this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
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Firefox

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[–] Malix@sopuli.xyz 25 points 2 days ago (4 children)

afaik, they really can't. IIRC apple only allows webkit browsers on the platform, so that alone rules out any and all extensions made for firefox. Firefox on iphones is essentially reskinned safari - and that's about it.

At least this is what internet has led me to believe, dunno, not an apple user.

[–] sheridan@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Orion, an iOS webkit browser can run many (not all) Firefox and Chrome extensions.

[–] ModernRisk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 days ago

Ah, did not know that it was on Apple’s side. Still hoping they will allow it (or being forced to - like with sideloading).

[–] nitefox@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago (3 children)

That’s not true anymore, you can use a custom engine now

[–] kuberoot@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 day ago

I think it might still be EU-only? That said, it's still a lot of work to get their engine working and hooked up on iOS, so no idea if and when that might happen.

[–] Fisch@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Pretty sure you're right but idk if they've updated it to use their own engine yet. They'd probably have to rewrite the app, or large parts of it, and that takes time. Maybe someone who uses Firefox on iOS could tell us.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 7 points 2 days ago

I think it's allowed only in the EU? And there's absolutely no way Mozilla has the resources to support a Safari-based iOS app in addition to a Gecko-based one, on top of everything else they do.

[–] Malix@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

TIL, has it been long when the restriction was dropped? At least wikipedia claims that firefox is webkit on ios, so possibly that is still the case?

[–] nitefox@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 days ago

It is WebKit, but it isn’t enforced anymore. At least in the EU

[–] bloubz@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 days ago

Browsers were not allowed until recent years to use another engine on iOS/iPadOS. The EU's DMA changed that (from within the EU). Work is still being done to port Firefox's Gecko/GeckoView