Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is an easy and open development platform to build fast, powerful and beautiful mobile web apps and add-ons. Use the latest web technologies like HTML5, CSS and JavaScript to innovate faster, more easily and extend your reach. You can build great sites and apps by tapping into the device capabilities of the phone, as well as create game changing add-ons. Visit the Mozilla Developer Network to learn more about how you can build and showcase your innovations on millions of devices.

Build Add-ons for Mobile

Although Firefox for the desktop and mobile are built on the same technology platform, there are differences that will require developers to make changes to their add-ons in order to become compatible with Firefox for Android.

With this new release we now support Restartless Add-ons. Visit the Electrolysis and Add-ons wiki page and the Add-ons Training Week documentation to learn more.

What’s Under the Hood

• The same browser engine as Firefox for desktop
• Fast JavaScript engine, using Mozilla’s JägerMonkey just-in-time compiler
• Leading web standards compatibility
• Optimized for ARM processors
• Location-Aware Browsing

• Web workers
• Offline storage
• <canvas>
• <svg>
• online/offline events
• Native JSON
• <audio>
• <video>

Firefox 5 is available for Android 2.0 and higher.

Firefox 5 requires 512 MB of RAM and around 17 MB of storage. However, Android 2.2 users can move Firefox and user data to the SD card using Android’s Settings app.

This release requires a phone with an ARMv7 processor. Before installing Firefox 5 on your Android phone, visit the Platforms and Device Requirements page. See a full list of supported and unsupported devices by visiting our System Requirements wiki.

Is Firefox available for my phone?

Firefox is available for Android (2.0 or higher) phones with compatible hardware, and for the Nokia N900. See the Supported Devices page to see if Firefox is compatible with your Android device. You can download Firefox for Android and for the Nokia N900 at firefox.com/m. If Firefox for mobile is not available for your device or platform, we're continuing to investigate ways to bring parts of the Firefox experience to you. Learn more about our mobile projects.

Is it called Fennec or Firefox?

Fennec is the codename of Mozilla’s mobile project, however the official product name is Firefox.

How will Firefox keep me safe while I browse on my mobile?

Mozilla’s open source process leverages the experience of thousands of security experts around the globe, and Firefox includes features like HTTP Strict Transport Security, which lets Firefox work together with web site authors to protect you against eavesdropping and web forgery. Customizable security settings to manage passwords, cookies, loading images and installing add-ons give you complete control over your browsing experience. Learn more.

How do I use the Firefox user interface to browse the Web?

To save space on your phone’s display, Firefox browser controls are stowed away to the sides of the screen. Swipe right to access your tabs on the left side of the screen. Swipe left to view one-touch bookmarking, back and forward, and access your browser tools. To let you see more of the Web site, your browser controls and Awesome Bar get stowed away out of view. when you scroll down a Web page, but they instantly reappear if you pan to either side. Tap on the on Web site icon to the left of the Awesome Bar to open the Site Menu and manage your relationship with the current web page.

What is the Awesome Screen?

The Awesome Screen pops up just by tapping on the location bar. It instantly brings up a smart list of your favourite history items and bookmarks and lets you easily select a search engine for your desired search. You can also customize your search engine list for maximum efficiency.

How do I zoom in and out?

For Android phones, pinch to zoom in and out, or double-tap. For the Nokia N900, you can use the volume button on the top of your phone, or double tap the screen with your finger to zoom in and out. Also, on the Nokia N900, Ctrl-up and Ctrl-down arrows will zoom in and out.

How do I bookmark a web page?

Go to the site you wish to bookmark. Touch the bookmark “star” button on the right side of your display.

How do I open a new tab?

Touch the new tab "plus" button on the left side of your display screen to open a new tab. Tabs appear as thumbnails so you can easily see which page you’d like to select.

What are Firefox Add-ons and how can I get them on my mobile device?

Add-ons are small pieces of software that let you add or change the look or functionality of Firefox. Install add-ons directly to your Firefox by swiping to the left and tapping on the browser tools "gear" button on the bottom right-hand side of your screen, then choosing the add-ons “puzzle piece” button to discover and install the add-ons that are most useful to you.

How can I share my Firefox bookmarks, history, tabs, and passwords between my desktop and my mobile?

Firefox Sync is a built-in feature of Firefox that lets you synchronize your desktop and mobile data. To use this feature, you must first install Firefox for the desktop (version 4 or higher). Then go to Tools, Set Up Sync and follow the prompts to create a Sync Account. Once you have an account on your desktop, go to Firefox on your mobile phone, tap on Browser Tools button. Scroll down the Preferences pane and tap Connect under the Sync section. A one-time code will appear. Go back to your Sync account info, select “Add Device” and enter the code from your phone. Learn more about setting up Firefox Sync on your mobile.

Do I need to setup Firefox Sync to use Firefox on my phone?

No. Although we think Firefox Sync is highly useful, it is feature that you can choose to use or not. The Awesome Screen will start to get to know you and take you to your favorite parts of the Web with minimal typing, even without Firefox Sync.

What are the trade-offs to using Firefox Sync in Firefox?

Although we think Firefox Sync is highly useful, it is still in its experimental phase. Those who use Firefox Sync and who have large desktop profiles, may detect performance issues on their mobile. We are working to resolve this in future releases.

What is Location-Aware Browsing? Is Firefox tracking where I am?

Location-Aware Browsing saves you time by allowing websites to ask you where you are. If you choose to share your location with a website, it can use that information to find nearby points of interest and return additional, useful data like maps of your area. It’s all optional – Firefox doesn’t share your location without your permission. Learn more about Location-Aware Browsing.

The following resources contain useful information about Firefox for mobile:

• Firefox for Mobile Support Articles
• Firefox for Mobile Support Forum
• Have an idea for Firefox for mobile?