FAQs
Firefox is made by Mozilla Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the not-for-profit Mozilla Foundation, and is guided by the principles of the Mozilla Manifesto. Learn more about the maker of Firefox here.
Is Firefox still around? ›
Firefox is available for Windows 10 or later versions, macOS, and Linux. Its unofficial ports are available for various Unix and Unix-like operating systems, including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and other platforms. It is also available for Android and iOS.
How did Firefox start? ›
Firefox, free open-source Web browser created by the American software company Mozilla Corporation. In 1998 the American Internet services company Netscape Communications Corp. decided to designate its Navigator browser as open-source for users, who began the development of Mozilla Firefox.
What browser engine does Firefox use? ›
Gecko is a Web engine developed by Mozilla and used to power Firefox on various platforms.
Is Firefox safer than Chrome? ›
When it comes to privacy and security features, Firefox offers everything Chrome does — plus more. Mozilla's Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) blocks intrusive trackers (e.g., cookies, fingerprints, and cryptomining scripts) by default.
What is the old name of Firefox? ›
Firefox was originally named Phoenix but the name was changed to avoid trademark conflicts with Phoenix Technologies. The initially-announced replacement, Firebird, provoked objections from the Firebird project community. The current name, Firefox, was chosen on February 9, 2004.
Why is Firefox losing popularity? ›
These include constant removal of features, bad coding paradigms, poor memory management, and hidden telemetry. In short, Firefox simply doesn't work that well anymore for developers or ordinary users who just want to use their browser, thank you very much.
Is Firefox becoming obsolete? ›
Firefox is still very much alive and well as Mozilla has no plans to stop development of their web browsers for desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) and mobile versions for iOS and Android. Firefox has been their main product.
Why is Firefox losing to Chrome? ›
Chrome has got its own special customizations and ease of use. Mozilla on the other hand loses its ability to satisfy the user preferences. To be honest, firefox has got many disadvantages over Chrome and other popular browsers.
What is the oldest browser still in use? ›
Lynx is a customizable text-based web browser for use on cursor-addressable character cell terminals. As of 2024, it is the oldest web browser still being maintained, having started in 1992.
Third-party applications (such as antivirus software, archiving software, and other tools) may load modules into Firefox. Sometimes, these applications load harmful modules that cause Firefox crashes, reduced performance, or compatibility issues.
How does Firefox make money? ›
The majority of Mozilla Corporation's revenue is from royalties earned through Firefox web browser search partnerships and distribution deals around the world. You can learn more about how we make money in our annual financial report.
Who owns Mozilla? ›
Does anybody still use Firefox? ›
While you aren't beholden to one browser for life, you're likely to keep using the same one for simplicity's sake. It's easy to just default to the ever-popular Google Chrome browser, but Firefox puts up a good fight. Firefox remains incredibly popular, and for good reason.
Why use Firefox instead of Google? ›
Firefox's default privacy settings are much stronger than Chrome's – and we have additional features to prevent websites from tracking you, such as fingerprint blocking, as well as your choice of add-ons for ad blocking.
Who manages the Firefox browser? ›
The Mozilla Corporation (stylized as moz://a) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation that coordinates and integrates the development of Internet-related applications such as the Firefox web browser, by a global community of open-source developers, some of whom are employed by the corporation itself.
Why does Firefox use the Google search engine? ›
It's a matter of money. Firefox uses Google, a totally-no-privacy-at-all search engine, as default because they get money from them.
Is Firefox an Israeli company? ›
Q: Which browser is not American or Israeli-owned? A: None, they are all American or based on the core America browsers; Apple Webkit, Mozilla Firefox, all web browsers (including Google Chromium/Chrome) are based on a foundation of one of those two browsers.
Is Firefox funded by Google? ›
Mozilla gets its funds from many places, and one of them is Google; paying for being the default search engine. It's by far the largest amount. But not the only, nor a direct funding.
