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Mozilla Launches Privacy-Minded 'Firefox Focus' Browser For Android (venturebeat.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the privacy-minded dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from VentureBeat: Mozilla today launched a new browser for Android. In addition to Firefox, the company now also offers Firefox Focus, a browser dedicated to user privacy that by default blocks many web trackers, including analytics, social, and advertising. You can download the new app now from Google Play. Because Google isn't as strict as Apple, Android users can set Firefox Focus as their default browser. There are many use cases for wanting to browse the web without being tracked, but Mozilla offers a common example: reading articles via apps "like Facebook." On iOS, Firefox Focus is basically just a web view with tracking protection. On Android, Firefox Focus is the same, with a few additional features (which are still "under consideration" for iOS):
  • Ad tracker counter -- Lists the number of ads that are blocked per site while using the app.
  • Disable tracker blocker -- For sites that are not loading correctly, you can disable the tracker blocker to fix the issues.
  • Notification reminder -- When Firefox Focus is running in the background, a notification will remind you so you can easily tap to erase your browsing history.

58 comments

  1. Why should I use this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Why should I use this? I run Firefox for Android with several add-ons that limit tracking including Adblocker Ultimate, Ublock Origin, Decentraleyes, and Noscript Anywhere. Unfortunately, I'm not sure Noscript Anywhere is still being developed, and it has to be downloaded from noscript.net instead of from the normal repository. Still, how would this be any better than add-ons that each address specific issues?

    1. Re:Why should I use this? by Presence+Eternal · · Score: 1

      NSA is 100% abandoned as far as I know. I think the closest you can get that's being supported is the so called "hard mode" for ublock. I think medium and hard mode are good ideas. Problem is they're unbearably clunky on android and superfluous on Linux and PCs where noscript is alive and well, but ublock is. Still, ublock is in fact actively supported.

    2. Re:Why should I use this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because extensions add bloat, use up more resources, have to have updates managed separately and don't come from trustworthy sources.

      I'm glad to trade up normal Firefox on my phone for Firefox Focus. It's much more efficient and just better.

    3. Re: Why should I use this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seems like a good idea on the surface, but I'm a bit wary of Mozilla duplicating popular add-on functionality in a product.

      This creates a conflict of interest.

    4. Re: Why should I use this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That's not an example of a conflict of interest. That's healthy competition and the alternative is stagnation. I wish Mozilla would steal a few more good ideas from their own addon ecosystem and stopped stealing bad ideas from Chrome.

    5. Re:Why should I use this? by Teun · · Score: 1

      This is a very fast browser but with limited options like no tabs.
      But it is a very new development, we'll see where it leads.
      For some people it might have it's uses.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    6. Re:Why should I use this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's not much reason for somebody like you to use this, the target audience seems to be people who "want privacy" but don't know how/don't want to bother configuring a set of Firefox addons.

      It's also not using Gecko, despite being Firefox-branded it's using a webview (so Chrome-based) under the hood which is also why it's only a 5MB download.

    7. Re:Why should I use this? by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      On devices with a large enough screen for the UI to work well, I like using uMatrix instead of uBlock + NoScript.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    8. Re:Why should I use this? by omfglearntoplay · · Score: 1

      Sounds really nice to me. Once they get tabs introduced, I'm going to be using it plenty and more than that recommending to non-techies that want some privacy.

  2. Firefox Focus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I like the sound of that.

  3. kinda nice by kangsterizer · · Score: 1

    its kinda nice. doesnt seem to use mozilla's engine though. very fast browser actually, lol

    1. Re:kinda nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      doesn't seem to use mozilla's engine though.

      very fast browser actually, lol

      You don't think the two are related, do you?

  4. Apple makes it hard??? by bigtiny · · Score: 0

    I'm not trying to start any platform wars here, but I"m curious why the original poster seems to think that Apple won't let you easily designate a non-Safari default browser. Did I miss something?

    1. Re:Apple makes it hard??? by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

      Apple won't let the app with those features they don't like in their walled garden (app store).

    2. Re: Apple makes it hard??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Non-Webkit browsers are not allowed in their app store.

    3. Re: Apple makes it hard??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have Firefox focus installed on my iPhone 6. It does not have an ad blocker installed :/

    4. Re: Apple makes it hard??? by bigtiny · · Score: 1

      I've got it...I was thinking about macos, not ios (iphone/ipad).....got it.

      Thanks for the replies.

    5. Re: Apple makes it hard??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      focus can block ads on iphone but only in safari. Timmy doesn't want content blocker working in non safari browsers. Fuck you timmy!
      AB+ is still king on ios tho.

