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Firefox\u2019s Android app will soon support an \u201copen ecosystem of extensions,\u201d developer Mozilla has announced<\/a>, allowing users to customize the browser with a wide range of third-party addons. An exact release date for the feature is yet to be announced, but in a blog post Mozilla\u2019s Scott DeVaney said it should come before the end of the year. More details will be announced next month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n With the release, Firefox claims it will be the \u201conly major Android browser to support an open extension ecosystem.\u201d Extensions are currently not supported on Chrome for Android, the OS\u2019s default browser, though Android Authority<\/em> reports<\/a> that it\u2019s possible to get them working on smaller browsers like Yandex and Kiwi Browser. Over on iOS, Apple recently added support for extensions to its Safari browser<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The \u201conly major Android browser to support an open extension ecosystem\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Extension support on Firefox for Android technically goes back years<\/a>, but compatibility was massively reduced when the app was rebuilt in 2020<\/a>. Since then it\u2019s only officially supported a limited number of less than two dozen extensions, Android Police <\/em>recently reported<\/a>. While it\u2019s still technically possible to run any desktop Firefox extension with the Android app, you need to enable a debug menu<\/a> to do so, and Mozilla warns that this option is designed for \u201cdevelopers and advanced users\u201d and may \u201clead to unexpected outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThere is so much creative potential to unlock within the mobile browser space,\u201d Firefox\u2019s director of engineering Giorgio Natili said in a statement. \u201cMozilla wants to provide developers with the best support we can so they\u2019re equipped and empowered to build modern mobile WebExtensions.\u201d The company\u2019s blog post includes a list of instructions<\/a> for developers to ensure their extensions work as expected on Android, without falling prey to the operating system\u2019s tendency to shut down resource-intensive processes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Although Mozilla characterizes Firefox as a major Android browser, its market share pales in comparison to market leader Chrome, which Statcounter<\/em> reports<\/a> commanded nearly 65 percent of all mobile browsing (including iOS) as of July 2023. Firefox\u2019s market share, meanwhile, sat at just half a percent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n