Mozilla Is Working on Firefox for iOS
Lots of names are featured on Firefox’s platform availability list: Windows, OS X, FreeBSD, Linux, Firefox OS, and Android. One platform that has always been absent from the list is Apple’s iOS.
Even though users asked for it, Mozilla said time and time again that it will not release Firefox for iOS. Why you ask? For the simple reason that Apple won’t let Mozilla use its own web rendering engine. Until now, Mozilla has been adamant that if Apple won’t let it use its own web engine, it won’t release a Firefox version for iOS.
But now that Chris Beard is at Mozilla’s helm, things are about to change. Chris Beard, Mozilla’s current CEO, doesn't seem to have any problems with Apple not letting Mozilla use its own web engine. Consequently, Mozilla is now working on a Firefox version for Apple’s iOS mobile operating system.
“At Mozilla, we put our users first and want to provide an independent choice for them on any platform. We are in the early stages of experimenting with something that allows iOS users to be able to choose a Firefox experience,” said a brief statement on the Mozilla Press Center. “We work in the open at Mozilla and are just starting to experiment with a couple of different concepts, so we’ll update you when we have more to share,” the statement continued.
Here’s an interesting question: since Apple won’t lift the browser restrictions, why is Mozilla working on a browser for iOS? The answer can be found in a tweet from Mozilla Release Manager Lukas Blakk: “We need to be where our users are so we're going to get Firefox on iOS.”
iOS is a very popular operating system. Lots of people have an iPhone or another Apple mobile device. Mozilla wants them to use its product to surf the web. It’s as simple as that.
Even though users asked for it, Mozilla said time and time again that it will not release Firefox for iOS. Why you ask? For the simple reason that Apple won’t let Mozilla use its own web rendering engine. Until now, Mozilla has been adamant that if Apple won’t let it use its own web engine, it won’t release a Firefox version for iOS.
But now that Chris Beard is at Mozilla’s helm, things are about to change. Chris Beard, Mozilla’s current CEO, doesn't seem to have any problems with Apple not letting Mozilla use its own web engine. Consequently, Mozilla is now working on a Firefox version for Apple’s iOS mobile operating system.
“At Mozilla, we put our users first and want to provide an independent choice for them on any platform. We are in the early stages of experimenting with something that allows iOS users to be able to choose a Firefox experience,” said a brief statement on the Mozilla Press Center. “We work in the open at Mozilla and are just starting to experiment with a couple of different concepts, so we’ll update you when we have more to share,” the statement continued.
Here’s an interesting question: since Apple won’t lift the browser restrictions, why is Mozilla working on a browser for iOS? The answer can be found in a tweet from Mozilla Release Manager Lukas Blakk: “We need to be where our users are so we're going to get Firefox on iOS.”
iOS is a very popular operating system. Lots of people have an iPhone or another Apple mobile device. Mozilla wants them to use its product to surf the web. It’s as simple as that.
