Mozilla Won't Release Firefox for iOS Until Apple Changes Its Unfriendly Attitude

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Posted March 10, 2013 at 10:44pm by Shalom Levytam

Mozilla says that it won't release Firefox for iOS until Apple changes its unfriendly attitude toward third party browsers, reports CNET.

Jay Sullivan, vice president of product at Mozilla, made the comments during a panel discussion at SXSW.

The sticking point for Mozilla is not being able to carry over its sophisticated rendering and javascript engines to iOS. Essentially, the organization doesn't feel like it can build the browser it wants to for Apple's platform, Sullivan told CNET.

Additionally, Apple prevents users from making any other application the default browser. This means that users are often forced to use Safari when they may have preferred another app.

Sullivan argued that this closed environment makes Apple's users suffer. However, when CNET reported queried the audience, a majority of attendees identified themselves as iOS users but few indicated they were suffering.

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Mozilla Won't Release Firefox for iOS Until Apple Changes Its Unfriendly Attitude

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M3th0s - March 27, 2013 at 3:44pm

That was amusing! Please tell me more how Safari is also in control of the browser market! Oh wait, it isn't right? Lool...

rockne1865 - March 12, 2013 at 4:34pm

If you jailbreak you can get a nifty drop down app that let's you wipe the history from Safari & you can wipe free memory 1000s of cool apps

rockne1865 - March 12, 2013 at 4:30pm

Hear! Hear! Jack Black I never upgrade to a new IPhone until a jailbreak is available if I could not jailbreak my phone I won't buy it. It's not a smart phone without if you can't jailbreak it! Still even with a jailbreak I'm getting damm good & tired of Apples attitude they make too many Discissions like weather or not I can have apps with porn or if I can customize my lock screen I won't buy anything I can't take apart & tinker with? That's why America has had so many innovators & inventors plus the App Store is an unlawful monopoly I still buy things from the App Store when they have what I want. Even if I never got anything from third party's I would still jailbreak.

aquariusrick - March 11, 2013 at 8:25pm

Mozilla needs Apple more than Apple needs Mozilla. They both may be sinking ships, but Mozilla will sink a lot sooner than Apple will. I haven't used Firefox in years since the dev team became incompetent.

Xxbs2o0oxX - March 11, 2013 at 7:20pm

Why don't they just put on iOS. It's on android!!

AmiNo - March 11, 2013 at 5:56pm

who needs firefox!!... Chrome ftw

NoGoodNick - March 11, 2013 at 2:38pm

I don't think Apple is going to worry about FireFox refusing to play ball very much. They're doing well with Safari as is, and FireFox is based on the 'do everything yourself' that Apple has steadfastly refused to support. It's unlikely Apple would EVER allow an iOS FireFox.

Sterli Snax - March 11, 2013 at 11:32am

we dont need firefox running iOS as well

Arkhi - March 11, 2013 at 6:26am

Isn't this what the jailbreak and browser toggle for Springboard Settings are for?

Copperhead - March 11, 2013 at 10:04am

Hahaha, problem solved...

jerker - March 11, 2013 at 4:14am

I don't really care, I use Safari Mobile for everything and it works like a charm. The only case I use Chrome Mobile is to see porn while I'm in the bathroom, because it has the private navigation easily reachable.

What? - March 11, 2013 at 7:43am

Wow. You took the words right out of my nasty, dirty, filthy little mouth.

jahmed80 - March 11, 2013 at 4:09am

lets come out with your own phone.. and we r going to call it FFone. wait just a little bit, apples days are ending...

Mr.F - March 11, 2013 at 3:20am

And apple would say: "Seriously, who needs firefox anyways?"

.NoGoodNick - March 11, 2013 at 2:19am

Apple why don't u subsidize the servers much more so we can get ur phone freeeeeee with a 2 yr contract

.NoGoodNick - March 11, 2013 at 2:16am

Apple u must smile why such a sourpuss? Ur making billions

.NoGoodNick - March 11, 2013 at 2:14am

U mean to say that if I want to use Firefox especially to download jb shit apple will say they are not allowing it?? I ask why do I own an IPhone I was happier with a plain flip phone before

DarkKent - March 11, 2013 at 1:55am

Ive said this before and i"ll say it again... install. test. delete. install. test. delete. i aways wish safari had more features but i guess thats wat makes it great. the efficiency... always wind up back at stock apps lol

Lawyer - March 10, 2013 at 11:02pm

There's one thing that I don't understand: Microsoft gets sued in Europe for not offering a browser choice for win8 but here we have Apple doing what it's doing...

Devon - March 10, 2013 at 11:09pm

Exactly! It's not right.

demesne - March 10, 2013 at 11:32pm

They make their own hardware; and that makes all the difference you can do anything with your software because its not available to any one else on any other platform.

Angelo - March 10, 2013 at 11:00pm

Screw Firefox, I already removed it from my PC at home & work. I'll use Chrome & Safari

Jack Black - March 10, 2013 at 10:57pm

This is why I jailbreak ... Bc apple sucks in its native form. I'd never own an iOS device if I couldn't jailbreak it.

Ken - March 10, 2013 at 10:59pm

Firefox is available when you jailbreak, or you're just trying to justify pirating 99 cent apps by pretending it's about "freedom of choice"?

Zanka - March 10, 2013 at 11:22pm

Actually genius you can change default web browsers when jail broken, and I agree without being jb. The iPhone sucks IMO. Besides The guy didn't say anything about pirating anything. Being jb doesn't mean you are a app pirate anyways.

Alejandro Iván - March 11, 2013 at 4:19am

No one said anything about piracy, dude. I personally don't like to jailbreak my iPhone, but it's certainly useful for most people. Things like choosing your main browser, changing themes, adding new functionalities, enabling older devices to use FaceTime over 3G, etc... it's valuable. Piracy is not good, but we cannot certainly stop it. YOU can make the difference buying your 99 cent apps, like most other people (including me) do. It's all about users to choose if they wanna pirate apps or not, but that's not the main idea of jailbreaking. It's about being free to do whatever you like with your expensive toy.

Jonathan - March 10, 2013 at 10:48pm

Who cares we have chrome and safari!

Ken - March 10, 2013 at 10:57pm

Haha exactly, Mozilla would do well to fix the bloat of Firefox 65 or whatever the desktop version is up to.

Copperhead - March 11, 2013 at 10:06am

They are up to v17.0.0