Matthijs wrote on

    Will it be possible to stay on the current Firefox for Android version until the add-on support is fleshed out more? Losing my add-ons, even temporarily, would really inconvenience me.

    1. Caitlin Neiman wrote on

      Yes! You won’t get the update until the new Firefox for Android is ready for release. At that time, other add-ons will be supported (although there’s a chance that some of the ones you currently have installed will not be supported.)

      What are the add-ons you currently have installed?

      1. Steven Knipe wrote on

        Not the original commenter, but I wanted to give my list of extensions aside from UBO (which is definitely a very important addon to get working, so glad to see that it’s supported)

        Important (I Won’t switch unless it or a replacement is available):
        1) Greasemonkey: I have 6 scripts currently, and am occasionally adding more. They’re all fairly simple scripts, but add important features to some websites I frequent.
        2) Scroll Bar: Really important for long webpages (adds a menu item to create a scrollbar which can scroll to the top/bottom/arbitrary middle point very quickly)
        3) SingleFile: Downloading webpages for offline viewing (This is already supported on desktop firefox natively), save as PDF just doesn’t work for me.

        Less important:
        1) Show comic title-text: The title-text on images is available via a long press, but is cut off if it’s too long. This is a nice replacement for that process.
        2) View Page Source (Mobile): Occasionally I want to check the page’s HTML source code, but this is pretty rare.
        3) Tap Translate: Convenient way to translate short foreign language sentences in an otherwise english page

        1. Onotole wrote on

          My “won’t switch unless implementet at least this” list:
          uBlock Origin
          TamperMonkey
          HTTPS Everywhere
          Selection Disabler
          Stylus

        2. Tim Lew wrote on

          Alternatives;

          0) uBlock Origin; some chromium builds support plugins (like the Kiwi Browser)
          1) Greasemonkey; a workaround is that you can put javascript in a bookmark
          2) Scroll Bar; I think most are OK with a fast swipe
          3) SingleFile; maybe offline wikipedia in aard 2
          1) Show comic title-text: https://www.explainxkcd.com
          2) View Page Source (Mobile): Remote devices from the desktop
          3) Tap Translate: chrome translate is busted on mobile…

      2. Arjunsinh Jadeja wrote on

        Not OP but I find the extension “Universal Bypass” very useful. It’d be great if it’s included in your recommended extensions list.

      3. Matthijs wrote on

        I have quite a lot, but the most important ones are uBlock origin (which will be supported, according to the FAQ), Bitwarden and HTTPS Everywhere.

      4. Andrew Fox wrote on

        I run Firefox Nightly on my phone and have a bunch of extensions, at some point it automatically converted itself to Firefox Preview. How do I revert it to get back my extensions without losing my browsing profile? Also it seems according to this article that Nightly is being removed and instead we have to use the 2 week rolling release version of Firefox Preview now? How do I import all of my data from Nightly to Preview?

        Here is the list of my current add-ons which have all been disabled except for uBlock Origin:
        – uBlock Origin
        – Unpaywall
        – Google Search Fixer
        – Content Farm Blocker
        – Ghostery – Privacy Ad Blocker
        – Decentraleyes
        – User-Agent Switcher
        – Newsfeed Adblock & Filter
        – Bypass Paywalls
        – Ageless
        – HTTPS Everywhere
        – HTML5 Video Everywhere
        – Cashrewards
        – Steam Database

  3. Panos wrote on

    I’m using Adblock Plus on Firefox on my Android phone. For some reason, it’s not a “Recommended Extension” even though its the most popular extension addons.mozilla.org.

    I’m worried that Firefox will update itself and I’ll lose this important extension.

    1. someone wrote on

      ypu can use abp filter on ublock origin and ubo is lighter

    2. Leo wrote on

      Adblock Plus has greatly fallen out of favor after implementing their “acceptable ads” policy which allows companies to basically pay to be whitelisted by the adblocker. I’m not sure why you’d want to use it over Ublock Origin.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adblock_Plus#Controversies

      1. Andrew Fox wrote on

        Not only has Adblock Plus been running “Acceptable ads” but recent versions of it also pop up notifications in your browser/on your desktop asking you to pay money to the creators. It’s become adware.

