Firefox for Android migration begins for Stable channel users

[harlan4096]

Mozilla has been working on a new mobile browser for Google's Android operating system called Fenix internally. Android users could install Firefox Preview and Firefox Beta versions of the new browser on their devices to test its functionality, and classic installations of Firefox Nightly and Beta on Android were migrated already to the new browser.

The migration process has started for users of the stable version of Firefox for Android. Firefox 68.11 for Android is the last classic version of the browser; Mozilla plans to migrate all installations in the coming two months to the new Firefox browser for Android.

The migration happens automatically on Android 5 and newer devices but only if Firefox for Android 59 or newer is installed, and if automatic updates are enabled.

The following items will be migrated:

• Open Tabs in the browser.
  
• The browsing history.
  
• The bookmarks.
  
• Top sites.
  
• Firefox account authentication information.
  
• Cookies and (part of) the browser cache.
  
• Default search engines.
  
• Saved logins, but only if the master password is not set.
  
• Add-ons (the new browser supports only a handful of recommended extensions at this time, unsupported add-ons will be deactivated).
  

A restoration of the old Firefox browser is not possible after the migration. It is, in theory, possible to install it anew though on the device.

The new Firefox browser for Android offers better performance and web compatibility according to Mozilla. Some new features, namely improved tracking protection, Collections, and customization options such as support for dark mode or displaying the main toolbar at the bottom or top of the browser screen.

The classic version of Firefox won't receive updates anymore according to Mozilla but the browser itself won't be disabled in any form. Users who rely on certain extensions or other features could disable automatic updates to continue using the classic version until the missing feature set is introduced in the new Firefox browser for Android; the downside to this is that the browser won't receive security or stability updates anymore, and that Mozilla won't provide support anymore either.

Mozilla promises that it will release missing features with "every major release". You can check out the official upgrade FAQ for additional information.

Now You: Have you tried the new Firefox for Android?
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