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Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

support.mozilla.org

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Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#71
post #52

Can it already support any plugin I want on Android, like it used to be possible before 2020?

This works in Nightly and has for years; it's a little bit klunky but absolutely necessary for using, say, Bypass-Paywalls or Ublock Origin.

It works on beta as well.

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#72

Firefox is the only Browser trying to bring desktop sanity to mobile.

Safari has save as pdf in iOS too, press the share button then options at the top. Chrome on iOS also has save as pdf, have to press share, then print, then the share icon again at the top.

It’s not a Safari thing. Anything you print in iOS can be saved to PDF.

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#73

Cool feature, although I note with some irony that once I have the PDF downloaded, I still have to then use Google's Drive PDF reader or some other tool to open it. Maybe work on a full stack PDF renderer like the desktop version has, Mozilla?

What do you mean "have to"? Why not use one of the plenty ope source PDF viewers for Android?

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#74
post #56

I am using Firefox in Android, these are some of the issues i am facing: - Scrolling is slow on multiple sites like raycast.com - The UI doesn't feel home for me, at least it has dark mode on Android 9 (my phone doesnt get updates) - Tapping new tab doesn't actually create a new tab, instead asks for a URL - Searching for World cup matches in google only shows the goal score, I guess it's a google search issue, but i…

> Searching for World cup matches in google only shows the goal score, I guess it's a google search issue, but in chrome I get detailed scorecards

Go to settings -> add ons and install "Google search fixer"

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#75
post #73

Cool feature, although I note with some irony that once I have the PDF downloaded, I still have to then use Google's Drive PDF reader or some other tool to open it. Maybe work on a full stack PDF renderer like the desktop version has, Mozilla?

What do you mean "have to"? Why not use one of the plenty ope source PDF viewers for Android?

Because for a dead simple read-only PDF viewer, I trust Google's security team over random Play Store app to properly sandbox the PDF and not let it do shady shit to my phone upon opening.

I'd trust Firefox more if they provided one, but in their absence, Google has the talent and the resources to do it properly.

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They already have a pdf reader they could add with ease https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js

I don't know what their priorities are but this is the extension I use on firefox mobile so that it can do what safari has been able to do since like ios 3 (open pdf's in the browser). You have to add it to a custom addon collection, which I think you can only enable in beta or nightly: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/android-pdf-j...

> I don't know what their priorities are

When I used Android, I was never bothered that PDFs opened in the PDF viewer. I was pretty much fine with it. The PDF viewer (not from Google, an open source app) worked pretty much like iBook with a library function, so it was convenient like this actually. It does not look like something to be fixed with high priority. Looks more like a nice to have to me. Why does it matter that they are shown in the browser?

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#77
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean "have to"? Why not use one of the plenty ope source PDF viewers for Android?

Because for a dead simple read-only PDF viewer, I trust Google's security team over random Play Store app to properly sandbox the PDF and not let it do shady shit to my phone upon opening. I'd trust Firefox more if they provided one, but in their absence, Google has the talent and the resources to do it properly.

Doesn't it mean the PDF file gets uploaded to Google drive then ?

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#78
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what their priorities are but this is the extension I use on firefox mobile so that it can do what safari has been able to do since like ios 3 (open pdf's in the browser). You have to add it to a custom addon collection, which I think you can only enable in beta or nightly: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/android-pdf-j...

> I don't know what their priorities are When I used Android, I was never bothered that PDFs opened in the PDF viewer. I was pretty much fine with it. The PDF viewer (not from Google, an open source app) worked pretty much like iBook with a library function, so it was convenient like this actually. It does not look like something to be fixed with high priority. Looks more like a nice to have to me. Why does it matter…

Put simply: PDF content is common enough on the web that it should be viewable as a webpage without having to jump out of the browser app. It breaks the user experience and for searches that may return many pdf results, the minor hassle becomes a major impairment (having to jump between two apps now). It is the case for all desktop browsers for many years now and ios that they open in browser first, so why should it be any different for Android?

I see the utility in you having an external app to view your pdf's (especially longform books in pdf would be best opened in a dedicated ebook reader app), but there is no consistent user experience on Android, each vendor has their own bundled apps, and some may not even bundle their own app.

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because for a dead simple read-only PDF viewer, I trust Google's security team over random Play Store app to properly sandbox the PDF and not let it do shady shit to my phone upon opening. I'd trust Firefox more if they provided one, but in their absence, Google has the talent and the resources to do it properly.

Doesn't it mean the PDF file gets uploaded to Google drive then ?

No there's a local viewer

Re: Save web pages as PDF in Firefox for Android

#80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because for a dead simple read-only PDF viewer, I trust Google's security team over random Play Store app to properly sandbox the PDF and not let it do shady shit to my phone upon opening. I'd trust Firefox more if they provided one, but in their absence, Google has the talent and the resources to do it properly.

Doesn't it mean the PDF file gets uploaded to Google drive then ?

It does not. It is just a name. The file stays on the device and is not uploaded to Google Drive.
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