Firefox for Android introduces a completely redesigned experience that is optimized for tablets and makes mobile browsing more intuitive. New tools in Firefox enable developers to create interactive mobile Web experiences.
Firefox for Android leverages large tablet screen sizes and optimizes popular features for tablets. The Awesome Screen integrates Firefox Sync and makes it easy to access your browsing history, open tabs, bookmarks and saved passwords across desktop and mobile devices so you can type less and browse more.
Tabs appear as thumbnails in the left panel so you can quickly switch between them while still viewing full websites on the right. You can swipe to the left to hide tabs for a full screen view.
Firefox optimizes your Web experience for both portrait and widescreen mode. In portrait mode, tabs are listed in a top left menu and easily hide when you don’t need them, allowing you to focus on the websites you visit.
With the new Action Bar menu (next to the Awesome Bar), you can access Firefox Preferences, Add-ons, downloads and more. The Action Bar adds the back, forward and bookmark buttons for easy access. One-touch bookmarks enable you to add an icon to your Android home screen for your favorite websites and Web apps, making Web apps as easy to use as native apps.
Developers will enjoy new HTML5 tools in Firefox that make it easier to create fun and interactive mobile Web experiences for phones and tablets. The HTML5 Input Tag for Camera Access enables developers to make websites and Web apps more powerful and interactive. Developers can build mobile websites and Web apps that allow you to use the camera on an Android phone or tablet to take pictures, scan bar codes and more without leaving Firefox. You can see a demo of the camera input element in action here.
Firefox for Android supports the HTML5 Form Validation API which automatically validates website form fields like numbers, emails and URLs without developers needing to write a custom code or use a third-party library.
For more information:
- Download Firefox for Android
- Long, technical release notes
- Future of Firefox for Android
- Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux
