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Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

blog.mozilla.org

81–90 of 352 posts

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your assumptions are correct.

Mh. It's amazing how far apart I got from every single one of Mozilla's visions, from using Firefox as my main browser 8 years ago. I love the fact that—as an example—as I travel Google shows me tools that I'll be interested in, like a currency converter, translate + word of the day in the local language, etc. etc. I would absolutely hate having my main browser constantly forget who I am. I feel almost blessed every…

I cannot agree more, it seems mozilla is out of touch with their users and advocates, don't listen to feedback and just do whatever will lose them the most marketshare and alienates their supporter so their flagship firefox will become irrelevant in the least time possible.

It looks like they're scrambling to try to stay afloat and miss and miss again.

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#83
post #73

So, if I understand this correctly... It's a regular browser, but like you're always in private mode + it's got a built-in ad blocker? If I want to check Hacker News let's say 5 times throughout the day and feel like leaving a comment, I have to login again, without autocomplete..? Maybe I'm missing something.

On iOS, it also ships a comprehensive Safari content blocker which will work in Safari and embedded WebKit views.

Nitpick: not just any UIWebView, but only the Safari view controller.

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#84
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't a priority. Most people are fine with 80mb so it is better to optimize elsewhere.

Considering how may people still have 8GB/16GB phones, I doubt it. On iOS sometimes you have to delete apps, especially ones that build up large caches like Facebook.

wow those people are lucky and high on consumerism, my phone had 2GB.

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm relatively uninformed here, but Google often requires Android app developers to bundle Google Play Services for various features like Chromecast[1]. It is possible that the Mozilla folks needed Google Play Services for some feature. [1]: https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/android_sender_setup

Maybe, but Mozilla has a quite a record for using firefox for surveillance and spying purpose, the early versions of firefox had a proprietary modules just for this purpose and the recent version have 'telemetry'. AFAIK f-droid always had a warning about firefox containing and promoting non free in addition of tracking users from https://f-droid.org/wiki/page/org.mozilla.firefox : This app has the NonFreeAdd Antifeat…

Is this FUD or serious? Because they are certainly claiming to be the opposite of that these days.

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#87

Firefox Focus is great. It's amazing how much better web readability and performance gets when you block most of the adtech garbage.

What exactly is great about firefox focus ? What does it have over installing ublock origins in any other browser ?

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#88

Since I started using Firefox Focus for one-off searches, I'm surprised at how infrequently I really need to be logged into any websites to complete my task. Nice that Focus simply clears all those trackers and search history when I close it.

I'm wondering why this is not a simple setting on firefox. Are they trying to collect data on how many people have interest in privacy or something ? (another comment pointed that Firefox focus tracks users and reports to mozilla)

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#89
post #68

I wish open source projects publish the compiled .apk file not just the source code. If I want to install this on my Fire HD I either have to download the .apk from some dodgy mirror site or install Google Play with some workaround on the Fire HD. Cause Firefox Focus is not available in the Amazon App Store. I mean yeah I can do both in the end, not a big deal, but I just want the .apk nothing else.

https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/focus-android/releases

Re: Firefox Focus – A new private browser for iOS and Android

#90
post #6

Looks awesome and fast. Exactly what’s needed and expected from Mozilla. Thank you! Can we have something similar for desktop as well?

You could, until mozilla decided to drop support for extensions that made this possible that is.

Alternatively there is waterfox + ublock origins.

Waterfox is firefox without the mozilla crap:

    Disabled Encrypted Media Extensions (EME)
    Disabled Web Runtime (deprecated as of 2015)
    Removed Pocket
    Removed Telemetry
    Removed data collection
    Removed startup profiling
    Allow running of all 64-Bit NPAPI plugins
    Allow running of unsigned extensions
    Removal of Sponsored Tiles on New Tab Page
    Addition of Duplicate Tab option
    Locale selector in about:preferences > General
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