Firefox helped make the Web more awesome in 2011. We released Firefox 4 with Sync to hundreds of millions of people worldwide; we launched Firefox for Android; added the new Firefox Aurora development channel; adopted a faster release cycle; and introduced Do Not Track to the industry. Now we’re excited to share some of the highlights of Firefox this year in facts, figures and pictures. It’s all part of our commitment to innovating on behalf of people everywhere and continuing to build a brighter future for the Web — in 2012 and beyond.

Firefox for Android introduces a completely redesigned experience that is optimized for tablets and makes mobile browsing more intuitive. New tools in Firefox enable developers to create interactive mobile Web experiences.

Firefox for Android leverages large tablet screen sizes and optimizes popular features for tablets. The Awesome Screen integrates Firefox Sync and makes it easy to access your browsing history, open tabs, bookmarks and saved passwords across desktop and mobile devices so you can type less and browse more.

Tabs appear as thumbnails in the left panel so you can quickly switch between them while still viewing full websites on the right. You can swipe to the left to hide tabs for a full screen view.

Firefox optimizes your Web experience for both portrait and widescreen mode. In portrait mode, tabs are listed in a top left menu and easily hide when you don’t need them, allowing you to focus on the websites you visit.

With the new Action Bar menu (next to the Awesome Bar), you can access Firefox Preferences, Add-ons, downloads and more. The Action Bar adds the back, forward and bookmark buttons for easy access. One-touch bookmarks enable you to add an icon to your Android home screen for your favorite websites and Web apps, making Web apps as easy to use as native apps.

Developers will enjoy new HTML5 tools in Firefox that make it easier to create fun and interactive mobile Web experiences for phones and tablets. The HTML5 Input Tag for Camera Access enables developers to make websites and Web apps more powerful and interactive. Developers can build mobile websites and Web apps that allow you to use the camera on an Android phone or tablet to take pictures, scan bar codes and more without leaving Firefox. You can see a demo of the camera input element in action here.

Firefox for Android supports the HTML5 Form Validation API which automatically validates website form fields like numbers, emails and URLs without developers needing to write a custom code or use a third-party library.

For more information:

• Download Firefox for Android
• Long, technical release notes
• Future of Firefox for Android
• Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux

Today, we’re releasing an update to Firefox for Windows, Mac, Linux and Firefox for Android. This update includes new features that make Web browsing easier and give users and developers more control over how they customize their Web experience.

Firefox for Mac, Windows and Linux
Twitter is now included as a search option in Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux. Twitter search in Firefox makes it easier to discover new topics, #hashtags and @usernames. Twitter search is currently available in English, Portuguese, Slovenian and Japanese versions of Firefox, with more languages to come in future releases.

Firefox lets you load tabs on demand, making it much faster to restore windows with many tabs. Enable this option in the Firefox Menu, under Options/Preferences, in the General tab.

Sometimes you download third-party software and are surprised to discover that an add-on has also installed itself in your browser without asking permission. At Mozilla, we think you should be in control, so we are disabling add-ons installed by third parties without your permission and letting you pick the ones you want to keep.

Mozilla pioneered WebGL and introduced it in Firefox earlier this year. WebGL is a new Web standard that allows websites and Web apps to display hardware-accelerated 3D graphics without third-party software. Firefox adds support for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), which lets developers load WebGL textures from other domains in a secure way. To see an example of WebGL in action, visit Google MapsGL and experience 3D maps in Firefox.

Mozilla is a leader in HTML5 and we want to make it easier for developers to create amazing Web experiences. Using simple HTML5 markup, Firefox enables Web developers to customize the options users have in the right click menu and saves them from having to build their own menu. If you’re a Web developer and want to learn more about the awesome features we build into Firefox, just for you, click here.

Firefox for Android
Firefox for Android has new features that put users in control of their mobile Web experience. With Firefox Master Password, you can protect all your saved usernames and passwords. This will help your private info stay private if you ever share or lose your Android device.