    6. Re:Apple makes it hard??? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Apple won't let the app with those features they don't like in their walled garden (app store).

      Funny enough, but Apple did make it possible for apps to implement ad blocking which takes place on all webviews and the main safari browser.

      This is a new feature as of iOS 10, and there are more than a few ad blockers in the App Store. One of the best made the developer feel guilty which lead him to remove it.

      Firefox could do the same - rather than use a webview app, just implement the ad blocker extensions and block it all system wide.

  5. heh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So you can download the privacy focused browser from the giant marketing company that requires an account to download?

    Wake me up when it is on fdroid.

    1. Re:heh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      requires not just an account, but acceptance of Anal Probe terms...

    2. Re:heh by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      Came to say the same thing. I used to use Firefox on Android, installed via F-Droid, but I've now switched to using the browser that's the default in LineageOS because Firefox in F-Droid is depracated and the Mozilla folks don't seem interested in supporting an open source ecosystem. I would love to use this, but I'm not going to install it from Google Play.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:heh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The Mozilla folks don't seem interested in supporting an open source ecosystem"

      Are you really that daft? Just... go have some coffee or something. You're obviously not awake and functioning correctly.

    4. Re:heh by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      If the only supported way of getting an open source package is via a proprietary distribution system, then it's not an open source eocsystem, it's an open source component in a proprietary ecosystem.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    5. Re:heh by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Firefox in F-Droid is depracated

      Why?

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    6. Re:heh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because the people at Mozilla are dumb.

    7. Re:heh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You could always just download it straight from Mozilla.

    8. Re:heh by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      And how do I make sure that it's up to date (something essential for a program that connects to the Internet and handles untrusted data)? Do Mozilla host an F-Droid repository with the latest builds, or do they require me to either use a proprietary distribution channel or manually download and install each version?

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    9. Re:heh by preflex · · Score: 1

      Can you use the FFUpdater app available in F-Droid? It's not automatic, but you can always run it before you begin a browsing session.

      Besides, new Firefox releases are widely-reported, including right here on slashdot. It's not really a Sisyphean task to stay updated on your own. The calendar for major releases is published far in advance.

      There is also fennec-fdroid available from fdroid's archive repo. It's up-to-date, but not in the main repo because reasons.

      GNU Icecat is also available, but hasn't been updated since March.

      Firefox really is a much better browser than the stock browser in LineageOS. I find the benefits of FF vastly oughtweigh the minor annoyance of keeping it up-to-date.

    10. Re:heh by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      Can you use the FFUpdater [f-droid.org] app available in F-Droid? It's not automatic, but you can always run it before you begin a browsing session.

      Tried it. It's manual and unreliable. Worst of both worlds.

      Besides, new Firefox releases are widely-reported, including right here on slashdot

      Really? Including minor point releases with security fixes?

      There is also fennec-fdroid available from fdroid's archive repo. It's up-to-date, but not in the main repo because [f-droid.org] reasons [f-droid.org].

      Exactly, with 'reasons' including that the Mozilla folk don't want to support an open source ecosystem.

      Firefox really is a much better browser than the stock browser in LineageOS. I find the benefits of FF vastly oughtweigh the minor annoyance of keeping it up-to-date.

      Tell me that again when you've had your Internet banking details stolen because your web browser had known vulnerabilities and you forgot to install the update.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  6. No bookmarks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That kinda ruins it for me.
    I need bookmarks for it to be my main browser.

  7. So like Brave? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So it does essentially the same thing as Brave Browser?
    https://www.brave.com/
    Brave is a pretty seamless privacy oriented replacement for Chrome on Android because it is based on Chromium.

  8. Hope they improved the "fling" by DigitAl56K · · Score: 1

    One of the main reasons I don't use Firefox for Android is that you can't fling pages as fast/far as you can on Chrome. It sounds like a petty reason but when I want to move quickly around a page it's frustrating to have to exert extra effort or perceive lag.

    I'd try Focus myself but it's not listed for me in the Play store search. Perhaps it's only available to certain devices initially?

    1. Re:Hope they improved the "fling" by No+Longer+an+AC · · Score: 1

      I'd try Focus myself but it's not listed for me in the Play store search. Perhaps it's only available to certain devices initially?

      I had to scroll down 3 or 4 screens to find it even though I searched specifically for Firefox Focus.

      The link in the summary also goes directly to it.

      It seems alright I guess. I really don't do much browsing on my phone anyway so I I'm not going to review it beyond that.

