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Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

#52

Post by vetinari »

ottoflux wrote: post #19

wow. hope --Maemo--, er... --Meego--, er... Tizen can gel, or I guess we can wait on Firefox OS to show up on a device that isn't terrible in the US.

Why throwing baby with the bathwater?

Android is a good os, with many existing apps and libraries... why redo everything? Just cut the bad bits.

Re: Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

#54

Post by Brakenshire »

Now might be a good time to mention that Firefox on Android has a built-in marketplace which allows you to install most FirefoxOS Apps as full Android Apps, with access to most of the device APIs.

Unfortunately, I find that most of the apps aren't very good at all (and in no way is it a replacement for Google Play) but it's something interesting to keep an eye on.

Re: Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

#55

Post by Aissen »

andrewgjohnson wrote: post #49

Can you browse the App Store on iOS using Firefox? Seems like a bit of a red herring issue to be honest.

No. You can browse the Play Store in any browser except Firefox for Android. You cannot browse App Store with any browser (also you cannot run an alternative browser engine on iOS)

Re: Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

#56

Post by _ea1k »

falcolas wrote: post #45
Touche wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The great thing about the web is links. Some times you click them and they take you places. If the place it takes you asks you to open an app instead... that's a bad experience.

This is an issue on the i* - Imgur would frequently run ads which would, on an Apple mobile device, switch out of the browser and open up the App Store. Bad Experience is an understatement. The app stores were not designed with easy and fast switching, so being shunted to them from your browser is a usability nightmare.

Maybe this is an issue on iOS, but on Android you would just hit the back button. It's not the ideal experience, although the last time that I viewed the Play Store from a browser on mobile that was also pretty far from ideal.

Re: Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

#57

Post by rev_bird »

ntlve wrote: post #44
Touche wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The great thing about the web is links. Some times you click them and they take you places. If the place it takes you asks you to open an app instead... that's a bad experience.

I'm curious as to why you think it is a bad experience?

Off the top of my head: The back button doesn't work right, saved passwords don't move over, clicked links (if they work at all) keep you in the new application instead of your browser, the places you're taken are left out of your browsing history, you can't bookmark the destinations. Basically all browser functionality that isn't "render the page" gets lost -- it's the same problem you'd run into if you use Chrome for everything and a link from Outlook pops up the page in IE: It _works_, but the ecosystem you've built up for yourself is gone.

Re: Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

#58

Post by wernercd »

ntlve wrote: post #44
Touche wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The great thing about the web is links. Some times you click them and they take you places. If the place it takes you asks you to open an app instead... that's a bad experience.

I'm curious as to why you think it is a bad experience?

Why would you think it's a good experience?

I can't count the number of times I'm annoyed when I click on a link to a website - say, clicking a link on news.google.com or a link here - get moved to that website and BAM there is a "you want to use our app. Click here to download it."

No. I don't want your F(!&^NG app. I want your website. Don't show me that.

The next time I go to the same website? BAM! Go To Our App page again!

A news page, blog or a forum doesn't need an app. I don't need to be constantly badgered to use said sh&%^y app.

Just my 2c rant.

Re: Google Play Store: Browsing with Firefox is no longer supported on Android

#59

Post by 0942v8653 »

andrewgjohnson wrote: post #49

Can you browse the App Store on iOS using Firefox? Seems like a bit of a red herring issue to be honest.

As one commenter said, you can use it in Chrome on android. And until recently (it's in development now) it was mozzila's decision not to make Firefox for iOS.
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