We want to make HTML5-based Web apps as easy to use as native apps. Firefox lets Android users add icons for any bookmarked website or Web app to the home screen and launch with just one touch.

For more information:

• Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux long, technical release notes
• Firefox for Android long, technical release notes
• Download Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux
• Download Firefox for Android
• Find out more about the Future of Firefox
• FAQ

Mozilla, a global, non-profit organization dedicated to making the Web better, today released an update to Firefox for Android. This release allows developers to create seamless Web experiences and adds popular features that save time when browsing the mobile Web.

Firefox for Android includes support for APIs that help developers build rich and compelling websites and Web apps. The WebSockets API creates faster communication between Firefox and Web servers, making it easier for developers to build more responsive Web applications like instant messaging and interactive HTML5 games like Angry Birds or Runfield.

Firefox gives developers the power to create continuous Web experiences that work across devices and platforms. With tools like WebSockets supported in Firefox across desktop and mobile platforms, developers can create faster, seamless Web applications. Imagine a multi-player Web game that you can play simultaneously with your friends and family on different mobile phones, tablets and computers.

Firefox now supports the W3C navigation timing spec API across desktop and mobile platforms so developers can measure page load time and website navigation against bandwidth speed, website traffic and other factors. This API allows developers to remotely test user experiences and easily and quickly optimize websites and Web apps for different types of users, devices, platforms and networks.

Firefox for Android adds popular features that save time browsing the mobile Web. Users now have the ability to copy any website text and paste it into emails, website forms and device applications that go beyond the browser, like SMS messages. Firefox for Android automatically detects device language settings upon setup so users can immediately browse the Web in their language of choice.

Visit the Android Market to get the latest Firefox update on your Android device. Users with Firefox for Android already installed will receive a notification to update to the latest version.

For more information:

• FAQ
• Long, technical release notes
• Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux
• Find out more about the Future of Firefox

Mozilla, a global, non-profit organization dedicated to making the Web better, today released an update to Firefox for Android. Users will notice a refreshed interface and developers will enjoy new tools that make it easier to build interactive mobile Web apps and websites.

Firefox for Android provides a seamless way for users to take the Firefox experience they know and love everywhere along with a sleek look that allows users to focus on the websites they visit. The interface is streamlined to be consistent with the Android look and feel while fonts and buttons are now optimized for tablets. Additional tablet optimization and support is planned for future releases.

The new welcome page helps users discover browser tools and features (like Firefox Sync, add-ons, tabbed browsing and bookmarks) that are conveniently stowed away in the side panels. Many users will notice faster zooming, crisp text and reduced pixelation due to enhanced image rendering in Firefox for Android.

Firefox for Android adds support for tools that help developers create rich, compelling mobile Web apps and websites. With the single touch events API, developers can build Web experiences that detect touch events and gestures. Imagine mobile Web apps that enable users to swipe their finger to pan around a map and mobile Web games that let you swipe a finger to swing a baseball bat or pull a slingshot to launch an angry bird. Support for multi-touch events will be added in future releases.

The IndexedDB API gives developers local database storage in Firefox to make Web apps, websites and restartless add-ons available offline. This increases performance, reduces data usage and allows users to enjoy a mobile Web experience without an Internet connection.

Visit the Android Market to get the latest Firefox update on your Android device. Users with Firefox for Android already installed will receive a notification to update to the latest version.

For more information:

• FAQ
• Long, technical release notes
• Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux
• Find out more about the Future of Firefox

Mozilla, a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to making the Web better, today released a new version of Mozilla Firefox for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. The new version of Firefox comes on the heels of the wildly successful release of Firefox 4, which had more than 200 million downloads on Windows, Mac and Linux and millions of downloads in the Android Market.

Mozilla’s shift to a rapid release development cycle delivers cutting edge Firefox features, performance enhancements, security updates and stability improvements to users faster.

