Mozilla’s New Method to Become Default Browser on Windows 11 Over Chrome and Edge

Mozilla’s New Method to Become Default Browser on Windows 11 Over Chrome and Edge

Mozilla Extends Firefox Support for Legacy Windows Versions

In July 2024, Mozilla made headlines by announcing its commitment to continue supporting Firefox on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, even as major competitors like Chrome and Edge withdrew their support. True to its word, Mozilla confirmed that users on these platforms will receive updates until March 2025.

Adapting to User Migration Trends

Mozilla recognizes that it occupies a small segment of the overall Windows user base, which is predominantly using Windows 10 and 11. As Microsoft nudges users towards upgrading to Windows 11, even those on unsupported machines are being pushed to adapt. This trend suggests an inevitable shift as Windows 10 approaches its end of life.

Firefox Beta 134: A Strategic Shift in Installation Process

Recently, in the Firefox 134 Beta 2, an innovative feature was implemented that automatically selects Firefox as the default browser during installation. This signifies a strategic move by Mozilla to enhance user experience and streamline the setup process. As depicted in the image below, the option to “Set Firefox as default browser”is pre-checked by default.

Firefox 134 beta installation default browser selection

Understanding the New Default Browser Feature

The implementation of this feature, tracked under bug ID 1923868, introduces an idle task that establishes Firefox as the default browser if it detects a “set_default_browser”attribute during the initial run. This aligns with a broader experiment allowing users to select “download as default” during installation, as referenced on the stub installer marketing page.

User-Friendly Setup Progress Tracking

Additionally, users will notice this selection option during the “Finish setup”stage, ensuring clarity and ease of use throughout the setup process:

Firefox 134 beta final setup default browser option

Microsoft’s Response and Firefox Enhancements

This update follows recent efforts by Microsoft to improve the user interface related to default browser settings, indicating an acknowledgment of the significance of user preferences. Apart from the new installation options, Firefox 134 beta introduces hardware-accelerated HEVC/H.265 codec support on Windows, enhancing multimedia performance for users.

New Features and Fixes in Firefox 134 Beta

New Features:

  • Support for touchpad hold gestures on Linux, allowing momentum scrolling to be interrupted with a two-finger placement on the touchpad.
  • Implementation of HEVC hardware support for Windows users.

Bug Fixes:

  • Resolved an issue on macOS Sonoma where the emoji picker would open and close instantly when activated via the Cmd+Ctrl+Space shortcut.
  • Addressed another macOS Sonoma issue where the emoji picker would insert the character “e”into the text field upon opening with the Fn+e shortcut, along with similar shortcuts using the Fn key.

Changes:

  • Firefox now adheres more closely to the HTML specification for transient user activation, making popup blocking less strict and thereby reducing unnecessary blocking prompts.

For a complete overview of the updates, you can access the changelog here on Mozilla’s official website.

Source & Images

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