  4. E wrote on

    What about support for themes (am a theme creator)

    1. Caitlin Neiman wrote on

      We love themes by our great, creative community members, but due to the limited UI of the new Firefox for Android experience, only a limited number of pre-installed themes will work. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/add-compatibility-firefox-preview

  5. Dan Green wrote on

    I would like to see: darkreader, decentraleyes, forget me not, HTTPS everywhere, I don’t care about cookies, redirect AMP to HTML.

  6. Elias wrote on

    Hi,

    I love the new Firefox. However, I miss the Google search fixer that changes the user agent so that the google search is more advanced. I always check the football scores there and it works very well. So any chance to have support for that?

    I’m referring to this extension: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/google-search-fixer/

  7. Fabio wrote on

    And don’t forget Poper Blocker , I think the second important add-on after Uno or Nano adblocker

  8. Brett wrote on

    Will you be able to sync the same addons as the web browser with you firefox account? (that is if they are among the recommended one)

    1. Caitlin Neiman wrote on

      Not at this time or in the near future. This is something we may want to support later on once there are more extensions supported on the new Firefox for Android and we have worked through some desktop/mobile compatibility issues.

  9. zakius wrote on

    okay so, how can I install and debug my extension of Fenix to make sure it behaves properly while you work on adding AMO support to be ready when it hits?

    1. Caitlin Neiman wrote on

      The team is currently building support for that. We’ll post an update when it’s available.

  10. Teoh Han Hui wrote on

    I’m currently using Firefox for Android Beta and Firefox Preview. How do I keep Fennec around, since I don’t believe Fenix is ready for my daily use (not until more add-ons are supported)? Is the profile shared between Firefox for Android and Firefox for Android Beta?

  11. Robert Freeman-Day (PresGas) wrote on

    I just hope PFP from Wladimir Palant will continue to be working on the new Firefox for Android:

    https://pfp.works/

    It is my go to password store!! …at least until Lockwise gets a bit more features with generating passwords.

    I was a bit concerned at first gloss on the blog, but feel that there will not be a surprise loss of extensions without clear communication. Thanks!!

  12. MyName wrote on

    Which browser to choose on Android if…

    …you want a fast browser: Chrome
    …you want a browser compatible with all websites: Chrome
    …you don’t care and use the pre-installed one: Chrome
    …you want a huge library of great add-ons: Firefox

    Add-ons are pretty much the only solid advantage Firefox on Android has. And now you go and toss the whole library of add-ons?

    I don’t get you guys…

  13. Arman Tamzarian wrote on

    I’d like to see my list of extensions too:
    No Google Scripts – a god send for people behind firewalls that block Google because otherwise the webpage just hangs when websites use Google’s CDNs or Google Fonts or Google Analytics
    No Homo Graphs – a nice to have to protect against domain homograph attacks
    PhartShield – a nice to have to prevent phishing emails because Android on phones aren’t good with showing URLs

  14. Kemy wrote on

    I get the impression that you have a closed list of extensions that you plan to support. Will developers be able to develop new extensions for fenix (or update their current extensions to make sure they work)?

  15. Rich Wallwork wrote on

    The most important add-on for me and a fundamental reason I use Firefox, is called Mobile Dyslexic. It simply changes the typeface in a webpage to Open Dyslexic a specially designed font that improves readability for people who struggle with that aspect of Dyslexia.

    If this stopped being supported I would be very disappointed.

  16. Jacko wrote on

    Add-ons are the only reason I use Firefox Nightly on Android.

  17. Devin wrote on

    Loading my own custom addons is the only reason I use Firefox on Android at all, and now this feature is completely gone.

  18. Stefan wrote on

    I just updated my old 52.9 to 73.0.1 and this new version sucks ! More than half of my addons can’t be replaced (tried Quantom when it was new and hated it – now i hate it even more) and the statusbar at the bottom is nowhere to find.

