this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2023

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It's never been a better time to switch to Firefox (www.androidpolice.com)

submitted 7 months ago by AnActOfCreation@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world

352 comments fedilink hide all child comments

• Firefox offers better privacy and security than Chrome, with upcoming support for 200 new add-ons. • While Chrome dominates, Firefox gains ground with user-friendly browsing experience and open-source model. • Mozilla's focus on user privacy and transparency challenges Google's ad-centric approach, making Firefox a viable alternative.

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[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 219 points 7 months ago (11 children)

I'd like to formally apologize. I should have never left.

[–] cybervseas@lemmy.world 87 points 7 months ago

It's cool just come back and bring a friend with you.

[–] Shaggy1050@lemmy.world 14 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Same here. I left for about 10 years but started coming back gradually a few years ago. After everything that happened this year, I made the full switch to Mozilla on all my devices. I'm very happy to be back though!

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[–] babyfarmer@lemmy.world 159 points 7 months ago (6 children)

Switch? I never left!

[–] slaacaa@lemmy.world 35 points 7 months ago (8 children)

I deeply regret leaving.

Growing up, I used Firefox on PC, but switched to Chrome early 2010s due to using a lot of google products for university work, and the general “google is cool” vibe that surrounded me from peers (tech/business student).

Now after a decade, I’m deeply entrenched in Google with bookmarks, passwords and habits. Only progress I made is switching to iOS from Android. Installed Ff on mobile, but didn’t really like the experience, so not really using it.

Will probably try to make a stronger push to invest some time and switch completely during Xmas break, as it does bother me to be part of the problem, though I hate how convenient not doing anything about it is.

[–] Rootiest@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I had a similar history to you.

I finally decided a couple months back to start de-googling and did the following so far:

switched Google Password Manager to VaultWarden
switched Google Search Engine to searxng
switched Google Keep to Obsidian/memos
switched Google Drive/Office to Cryptpad
switched Google Chrome desktop to LibreWolf
switched Google Chrome Mobile to Fennec F-droid

Only progress I made is switching to iOS from Android. Installed Ff on mobile, but didn’t really like the experience, so not really using it.

Well if you switched to iOS then there's not really much point as the browser backend is still the same as Safari there. Apple doesn't allow other browser engines so on iOS Firefox/Chrome/etc are all just wrappers on Apple's browser engine.

Apple is worse than Google in many ways and if you wanted to maintain control over your privacy (and even just de-google) you ironically would be better off staying on Android.

There are many great custom firmwares available for Android devices such as GrapheneOS which can truly de-google your device.

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[–] state_electrician@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Exactly. I've been here since Netscape Navigator.

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[–] bloopernova@programming.dev 79 points 7 months ago (18 children)

Tree. Style. Tabs.

Best damned extension ever. It's amazing to me that all browsers don't have this style of tabs.

[–] scytale@lemm.ee 24 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Thanks for the recommendation. I need to organize my 100+ tabs.

[–] bloopernova@programming.dev 25 points 7 months ago (5 children)

Tree Style Tab also lets you bookmark whole trees. I'm often jumping between different coding languages, or different areas of DevOps on a weekly basis, and tree bookmarks help. I can "file away" a bunch of research and load it all back later, and still have the tree! Very useful for context switching.

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[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 78 points 7 months ago (11 children)

Just because Google broke the most trafficked site on the internet for Firefox doesn't mean its a bad browser. Hell that's a ringing endorsement.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago (6 children)

Personally I'd rather stop using any Google services, than handing them a Chrome monopoly. Google is already way to dominant IMO.

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[–] PeterPoopshit@lemmy.world 52 points 7 months ago (2 children)

The best time to switch to Firefox was 19 years ago when it first came into existence. The 2nd best time is now.

[–] m3t00@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

my cubicle wall poster I sent money for. yw

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[–] ExLisper@linux.community 49 points 7 months ago (2 children)

It was never a good time to switch to Chrome.

[–] Nath@aussie.zone 27 points 7 months ago

When it was released, Chrome was revolutionary. Sandboxing individual tabs into their own processes was a stroke of genius. Until then, if a single site ate up all your memory and crashed your browser, all your tabs/sites died and you had to start again.

