Mozilla is bringing full-fledged browser extensions to Firefox for Android. The company has announced that its mobile browser app will gain support for desktop extensions later this year. It has already informed developers about this update and provided instructions to help them prepare their products for Android release.
Extensions, also known as add-ons, can significantly enhance the capability of a browser. While most desktop browsers let users install these tools to unlock new features, their mobile versions lack the functionality. Case in point, Google Chrome, the world’s most popular mobile browser app, doesn’t support extensions on Android.
While Firefox does support add-ons on Android, the ecosystem is quite limited compared to the desktop version. To be fair to Mozilla, it did offer extensions widely on its mobile browser app until a few years ago. But the Fenix redesign in 2020 killed most of them. The company has revived a few since then, but most of its efforts have gone towards improving the browser itself. Extension support has taken a backseat.
It appears Firefox for Android is now ready to welcome back full-fledged extensions. Mozilla recently announced that it will launch support for an “open ecosystem of extensions” on its Android browser app in the coming months. The company will reveal a “definite launch date” in early September but promises to begin the rollout before the end of 2023. It says Firefox will become the “only major Android browser” to support an open extension ecosystem.
“There is so much creative potential to unlock within the mobile browser space. Mozilla wants to provide developers with the best support we can so they’re equipped and empowered to build modern mobile WebExtensions,” said Giorgio Natili, Firefox Director of Engineering, in an official blog post announcing the big update.
Mozilla will help developers bring their extensions to Firefox for Android
Ahead of the promised rollout of full-fledged extensions on Firefox for Android later this year, Mozilla has provided developers with instructions on making their extensions ready for Android usage. It encourages them to “transition from persistent backgrounds to non-persistent Event pages” to improve the stability of their extension. This is necessary because “Android is prone to shutting down resource-intensive processes, such as extensions.”
You can find technical details concerning this change here. Mozilla says it will create additional guides and resources for developers and host community events to support them during this transition in the coming months. We will let you know when the company shares more information.