I don't really understand why more people don't use Firefox. I've been using it almost exclusively for probably a decade without any compatibility issues, aside from the very few sites that specifically request IE or Edge (which I usually just bypass by changing User Agent anyway).
this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2025
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I'd say it's because it's not a default on the most popular operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Android systems, iOS).
How would a typical user discover Firefox?
What do you mean by change User Agent?
The user agent tells the page what the browser is, so the page can tell whether you're runnit Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. The intent is for the page to change behavior depending on the browser since each have different capabilities (web standards change quickly). Unfortunately, pages rarely get updated in a timely fashion when browsers implement web standards so the engine check is frequently inaccurate.
Changing the user agent means changing what web pages think you're running. If a page uses an optimized API on Chrome and a slower one on Firefox because Firefox was slower to implement it, then you can get a speedup by saying your Firefox is Chrome. Some pages refuse to run unless it's a specific browser, so lying can make those pages work.
I hope that makes sense.
Might I ask... how?
There's add-ons in Firefox for it
Yup, look for "user agent switcher." This isn't something you should try to DIY in the settings, because user agents are complex and a small deviation can mean looking like Chrome or being unintelligible.
One thing I don’t like about Firefox is that its security is not great compared to Chromium. It has less sandboxing and weaker sandboxing.
Firefox sandboxing is especially bad on Android and Linux.
They they do make up for it a tiny bit with better support for ad blocking, which lowers the chance of landing on malicious changes.
Though realistically not many people care about security when choosing a browser. They use old versions and resist the prompts to upgrade.
YeS bUt iS It cAlLeD "cHrOMe"?? Thats genuinly the reply I often get.
Also it doesn't work well with our horrible school wifi, the WiFi doesn't even work with Linux or most vpn's.
Wifi does not have to do something with browsers
Is purely a coincidence that when I use Firefox at my school it sometimes doesn't work well, the issues are fixed when using a VPN, using my home network or switching to a chromium based browser.
I run Firefox with uBlock Origin in my work as well as private device for > 2 years without any issues including tricky applications like Citrix, Virtual Desktops etc.
On my mobile, I use Fennec with uBlock Origin, Decentraleyes and PrivacyBadger and sometimes have some small issues, so I have to view the page in Desktop mode instead.
But compared to a web full of ads, it's a difference like day and night. Definitely won't go back any time soon!
Did you tried ironfox it has a lot of improvements.
Today "This extension is no longer supported" doesn't mean there's something seriously wrong with it, it means "Google doesn't support the fact you want to use it".
I've never switched away from Firefox. I never liked Chrome.
Switched over to librewolf last night finally after chrome told me I couldn’t use AdNauseam anymore, no regrets, it’s better in every way.
Honestly Firefox and it's forks are really slow on android. I still use it anyway.
huh, i've always felt it's pretty good on android
Slower than crime downloading MB of ads all the time?
IDK but I'm fine on FF (new phone had slowdowns til I did disable the android efficiency thingy so FF doesn't reload pages 😍)
Edit : autocorrect changed crome to crime. Keeping it.
I rarely feel the need for a mobile browser to be "fast". If a website is somehow slow on Firefox, I just close it.
It's been a while since I tried Samsung Browser, but I recall that it was very fast and also supported ad blocking.
I use Firefox on Android because I like syncing tabs to my desktop.
I'll be interested to see how this affects Chrome's market share over time
Narrator: it doesn't.
So stop using a browser that uses Google WebExtensions altogether. Gotcha. So other than Links, Pale Moon, Basilisk, and SeaMonkey, any suggestions?
Ironfox.