Firefox is dead to me – and I'm not the only one who is fed up(theregister.com)
theregister.com
Firefox is dead to me – and I'm not the only one who is fed up
https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/17/opinion_column_firefox/
61 comments
I was using a Chromium-based browser for a bit until I looked into how forks are handling the Mv3 changeover. Seems none them are willing to maintain Mv2 support. A couple of them claim it's fine because they have ad blocking built into the browser, but I know from experience none of them work as well as uBO. So, I switched back to Firefox where I'm plenty happy.
Mozilla should rebrand Mv2 to SuperM or something like that. People that believe Mv3 is as powerful are simply wrong. Also malicious browser plugins weren't a sensible threat for years now.
Of course this is about making browsers less customizable, Googles wet dream of web integrity. Integrity with ads, ads, ads...
The security argument is so perverted in this instance, although that also didn't stop mobile OS from being majorly shitty until you install an ssh client.
Of course this is about making browsers less customizable, Googles wet dream of web integrity. Integrity with ads, ads, ads...
The security argument is so perverted in this instance, although that also didn't stop mobile OS from being majorly shitty until you install an ssh client.
you are like me
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Not just unreadable - actively malicious. Every now and then I run into a website with a bunch of custom javascript that doesn't function in Firefox, and I'll have to open up Edge or Chromium (depending on what computer I'm using). Every time this happens, I'm immediately accosted with "features" or advertisements attempting to hijack my experience to sell me something or steal from me.
As long as Firefox supports the tools that protect me from the hostile behavior of websites, it will remain my browser of choice.
As long as Firefox supports the tools that protect me from the hostile behavior of websites, it will remain my browser of choice.
Personally, Tree-style tabs (via Sideberry nowadays) is why I can't let go of Firefox. Seems some browsers have started adding vertical tabs, which is cool, but missing the holy tree structure still.
A browser that blocks ads, has tree-style tabs and is FOSS would be enough for me to switch, doesn't even have to have addons/extensions if those things are built-in.
A browser that blocks ads, has tree-style tabs and is FOSS would be enough for me to switch, doesn't even have to have addons/extensions if those things are built-in.
I want to love sidebery but how do you stop seeing multiple tab strips, one down the side and one at the top. It's such a repeat/waste of space.
Otherwise it has amazing features
> how do you stop seeing multiple tab strips
Easy, change the userChrome.css to this:
Easy, change the userChrome.css to this:
$ cat ~/.mozilla/firefox/$profile.default/chrome/userChrome.css
#main-window[tabsintitlebar="true"]:not([extradragspace="true"]) #TabsToolbar > .toolbar-items {
opacity: 0;
pointer-events: none;
}
#main-window:not([tabsintitlebar="true"]) #TabsToolbar {
visibility: collapse !important;
}
Thanks!
How resource intensive is this Sideberry? I'm still on Tree Style Tab, it looks kinda resource hungry to me, but I see Sideberry has even more functionality so I'm reluctant.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
Used to use Tree Style Tab too! But I think Sideberry is better in terms of feeling snappier, at least that's what I remember from moving from TST to Sideberry.
Right now, I have ~110 tabs open, and the "Extensions" item in about:processes shows ~400MB used, but that's all extensions, ~10 in total, not just Sideberry. But to be honest, I'm not sure I'd notice performance issues until too late, as I'm sitting on quite a bit of RAM already.
Right now, I have ~110 tabs open, and the "Extensions" item in about:processes shows ~400MB used, but that's all extensions, ~10 in total, not just Sideberry. But to be honest, I'm not sure I'd notice performance issues until too late, as I'm sitting on quite a bit of RAM already.
Brave not only allows manifest v2 extensions but includes a comparable ad blocker OOTB.
Yeah but for how long? There will come a time where maintaining Mv2 compatibility will become too onerous for them – and google will try to make that moment happen sooner than later.
Vivaldi is what I use. uBlock works fine with it. I have no issues with content loading or anything weird. I just describe it as "chrome, but if someone actually cared about the UI and functionality", and the mouse gestures are super nice.
I went to it from Firefox ages ago and haven't looked back or missed Firefox and all its issues even once.
