Time for Another Go on Android Firefox

Firefox has had a really good upgrade. Many of us were put off the Firefox system because it was fairly intensive for our smartphones and tablets. However, the latest release is actually lighter than the previous ones; bucking the general browser trend. Therefore you can get better performance with this new upgrade and it may well be time to have another look at this option. There are some really good features that you should know about.

With mobile broadband getting better and better we are more discerning about our online experience on our smartphones and tablets. Whereas we used to settle for the default browser, not bothering to upgrade, more of us are trying out different options in order to have a solution that really does fit our needs.

Indeed, we spend more time browsing websites on our phones than ever before. Companies, such as Facebook, are well aware that mobile browsing is a massive part of the present and the future. That is why they are looking for mobile revenue generating mechanisms in order to drive the company into the future.

The Broadband Comparison

A broadband comparison of five years ago with today shows that average fixed line broadband speeds are around three times faster today. With the emergence of 4G mobile broadband we now have mobile broadband that is 10 times faster than it was just a year ago. 4G connectivity has potential top speeds of over 100 Mb per second. We are going to spend more and more time on the go, browsing, downloading and enjoying, so it makes complete sense that we understand our browser options.

The Firefox Features

Let’s take a look at some of the features that really do stand out in the Firefox browser

The Awesome Screen

When you open up the Firefox browser you are taken to the ‘awesome screen’; Mozilla terminology not mine. This is essentially a personalised screen where you can view add-ons that are suggested for you, view previous browsing history and most visited websites, and can even view websites that are open on your desktop. Any time you want to return to this screen you just type about:home into the search bar.

Firefox Synchronisation

By logging into your Firefox accounts you can synchronise bookmarks, open tabs and passwords across different devices. This means you can jump onto a different device and carry on where you left off.

In order to set this up you need to get onto your desktop and open up Firefox. In the top left-hand corner of your screen you will see an orange button that allows you to set up synchronisation. Click the button that says ‘create a new account’. Enter all of the details, leaving the server set to default. Accept the conditions, click next and you are ready for the next step.

Now on your mobile device click the top right-hand button on Firefox and you will be presented with three numbers to enable you to pair your device. Go back to your desktop and hit the Firefox button, followed by options. Choose the synchronisation tab and hit ‘pair a device’. Here you will enter the code that was brought up on your mobile device in order to set up the synchronisation. Now, on your awesome tab on your smart phone or tablet, the open tabs of your desktop will be available at the bottom of the screen.

Choosing Settings

You can choose exactly what is shared between the different devices through the options tab of the synchronisation section. For example, you may wish to deselect certain options that could be a security risk on your mobile device. It may be that you want to de-select passwords.

From the manage accounts section you can also reset or recover your password and check your synchronisation quota. The amount of data you use in this process is very small, and so the 25 MB allowed is plenty for just about anyone.

Utilising Add-Ons

You can improve your Android Firefox experience by downloading and installing add-ons. A really handy one is called Ad Block Plus. This application will block all adverts that are in the browser. On the awesome screen you will see add-ons suggestions, or you can run a search in the add-ons search box.

Privacy Settings

With Firefox you can make tabs private and also ensure that websites don’t track your visits. By making your choices in the top right-hand menu, you can inform websites that they should not track you in any way. From the menu item you can select New Private Tab so you don’t leave any browsing history. This is especially handy considering you will be on your mobile device, which may be more exposed than your desktop.

Saving Pages as PDF Files

Sometimes it can be a little onerous trying to scroll through webpages. However, the Firefox add-on for Android provides you with the opportunity to save webpages as PDF files, and therefore enjoy your read through a more functional interface.

In order to achieve this you must first tap the top right menu, click tools, ‘save as PDF’ and then navigate to the download section in order to retrieve the saved file.

You will need Adobe Reader, or another PDF reader, in order to view the documents that you save.

Final Word

The Firefox browser is now an excellent option for mobile devices. The early challenge of the weight of the browser, leading to slower than average performance has been resolved.

With the new features that we find you really can get a better browsing experience than just settling for the default option on most smartphone and tablet devices. As you spend more time on the Internet on your phones you really will value the additional efficiency and features of a quality browser; especially compared to a browser that really just doesn’t cut the mustard.

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