Fennec Alpha, aka the Firefox Mobile browser, is now available for Android phones (and the Nokia N900). Just point your Android browser to http://firefox.com/m/alpha to give it a download. The browser has come a long way since our hands-on in April - adding pinch-to-zoom, Firefox Sync (which syncs your history, bookmarks, open tabs, and passwords), Add-ons, and the Awesome Bar.
It's still Alpha, though, so your mileage may vary - Mozilla points out that improvements to graphics performance are coming and there are still a few bugs to work out. Still, to our eyes it looks every bit as exciting as the video after the break suggests. [Mozilla]
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11.5 MB?
Message "Fennec could not be viewed. Free up some space on your phone and try again"
I have 5.6 GB internal phone storage.
599 MB available phone memory.
HTC INCREDIBLE 2.1
It looks kinda jerky in the scrolling, no?
Every single release of this has never worked on my mts3g. This is no different. Wtf
See https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android for a list of supported phones, and an experimental build that might work on unsupported ARMv6 phones.
I'm getting the "The content is not supported" pop-up on my EVO.
Installed it in my Incredible, it's too unbearably slow to even use. Takes 20+ seconds to start up, page loads are super slow, pinch zoom so slow it is unusable. Not even REMOTELY ready for public use. Still pre-alpha in my opinion. It actually slowed the entire phone down to a crawl as well even after killing it with ATK.
Looks nice though....I like the layout.
It's funny. On my EVO it says it cant install. Last night I had downloaded this and tested it and was able to open it and use it. Don't know why this version isn't working.
Hopefully they get it working, looks promising. I would like to try and put the Flash plug in on it.
WCM
If you've downloaded a nightly build or an unofficial build, then you'll need to uninstall it if you want to switch to the signed alpha release build. Or you can upgrade from an old nightly build to the latest nightly without uninstalling. For details see: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android
Downloads a file that isn't in .apk form. What the hell do you do with it?
Tried on my HTC Aria. Closes instantly every time.
Seeing as how AT&T Android phones don't let you sideload apps (natively), maybe try downloading the fennec.apk on your desktop, and then use AC's Sideload Wonder Machine...?
Well its rooted so that wouldn't make a difference.
It FINALLY looks like a browser is doing pinch-to-zoom properly in Android. The Palm Pre got it right, and the iPhone got it right... now maybe Android can have one soon that does it right.
Now, before you tell me that I'm crazy, try using the pinch-to-zoom feature on a Palm Pre or an iPhone: where your fingers touch the page is where you have GRABBED the page with your fingers. You can zoom and drag all at the same time, which is a huge improvement over Android's current implementation where your fingers basically just turn into a zoom wheel - very frustrating having come from a Palm Pre.
Agreed!
Its very annoying...makes me do landscape browsing more often because i don't have to worry about zooming in on a certain area.
Whew! I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees this. It's the little things, you know?
pinch-to-zoom is just about the most overrated feature ever
i double tap 100 times to every one time i pinch-to-zoom
...I do, too - but only because the pinch-to-zoom sucks on Android. Proper pinch-to-zoom implemented with text reflow would make this the best browser hands-down.
This is the same frustration I have with multi-touch in Google Maps. Again, WebOS and iOS got it right, but Google didn't get it right on their own operating system.
That's why I love CyanogenMod's option for "reflow on zoom" that makes the default browser to amazing.
Yeah guys it's in ALPHA for a reason, why don't you just wait until it's more stable
It WILL NOT open on my sprint htc hero..
The ARMv6 nightly build from https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android should run on the Hero... but it is not optimized for ARMv6 processor or small screens yet.
awefull
Hi, it is my first comment here on Android Central. I'm from Italy and i tried to download pointing my browser on the website you wrote but it doesn't work on my Galaxy S (page not found). Is it only for american Android devices maybe?
The link is broken for non-US languages right now. We're working on fixing it; for now if you directly to http://mozilla.com/en-US/m/alpha it should work.
Not worth using right now. It is insanely slow. It is in alpha for a reason.
Won't open on my Moment.
Works on the Desire, however it's a long ways from optmized, very sluggish loading and scrolling and dodgy screens.
Took forever to download and install on the myTouch 3G Slide with 2.1 ... then it won't open. You hit the icon and the screen goes black then back to the home screen.
Sorry boys... not ready for prime time or any time just yet!
On the myTouch 3G Slide, you can try the experimental ARMv6 build from https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android (but this is not yet supported or tested - you might want to wait for a later release instead).
I notice if you Google Fennec Android it takes you to a page where you can download a version for ARM 7 and 5 phones. Evo is on the faster processor link. I think that's what I had downloaded last night to test.
Oh well. I'll wait. Waiting for Uzard, too. Can't play Farmville or Cafeworld on Facebook without the game resting or not even starting in native browser. Just want to see if another browser can do that. Skyfire was able to on WinMo, but their version for Android is basically piggy backing off the Android browser and giving you video, which we can do now anyway.
WCM
it is painfully slow on my incredible. BUT it DOES support NTLM / Windows Authentication! That is a HUGE plus for me! No other Android browser does that, to my knowledge. I refuse to use firefox on my pc, but if they get this working correctly, I will be using it exclusively. I run a webserver so I can access my files remotely, but I use Windows Authentication to secure it. I've never been able to access it on my phone, but now I can!
When it installs on your phone it installs as 33mb; what the crap? Sorry Fennc the default browser on Froyo backed up by Opera is better.
Downloaded fine. Super slow and slowed down my phone. Think I will wait for a more refined version.
Have to admit, it aint bad for a first try, will get better in time. Will be nice to have the option. And like the chrome to phone feature, the ability to sync with home browser is most welcome.
wont open on nexus one 2.2
I have to say the firefox guys make a nice PC browser but they seem to have issues with mobile
everything ALWAYS works on my Nexus One! you have to really screw up to make something not work on a nexus
oh wow...now it opened to a blank page with an address bar that will not accept input! sweet!
well at least it forced closed so I could unfreeze my nexus and get back to the homescreen.
uninstalling this little gem right now...the only saving grace this thing has is that you can move it to SD which you better do because it's like 30MB!!!
I just installed it on my nexus one and it is big program 33 megabytes I moved it to my SD and it still takes up at least 18 megs. It runs slow, probably since I'm running it from my SD card.
how do i install it?
You Have An Android, You're Smarter Now. *Look At Your Settings*
The Reason It Gives You The Message: "The content is not supported" Is Because You Have The "Mobile View" Tab Checked Off
In Your Browser Hit:
Menu
More Setting
Mobile View
Now Download It.
I agree with other posts.... Incredibly slow. Took all of 60 seconds to realize that this app would not stay on my EVO in its current state. Deleted. I guess I'll await the beta or a final release. Fennec has a long way to go IMHO. I love Firefox and hope that Fennec will eventually be a capable mobile version of it.
this is insanely slow even on my captivate thats overclocked to 1.2 ghz with a lagfix installed
I downloaded it to my Droid [running 2.2] today. I wish it were better news, but very slow, and jerky. I know Mozilla will get it to an excellent level soon like all their other offerings.