Firefox for iOS

Firefox for iOS
Screenshot
Developer(s)
Initial release November 12, 2015 (2015-11-12)[1]
Stable release
12.0 / June 11, 2018 (2018-06-11)[2]
Repository
Edit this at Wikidata
Written in C, Objective-C, Swift
Operating system iOS 10.3 and above[3]
Size 101.9 MB[4]
Type Mobile browser
License MPL
Website mozilla.org/firefox/ios/

Firefox for iOS is a browser from Mozilla, for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch mobile devices.[5] It is the first Firefox branded browser not to use the Gecko layout engine as is used in Firefox for desktop and mobile. Due to iOS security restrictions chosen by Apple (specifically the inability to set writable pages executable, which is essential for just-in-time compilation), Firefox has to use the built-in iOS WebKit-based rendering framework instead of Gecko.[6] Firefox for iOS supports Firefox Sync and is able to sync Firefox's browsing history, bookmarks, and recent tabs.

History

In December 2014, Mozilla announced it was designing a version of Firefox for iOS.[7] In September 2015, it released a limited preview of the app available only in the New Zealand iOS App Store.[8] In November 2016, Firefox Focus, a stripped down version of the full browser with a specific focus on incognito browsing, was published in the Apple App Store.[9]

Version 9.0, released in September 2017, introduced tracking protection on iOS 11 (and later).[10]

Version 10.0, released in November 2017, introduced a redesigned user interface, corresponding to the new "Photon" UI introduced with Firefox 57 later that month.[11]

Firefox Home

Firefox Home
Screenshot
Developer(s) Mozilla Corporation
Mozilla Foundation
Initial release September 22, 2010 (2010-09-22)
Last release
1.1.1 / December 22, 2010 (2010-12-22)
Repository
Edit this at Wikidata
Development status Discontinued
Written in Objective-C
Operating system iOS 3.1 and above
Type Browser synchronizer
License MPL

Firefox Home was a previous project for a companion app for the iPhone and iPod Touch based on the Firefox Sync technology. It allowed users of either device to access their Firefox browsing history, bookmarks, and recent tabs. It also included Firefox's "Awesomebar" location bar. Firefox Home is not a browser; the application launches pages in either a Webkit Web viewer or in Safari.[12][13] Mozilla pulled Firefox Home from the App Store in September 2012, stating it would focus its resources on other projects. The company subsequently released the source code of Firefox Home's underlying synchronization software.[14]

Features

Firefox for iOS supports many features common to other mobile browsers, including tabs, history, and bookmarks. It also implements some unique features, including the same tracking protection as found in Firefox Focus, a new tab page mimicking that found on other versions of Firefox, and support for syncing with a Firefox account between devices.

Unlike Firefox on Android, Firefox for iOS does not support browser add-ons. Additionally, it uses Apple's Webkit rendering engine, rather than Mozilla's Gecko. Both of these limitations are in accordance with Apple's rules for submitting apps to the App Store.

See also

  • Firefox for Android – a project for Android smartphones and tablet computers
  • Firefox Focus – a privacy-focused mobile web browser
  • Firefox – Mozilla's web browser for desktop computers
  • Safari – the default web browser for iOS
  • Minimo – a previous project to create a mobile Mozilla browser
  • MicroB – a Mozilla-based mobile browser for Nokia Maemo
  • Mobile browser

References

  1. ↑ "Firefox for iOS — Notes (1.1) — Mozilla". Mozilla Foundation. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Firefox for iOS — Notes (12.0) — Mozilla". Mozilla Foundation.
  3. ↑ "Supported Devices". Retrieved 2015-08-08.
  4. ↑ "Firefox Web Browser in App Store". Apple Inc.
  5. ↑ Mozilla (May 22, 2015). "Update on Firefox for iOS | Future Releases". Retrieved 2015-08-08.
  6. ↑ Apple. "App Store Review Guidelines". Retrieved 2015-08-08.
  7. ↑ Mozilla Press (December 2, 2014). "Designing a Firefox Experience for iOS". Retrieved 2015-08-08.
  8. ↑ Mozilla Press (September 3, 2015). "Firefox for iOS Now Available for Preview". Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  9. ↑ Leigh, Jayme. "InsightPortal | QualityTaskForce | Firefox Focus release on iOS". www.insightportal.io. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  10. ↑ "Firefox 9.0 for iOS arrives with tracking protection, Firefox Focus for Android gets tabs | VentureBeat". venturebeat.com. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  11. ↑ Keizer, Gregg. "Mozilla gives Firefox for iOS a UI facelift". Computerworld. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  12. ↑ Dolecourt, Jessica (May 27, 2010). "Firefox Home: A not-quite Firefox iPhone app". Retrieved 2010-06-02.
  13. ↑ "Firefox Home Coming Soon to the iPhone". May 26, 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
  14. ↑ Keizer, Gregg (September 4, 2012). "Mozilla exits iOS as it retires Firefox Home". Computer World. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.