Firefox for Android now in beta

October 7, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka

The Mozilla Foundation has renamed Fennec so that its mobile browser will share a name with the desktop version. Mozilla has also announced that Firefox for Android has graduated from alpha to beta status, making it one step closer to a final release.

We provided a video tour of Firefox back when it was still Fennec, and even in Alpha, we were impressed by its potential. Integration with the desktop and the ability to run add-ons were the main draws, but there was much to do in terms of speed, stability, and size. Mozilla has made some strides in improving the performance and is now willing to share that progress with the world.

Head over to the Mozilla page from your phone and download the app. Or you can download from your desktop and follow our tutorial for how to install non-market apps.

For a general idea of how Firefox for Android looks, be sure to enter the time machine and watch our walkthrough. Then you can compare that experience to the beta version and see how far the browser alternative has come.

android apps, browser, browser alternative, Fennec, firefox, internet, Mozilla

6 Comments

David Callaway said: On October 7, 2010

I love Apps that cause my phone to reboot. Uninstalled.

- bak_zhang said: On October 7, 2010
  
  that is really sarcastic, hahahahaha.
  
@clicksonlineSEO said: On October 7, 2010

I downloaded the app via the QR code, and it installed….but was "Blicked" on my Samsung Captivate Galaxy S. My phone has 16gb internal and 8gb on the SD card.

@oomatter said: On October 7, 2010

40+ MB app? no thanks.

annafil said: On October 7, 2010

omg moving it to SD card only moves half of it! still 28MB on my phone memory. Why mozilla, why? my desktop browser is smaller than this!!

Conor said: On October 8, 2010

OK, I agree that it's a beast of an app, but it's been in alpha for months and it just made beta. Don't use it if you want a stable app! I for one am thrilled to see a little innovation in the mobile browser market. The built-in browser for Android is speedy, but has nothing else going for it. The interface for Fennec is marvelous, and once the performance is there, it will be a wonderful app.
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