    I am sure of that Firefox is close to be history if You don’t listen to the users !

  19. Stefan wrote on

    About 73.0.1 on a desktop computer: Why can’t it reach most sites i try to reach ? My bank site tells me i need to get a NEWER Firefox ! WTF ? Yes, i agree with those who say that Firefox is a joke today ! I am back on 52.9.0 ESR ! That at least works on the Internet !

  20. Canon Chan wrote on

    You do realize there are beta channels built-in with Google Play Store? I always find it crazy to have 6 Firefox browsers in the store at the same time, and I’m not counting Firefox Focus yet.

  21. Anonymous wrote on

    To all the impatient friends: please understand that infrastructural work is complex. You can’t just demand every add-on to magically still work for granted after an overhaul. Things need to be cleaned up. The devs need to focus on the most popular ones first then the rest. It’s called beta for a reason.

  22. Aaron wrote on

    Priority should go to those extensions that allow readers who have visual impairments, low vision, and dyslexia.

    For instance beeline reader and mobile dyslexic. All of those that allow for text reflow. It really sucks to find a reading aid that works and then have it yanked away.

    Pretty heartless of Mozilla, to consider these types of extensions for inclusion, after the “most popular” ones.

  23. Samuel wrote on

    Thanks for all the work put into the new Firefox for Android. I support this effort 100%.

    Add-on limitations on the phone are easier to sell, but that doesn’t mean I’m buying, though. By the looks of it, from experience, it feels like full add-on support is going to have to wait for like another whole year, with a possibility that it will just enter limbo status altogether. Sigh. At least the most important add-on is supported.

    I wish uMatrix was available much sooner than that though, what with it sharing a lot of code with uBlock Origin and being from the same author.

    1. Samuel wrote on

      According to this Mozilla developer: https://youtu.be/cdaKXYs8GYk?t=283

      “Mostly all the API that were supported on Firefox for Android should be supported by Fenix. There could be some new bugs.” (regressions)

      So beyond bug fixing, there’s a “political” decision to not enable all add-ons but instead force existing add-ons to go through a UX overhaul process in order to be allowed on mobile.

      Since that kind of decision tends to stuck, that pushes up the probability for full add-on greenlight to fall into limbo status. So I’m starting to wonder about uMatrix and other non-recommended add-ons ever being supported, and about the potential slowness of the process leading to enabling more recommended ones beyond the first 10 or so.

      I understand the goal is to get adoption and retention, we all want (and actually need) that. But that does not mean the chosen policy is better than a more open one towards add-ons, with regards to that goal.

  24. Leon wrote on

    I use Firefox from a long time, but in fullscreen mode availing fullscreen extension. In desktop mode I haven’t problem, but I need fullscreen on mobile also, Android.
    Firefox for Android install more fullscreen extension, but don’t work with none. I’m forced to use other browser, but I would want Firefox.
    Thank You

  25. YourName wrote on

    Wow, people wants to use the very-last-beta-release, but they want to have it all working perfectly like in a production release… ???

  26. Jelle De Loecker wrote on

    No more extensions? That’s like THE feature that sets Firefox mobile apart form all the other mobile browsers. How is this an improvement?

  27. Gary wrote on

    As this would disable most of my security add-ons, I’m going to have to disable Firefox updates. The ability to use add-ons on Android was, for me, Firefox’s “killer app”. It was never the fastest, never the most stable, but it used to be the most secure. Not anymore…

  28. Micheal wrote on

    Accoridng to the Retrocube Developer https://www.retrocube.com/: “Most of the API were supported on Firefox for Android should be supported by Fenix. There could be some new bugs.”

  29. DavidBE wrote on

    AHA. Preview has just updated to the usability of Preview Nightly. I’d really like to be able to switch to using Preview or Nightly as my default browser. BUT I just can’t take all the white/light background websites any more so I MUST have either the ability to use the Dark Reader extension or an option like Android Google Chrome’s Settings>Themes>Dark>Darken Websites. Please. Very soon.