Firefox

Mozilla Firefox, or simply Firefox, is a <a href="/facts/Free_and_open-source_software/1cHtjLCB">free and open source</a> <a href="/facts/Web_browser/2pfyymLs">web browser</a> developed by the <a href="/facts/Mozilla_Foundation/Y1xYJsDm">Mozilla Foundation</a> and its subsidiary, the <a href="/facts/Mozilla_Corporation/AGF9famv">Mozilla Corporation</a>. It uses the <a href="/facts/Gecko_(software)/HXINMkgW">Gecko</a> <a href="/facts/Browser_engine/wLna3ate">rendering engine</a> to display web pages, which implements current and anticipated web standards. Firefox is available for <a href="/facts/Windows_10/be9IHehJ">Windows 10</a> or later versions of <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a>, <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>, and <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a>. Its unofficial ports are available for various <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">Unix</a> and <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> operating systems, including <a href="/facts/FreeBSD/RKsFTm7F">FreeBSD</a>, <a href="/facts/OpenBSD/xmPS9tek">OpenBSD</a>, <a href="/facts/NetBSD/PTm5HWls">NetBSD</a>, and other operating systems, such as <a href="/facts/ReactOS/BFmfC6BB">reactOS</a>. Firefox is also available for <a href="/facts/Firefox_for_Android/6jBazUVR">Android</a> and <a href="/facts/Firefox_for_iOS/n0u5fpmJ">iOS</a>. However, as with all other iOS web browsers, the iOS version uses the <a href="/facts/WebKit/YrP9vbIj">WebKit</a> layout engine instead of Gecko due to platform requirements. An optimized version is also available on the <a href="/facts/Amazon_Fire_TV/HDhtDsYY">Amazon Fire TV</a> as one of the two main browsers available with <a href="/facts/Amazon_Silk/1uXQrRNU">Amazon's Silk Browser</a>.
Firefox is the <a href="/facts/Spiritual_successor/qKjW42FU">spiritual successor</a> of <a href="/facts/Netscape_Navigator/f9m231Wp">Netscape Navigator</a>, as the <a href="/facts/Mozilla/FevL9Itn">Mozilla</a> community was created by <a href="/facts/Netscape/JGWlEUI7">Netscape</a> in 1998, before its acquisition by <a href="/facts/AOL/MAbT38QS">AOL</a>. Firefox was created in 2002 under the codename "Phoenix" by members of the Mozilla community who desired a standalone browser rather than the <a href="/facts/Mozilla_Application_Suite/XbBP7wRE">Mozilla Application Suite</a> bundle. During its <a href="/facts/Software_release_life_cycle/z4Q4RElA">beta</a> phase, it proved to be popular with its testers and was praised for its speed, security, and add-ons compared to <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>'s then-dominant <a href="/facts/Internet_Explorer_6/MGfbdL4h">Internet Explorer 6</a>. It was released on November 9, 2004, and challenged <a href="/facts/Internet_Explorer/uL8a4Y5l">Internet Explorer</a>'s dominance with 60 million downloads within nine months. In November 2017, Firefox began incorporating new technology under the code name "<a href="/facts/Quantum_(Mozilla)/HXINMkgW">Quantum</a>" to promote <a href="/facts/Parallel_computing/nQzcpzQt">parallelism</a> and a more intuitive <a href="/facts/User_interface/e9sPEWVD">user interface</a>.
Firefox usage share grew to a peak of 32.21% in November 2009, with <a href="/facts/Firefox_3.5/rY5zzQvb">Firefox 3.5</a> overtaking <a href="/facts/Internet_Explorer_7/P5FLswaN">Internet Explorer 7</a>, although not all versions of Internet Explorer as a whole; its usage then declined in competition with <a href="/facts/Google_Chrome/4INfWq37">Google Chrome</a>. As of February 2025<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Firefox&action=edit">[update]</a>, according to <a href="/facts/StatCounter/AptgfdPv">StatCounter</a>, it had a 6.36% <a href="/facts/Usage_share_of_web_browsers/dHEpByj7">usage share</a> on traditional PCs (i.e. as a desktop browser), making it the fourth-most popular PC web browser after Google Chrome (65%), <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Edge/BGoJEFX9">Microsoft Edge</a> (14%), and <a href="/facts/Safari_(web_browser)/9R8v7tNl">Safari</a> (8.65%).

Firefox open-in-new

Firefox