Mozilla developers have completed successfully Firefox 68 migration for Android users to the new browser developed by the Fenix project, which was recently offered to all users as a "Firefox 79.0.5" update.
Given this, enthusiasts who disagree with the changes in the new Firefox for Android have founded a synchronized fork of the project: Iceweasle mobile, which aims to provide advanced options to customize and display more information about the pages that are viewed.
Apart from the name, eThe project has nothing to do with the Iceweasel fork shipped in Debian and developed by a separate team.
Iceweasle Mobile returns access to about: config settings (In Fenix this page is disabled by default).
In addition to certain features of the old Firefox for Android that are not available in Fenix: page code view, home page settings, compact tabs, send tabs to another device, tab queues, list of recently closed tabs, address bar always in view mode (always active in Fenix autohide), save the page in PDF.
As well There are changes to the plugins officially supported in Fenix, the installation of other plugins is allowed in the fork; Due to the use of Mozilla's Android components, most plugins will not be able to function without reworking, but users have the opportunity to try installing any plugin without strictly limiting their list.
Since in Fenix they only support the following plugins: uBlock Origin, Dark Reader, Privacy Badger, NoScript, HTTPS Everywhere, Decentraleyes, Search by Image, YouTube High Definition and Privacy Possum.
Moreover, the tab switch interface in Iceweasle Mobile has been redesigned to look like the old Firefox for Android. Of the plans for the future, work to disable telemetry and proprietary code stands out.
Right now, we believe that telemetry should no longer be sent to Mozilla, but we cannot guarantee this; data can still be sent. If it detects that the application sends data to Mozilla, Adjust, Leanplum, Firebase or any other similar service. Presumably the data reaching Mozilla is governed by Mozilla's privacy policy, but since Iceweasel Mobile is not, again, a Mozilla product , we cannot make promises.
Iceweasel Mobile combines the power of Fenix and the spirit of Fennec, with a respectful nod to the great tradition of Netscape Navigator, where all Gecko-based projects come from, including the oldest of our predecessors, the ancients. Mozilla Phoenix and Mozilla Firefox desktop browsers.
Of the features that remain of the new Firefox for Android (Fenix)
- They are the dark layout mode, the default address bar is transferred to the bottom of the screen and a new pop-up block for switching between open tabs (tab tray).
- Picture-in-picture mode, which allows you to play videos in a small window while viewing other content or when working in another application.
- Advanced protection against motion tracking, which allows, blocking ads with motion tracking code, web analytics counters, social media widgets, hidden user identification methods and code for cryptocurrency mining.
- Multifunctional address bar, It has a universal button for quick operations such as sending a link to another device and adding a site to the favorites list.
- The ability to combine tabs into collections, allowing you to save, group and share your favorite sites. When you close your browser, the tabs that are still open are automatically grouped into a collection that you can later view and restore.
Get Iceweasle Mobile
Finally for who are interested in being able to test and install this browser, they can go to the following link, where you can find the link that provides the latest compilation available (apk) to install on your Android device.
In that same link you will find all the source code for those interested in knowing it.