It really was the best browser for a hot minute before others copied the idea.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago (9 children)

I never understood why so many people thought it was a good idea to hand Google the near monopoly power we had just prevented Microsoft in keeping. And that was AFTER we saw how bad it was that Microsoft had that power.
Too many people go for short term gain for way greater long term losses.

[–] paf0@lemmy.world 35 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Chrome was much faster and more stable than Firefox for a time, but they're similar now.

[–] C126@sh.itjust.works 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

This is my recollection, when chrome first came out it seemed significantly faster than IE and Firefox at the time, and Google was much less evil big brother at the time.

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[–] stifle867@programming.dev 49 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (17 children)

I've been using Firefox on desktop and mobile exclusively for a number of years now. I will say the experience isn't perfect but it's better than using a browser made by a company that is actively hostile to its users.

It is important to take note that you will experience issues with some websites. For example, https://astro.build/ Try scrolling quickly up and down on this page on Firefox vs Chrome (on mobile).

[–] lemmyvore@feddit.nl 18 points 7 months ago (11 children)

What's wrong with that page? I'm not seeing anything in particular.

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[–] EddieTee77@lemdro.id 36 points 7 months ago (9 children)

Since version 120 is coming to mobile soon with about 200 extensions (as mentioned in the article), can anyone recommend some good extensions that are newly added? I have ublock origin, HD YouTube, Google search fixer, clear url fixer, dark reader, privacy badger, and ghostery

[–] 31337@sh.itjust.works 27 points 7 months ago (8 children)

I think ghostery is owned by an ad company. I wouldn't trust it.

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[–] janAkali@lemmy.one 23 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Try libredirect, it automatically redirects links from twitter, youtube, imgur and many other spying platforms to alternative privacy friendly frontends. It is also very customizable: you can turn only some redirects and configure what particular site to use for each platform.

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[–] lemmyvore@feddit.nl 12 points 7 months ago (2 children)

You don't need Privacy Badger and Ghostery anymore if you turn the Enhanced Tracking Protection up to "strict" in settings.

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[–] httperror418@lemmy.world 36 points 7 months ago (9 children)

Container tabs are hands down the best add-on I have ever used. Being able to use multiple accounts across tabs is fantastic. Alot of my colleagues have switched due to this alone

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[–] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 35 points 7 months ago

I never left 😘

[–] wesley@yall.theatl.social 34 points 7 months ago (18 children)

The mobile experience of Firefox with ad block is so much better than Chrome. Using chrome on mobile makes the Internet feel broken to me. I can't go back.

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[–] arc@lemm.ee 30 points 7 months ago (12 children)

Personally I've never left Firefox. Used to develop on it when it was still called Mozilla, and I'm happy it's still around. Privacy is a major strength of it compared to other browsers.

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[–] Coreidan@lemmy.world 26 points 7 months ago (3 children)

The best time was 15 years ago

[–] QwertySpace@lemmy.world 39 points 7 months ago (2 children)

And the second best time is now.

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[–] heygooberman@lemmy.today 24 points 7 months ago (14 children)

Don't forget about the Firefox forks like LibreWolf!

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[–] NoLifeGaming@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I use it on desktop and phone and honestly been pretty good no complaints.

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[–] moitoi@feddit.de 22 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

For people asking, add-ons work fine on Nightly.

Nightly 122

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[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

It's always been a viable alternative. If the Internet was standard-compliant it would have been the best for a long time

[–] Uplink@programming.dev 18 points 7 months ago (5 children)

How is this going to end?

Google blocks access to it's services for Firefox altogether? Maybe even ban it from the Play Store? That would finally give me a real incentive to install some CFW.

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[–] 271apple@sh.itjust.works 13 points 7 months ago

Firefox is Awesome

[–] Spacemanspliff@midwest.social 12 points 7 months ago (19 children)

How is it for mobile though? All of my web interaction is through my android

[–] scala@lemmy.ml 32 points 7 months ago (1 children)

UBlock Origin mobile. Enough said.

[–] KLISHDFSDF@lemmy.ml 14 points 7 months ago

UBlock Origin mobile.

uBlock Origin mobile with the EasyList annoyance cookie notices filter enabled. Never see an annoying cookie notice again.

[–] AnActOfCreation@programming.dev 12 points 7 months ago

This article is actually specifically about mobile! Yes it's great. :)

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