I can't say your experience with it will be as good as mine or not, but it is a browser with adblock, which is also built in, but I prefer the plugin version.
I went to it from Firefox ages ago and haven't looked back or missed Firefox and all its issues even once.
I can't say your experience with it will be as good as mine or not, but it is a browser with adblock, which is also built in, but I prefer the plugin version.
Brave re-implemented everything uBlock Origin does, and did it in Rust.
But its Brave, crypto aligned projects are a nonstarter.
You have to go out of your way to use any of the crypto features. None of them are forced on you any more than the built in TOR/IPFS/BitTorrent clients. It's just there if you want it.
"crypto-aligned" is such a gigantic red herring.
so use the --disable-features flag at runtime?
maybe go into brave://flags and disable the wallet?
or just admit you're only against Brave because Brendan Eich privately donated $2,000 to a failed CA Proposition?
so use the --disable-features flag at runtime?
maybe go into brave://flags and disable the wallet?
or just admit you're only against Brave because Brendan Eich privately donated $2,000 to a failed CA Proposition?
Don't use the crypto portion??
I don't know what else to tell you, you're not even paying for the browser, it's a free service. Any browser that implements an ad blocker is probably also going to have a lot of features you don't use
I don't know what else to tell you, you're not even paying for the browser, it's a free service. Any browser that implements an ad blocker is probably also going to have a lot of features you don't use
Just to vouch for this, I've been using Brave for many
years. Haven't done a single crypto transaction in my life. Whatever crypto features it may have don't get in the way at all.
They get in the way of trust.
Same for the "in Rust" recommendation which is in about the same fanaticism ballpark as "AI".
Same for the "in Rust" recommendation which is in about the same fanaticism ballpark as "AI".
Setup AdGuard DNS on your end. Works perfect on any OS.
Do DNS based solutions provide a "normal" browsing experience or you get fancy error blocks wherever the ads were supposed to go?
uBlock Origin can modify the page.
uBlock Origin can modify the page.
Security onion please
Still currently Firefox is the best option we have, don't we? In terms of compatability and features anyway. For years working as a full-stack developer I stubbornly sticked to Firefox and it has served me well.
Yeah, outside of Chromium forks the only other option is Gecko-based browsers. I use Seamonkey and Palemoon, to avoid the Mozilla Foundation's shenanigans. The performance isn't great, and I have to occasionally restart anything running on the Gecko engine, althogh the latter is also true for Chromium forks.
I work across the stack but necessarily use the browsers end users are working with. Also, I can't pay my fecking credit card on Linux or any browser other than Edge. Whatever tho. A hammer is a hammer.
Not being able to use Firefox for banking or finance is something that hasn't happened to me in years. When it did happen, it was usually fixed with a simple workaround of sending a custom user agent string.
I think e.g. Capital One is using Wasm, yuck. That needs to be enabled (it is by default in Firefox).
Ah... I use Chrome on Linux, and it works just fine for banks and credit cards.
Same. It's exceptionally rare for Firefox to fail me and force me to use a different browser. I'm when it does happen, it's either a Chrome specific feature, or a failure of the developer.
It's not (just) Firefox to blame. It's ramp.com, mailgun, and these other big apps that don't bother testing on Firefox. You can't even login on these
I guess complaints are aimed at Firefox's desktop browser but mobile Firefox browser is pretty good and they are the only mobile browser that I know of that supports third party extensions. That fact by itself should be a killer app for Firefox mobile browser.
I've been using Firefox mobile browser on my not that old Samsung Galaxy S21FE for one year or more, and I can confidently say that the performance is awful. I often see delayed app loading (the navigation layer loads while the actual webview is still transparent) [1], it has a high memory usage and often caused the system to terminate another app that runs in the background at the moment. Rendering issues are also a thing. It often glitches and flashes white when opening/closing the on-screen keyboard and it blinds me for a second if using at night.
But I keep using it because I use the sync feature and it sucks less than chrome.
[1] https://files.catbox.moe/aqhh3e.mp4
But I keep using it because I use the sync feature and it sucks less than chrome.
[1] https://files.catbox.moe/aqhh3e.mp4
On my 3 year old Samsung Android phone Firefox mobile works fine and I don't have any issues. Try reinstalling the app or restarting your phone.
On iOS everyone is still stuck on WebKit.
Also EU seems to be bringing light at the end of the tunnel on this one. Like with alternate stores, alternate NFC payment, alternate standard apps, etc. EU is seriously amazing on this, in my view.
Also EU seems to be bringing light at the end of the tunnel on this one. Like with alternate stores, alternate NFC payment, alternate standard apps, etc. EU is seriously amazing on this, in my view.
Normally I don't like governments stepping in for this sort of thing but good fucking God Apple has been such a poor steward of their platform that it's actually creating problems even for people who don't use it. This is one of those situations where it really is necessary.
Considering that this platform exists since what, over 10 years, I think the EU gave them a fair amount of time to get their shit together. By now, it's clear they won't or do not want to, hence EU stepping in.
I hate over-regulation, especially made by people that have no clue about the market they are regulating, but as you said, I think in this case it's more than warranted.
I hate over-regulation, especially made by people that have no clue about the market they are regulating, but as you said, I think in this case it's more than warranted.
Yeah, understandable. The problem for me is the desktop app sucks. I need both for browsing sync, passwords and adblock and 3rd party search. Brave works best for me on Mac and iPhone. Most of the extensions I would use are built in, but I dont think it fully supports 3rd party extensions. I am not sure, is that possible on iPhone?
Orion (which I believe is made by the same people that developed the Kagi search engine) supports both Firefox and Chrome extensions though it's still at the experimental stage. More importantly, I believe firefox on iOS is still backed by WebKit and thus does not support regular extensions either.
Firefox is fine, what are they on about? I'm not going to switch to Chrome because Firefox is a few percent away from perfect. Firefox desktop recently added tab groups and it's a fantastic feature.
It phones home, a lot, from the moment you install it. It has plenty of connections to google too.
The good thing is that the source code is mostly* out there and you or someone else can figure out what it's doing.
[*] don't know about drm stuff
The good thing is that the source code is mostly* out there and you or someone else can figure out what it's doing.
[*] don't know about drm stuff
There's shady shenanigans from the moment you download the Firefox installer, before you even install it.
Each Firefox download has a unique identifier (2022): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30715163
Each Firefox download has a unique identifier (2022): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30715163
Firefox has its problems but it's the least bad of all, and I've tried them all. Chromium-based browsers are a non-starter, Brave messed up that one big time. On the other hand, Firefox-derived browsers are used by VPNs that know how to do web privacy and security - this is the way, get Firefox, configure it properly, make a few minor changes and give your users a better option.
I completely disagree. For me, Firefox is the best current browser on the whole, and in recent years I've moved most of my work and play away from Chrome, Arc, Safari, etc. in favor of Firefox. It has retained support for Manifest v2, which is huge for me. The Chrome maintainers seem hellbent on cultivating the web into an ad-addled hellscape.
Firefox would have to be seriously broken for me to consider moving away. Chromium's lack of ad blocker support is a deal breaker.
Firefox is living on for me as Zen: https://zen-browser.app/
mozilla has tried many projects over the years. i don't remember any that survived. so i'll wait an see whether they manage to ruin firefox with AI before i switch. until then firefox is still better than chromium/chrome.
and even then unfortunately if we don't have a choice. if firefox dies the result will be a chromium based monoculture. that's not healthy. firefox may be the worst browser except for all the others.
let's see if ladybird gets any traction and manages to keep its funding continuously. but they are still a year or two away from being able to even compete with firefox and chrome.
and even then unfortunately if we don't have a choice. if firefox dies the result will be a chromium based monoculture. that's not healthy. firefox may be the worst browser except for all the others.
let's see if ladybird gets any traction and manages to keep its funding continuously. but they are still a year or two away from being able to even compete with firefox and chrome.
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And Thunderbird is dead to me
i like brave. it just works
I also like Brave. Great all around experience
It's really depressing that you've been downvoted to grey.
People don't even have coherent reasons to dislike the browser.
i don't use brave because it is based on chromium. i upvoted the comment anyways.
Other browsers may be less resource intensive but with unreadable internet.