Firefox 115 represents the final iteration of the Firefox browser that is compatible with older iterations of Windows and macOS, specifically Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, along with macOS versions 10.12 to 10.14.
If you attempt to install Firefox 116 or any subsequent versions on these operating systems, the installation will not succeed.
Support Extension Announcement
In July, Mozilla revealed intentions to prolong support for these systems. Just last week, they made Firefox 115 available to users. However, there was no mention regarding the ongoing support for these aged systems, generating uncertainty about future updates for users’ devices.
Key Information:
- The Extended Support Release (ESR) enables users on these older platforms to continue utilizing Firefox.
- Prominent competitors such as Google and Microsoft have already terminated support for Windows 7.
Firefox ESR 115 has now progressed to Firefox ESR 128 for systems that are fully supported. Nevertheless, this situation has placed users on older systems in a difficult position as they are unable to install Firefox 128.
Presently, there is official confirmation regarding an extension of that support.
Extension Details:
- Support for Firefox 115 ESR will remain accessible until at least March 2025.
- This support is anticipated to continue until the launch of Firefox ESR 115.21.
- Users will continue to receive security updates for a minimum of an additional six months.
Mozilla has yet to verify if this extension is indefinite or if there’s a possibility of support being renewed again in March 2025 for these aging systems.
The organization has indicated that they are analyzing usage statistics to shape decisions regarding support extension. Currently, around 10% of Firefox users operate on these outdated systems, a percentage that is gradually decreasing as users enhance their devices.
If a considerable number of users still depend on these systems, there is a chance that Mozilla could renew support again in March 2025.
Firefox users on unsupported systems utilizing Firefox ESR 115 will receive updates automatically through the built-in update functionality within the browser.
The count of active users has been in decline since Google launched Chrome over ten years ago. Mozilla reported more than 200 million active users in 2021, but that figure has decreased to approximately 160 million currently. Despite this reduction, other user engagement metrics such as daily usage are witnessing an increase.
Mozilla is putting in considerable effort to reverse this downward trend, with Google being a contributing factor in this scenario as well. Google aims to discontinue support for Chrome’s legacy extension system this year, which may impact the performance of adblockers and disable extensions that developers do not update regularly.
While numerous Chrome users may not rely heavily on extensions, this change could motivate some extension users to transition to Firefox, which will maintain support for both legacy and contemporary extension systems in the future.
Furthermore, Firefox for Android now fully supports browser extensions, potentially enticing Android users to explore it, particularly since Chrome and similar browsers do not provide this functionality.
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