  9. No tabs by DigitAl56K · · Score: 1

    Can't create a new tab. Can't open links in a new tab. Chances of me using this thing: zero.

    1. Re:No tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah... those are some pretty massive oversights for a "modern" browser in 2017. Opera introduced them gazillions of years ago, and Firefox made a big deal and basically made them standard ages ago. Might as well just use plain Firefox... I can't imagine browsing tabless these days.

  10. Good one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Mozilla launches privacy-minded browser. You can download it from Google Play."
    It would be funny if it wasn't so sad...

  11. Bookmarks? by jpkunst · · Score: 2

    It seems that there is no way to save bookmarks in this browser.

  12. Privacy on Android? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good luck with that. The entire OS is spyware on a level that makes Windows 10 look like Tor in comparison.

  13. Force Desktop Mode by makitso · · Score: 1

    On my android tablet I use the Ghostery browser. The primary reason is that Chrome, Firefox, or Opera will not remember the use Desktop setting.

    1. Re:Force Desktop Mode by Sporkinum · · Score: 1

      As far as I know, the Ghostery browser is now Cliqz. I have been using is for a while now and seems pretty decent.

      --
      "He's lost in a 'floyd hole"
    2. Re:Force Desktop Mode by preflex · · Score: 1

      What about the Desktop by Default addon for firefox?

  14. Georestriction on installation? by uigin · · Score: 1

    The download seems to be Georestricted. Is this a US only product from Mozilla, or a mistake on the configuration on Play store?

  15. Other download locations? by Kludge · · Score: 1

    If they really wanted to make it privacy minded, they would make it available from somewhere other than "Google Play". I do not have "Google Play" installed on my phone, and will not have it. Why can they not just put an apk on their web site? And no, just because other people are too stupid to install it that way is not a good reason not to make it available to us.

    1. Re:Other download locations? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean, if only there were a site like this? https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/mozilla/firefox-focus-private-browser/firefox-focus-private-browser-1-0-release/firefox-focus-private-browser-1-0-android-apk-download/

    2. Re:Other download locations? by preflex · · Score: 1

      Have you tried the "releases" section on their github page?
      https://github.com/mozilla-mob...

  16. Sideloading link missing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One would expect an organization like Mozilla to provide a link for sideloading Firefox Focus prominently in the download section on their website instead of only a link to the proprietory and increasingly controversial Google Play store. This is a newbie Android developer mistake. Please correct. In any case, congratulations on Firefox Focus! You guys did a fantastic job with this badly needed and much appreciated app!

  17. Really really fast by omfglearntoplay · · Score: 1

    Try Slashdot in this browser. Blazing fast... feels like old times before the world wide web became a bloated nightmare!

  18. Why not a mobile browser that does add-ons? by Tyrannosaur · · Score: 1

    I have used Ghostery for a very long time on my desktop browsers; it works amazingly. Is there any real reason why mobile browsers don't do add-ons?

  19. You probably shouldn't use this. by emil · · Score: 1

    As I understand it, this uses the Android system WebView with a few of the privacy controls from Firefox (but without the Gecko rendering engine).

    There is already an existing product that does this (and likely offers more features).

    KitKat users should be particularly careful with WebView browsers, since their engine (likely) hasn't been updated since XP went out of support.

    1. Re:You probably shouldn't use this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes but what is Privacy Browser? Who is behind it?

      With Firefox, it's a name I know and trust backed by an organisation I know and trust. I'm not about to go install some random no-name, nobody's software and have it pwn my phone.

  20. MOZILLA is a scam from the get-go. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it's why you can't save your Android bookmarks to a html file; Mozilla Foundation obscures bookmark management to force you into their online bookmark tools to see your browsing habits.

    They dont have my Lesbian strapon domination anal porn links yet!

  21. Sort of by Kludge · · Score: 1

    Yeah, like that, but from a web site that I trusted, like mozilla.org.

  22. Permissions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not too bad on permissions. The regular Firefox browser is pure spyware as far as I am concerned.

      Version 1.0 can access:
    Photos/Media/Files

            read the contents of your USB storage
            modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

    Storage

            read the contents of your USB storage
            modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

    Other

            view network connections
            full network access
            run at startup
            prevent device from sleeping

  23. Camera / microphone access by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Firefox android, last I looked, required access to camera and microphone as its default hardware access requirements. the newer version of Android can allow the install and then a user can block hardware access on camera/microphone.

    Security is to not require any form of access to recording or listening devices and to not require any access to contacts, text messages, phone identification numbers, ... etc....