The latest version of Firefox includes more than 1,000 improvements and performance enhancements that make it easier to discover and use all of the innovative features in Firefox. This release adds support for more modern Web technologies that make it easier for developers to build amazing Firefox Add-ons, Web applications and websites.

Firefox for Android includes the Do Not Track privacy feature in this release, making Firefox the first browser to support Do Not Track on multiple platforms. Mozilla created Do Not Track to give users more control over the way their browsing behavior is tracked and used on the Web. The feature, which lets users tell websites that they wish to opt-out of online behavioral tracking, is now easier to find in Firefox Preferences.

Firefox offers users complete control over the look and functionality of their Web browser with a gallery of hundreds of thousands of add-ons. About 85% of Firefox 4 users have an add-on installed to customize the look, features and functionality of their Firefox.

Mozilla has a rich set of resources that make it easier for Web developers to build compelling Firefox Add-ons using HTML, JavaScript and CSS. The new Firefox Add-on SDK for Windows, Mac and Linux enables local development of add-ons, while the Firefox Add-on Builder Beta provides a hosted Web-based build environment. Developers can build Firefox Add-ons for all platforms that install and update without requiring a browser restart or interrupting the Web browsing experience.

Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux now supports the CSS Animations standard to enable developers to build more amazing Web applications and websites. Mozilla Hacks has a tutorial on CSS Animations and a comprehensive blog post explaining what developers can create with Firefox.

To get the latest version of Firefox for Windows, Mac or Linux click on “check for update” under the “About Firefox” menu or download the Firefox Aurora and Beta channels here. Visit this page to get the latest version of Firefox on your Android device or to join the beta. Users with Firefox for Android installed will receive a notification to update to the latest version.

For more information:

FAQ: Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux / Firefox for Android
Long, technical release notes: Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux / Firefox for Android

We’re excited that Twitter has released the Twitter Address Bar Search add-on to make it easy to complete Twitter searches in Firefox. With Twitter Address Bar Search, users can discover richer and more relevant Twitter search results directly from the Firefox Awesome Bar (Address Bar).

The add-on makes searching Twitter in Firefox a snap. You can search for #hashtags and @usernames by entering the searches directly into the Firefox Awesome Bar, and you’ll be taken to Twitter search results. Twitter Address Bar Search works with the latest version of Firefox for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and even on Android!

Mozilla is continually exploring innovative ways to put users in control of their online experience. With the Twitter Address Bar Search add-on, Twitter leverages the extensible Mozilla Firefox platform to deliver an integrated social experience to hundreds of millions of Firefox users worldwide.

Visit the Firefox Add-ons gallery to try out the Twitter Address Bar Search add-on. If you aren’t a Firefox user, you can download the Mozilla Firefox with Twitter bundle.

Mozilla, a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to making the Web better, is excited to release Mozilla Firefox 4 for Android. Firefox delivers an intuitive interface, unparalleled customization and support for modern Web technologies. To make mobile browsing effortless and fun, Firefox provides seamless and secure access to personal data across desktop and mobile devices, including browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, form data and passwords.

Firefox is available from the Android Market and for download on Maemo devices. Firefox for mobile is offered in more than 10 languages.

Firefox for mobile allows users to take the Firefox experience they love everywhere and minimizes typing with features like tabbed browsing, bookmarks, add-ons and Firefox Sync. With a sleek new look that hides browser controls when not in use, Firefox allows users to focus on the websites they visit. Firefox Sync gives users seamless access to their browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, form data and passwords across computers and mobile devices. Firefox also offers thousands of ways to customize the features, functionality and look of mobile Web browsing with Firefox Add-ons.

Firefox is up to three times faster than the stock browser on Android. Major enhancements to the JavaScript engine make everything from page load speed to graphics to overall performance snappy in Firefox.

Firefox for mobile is built on the same technology platform as the desktop version. With modern Web technologies like HTML5, developers can build rich, interactive applications and websites. Go to Web O’ Wonder and check out the incredible online experiences developers can now create.

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What’s New in Firefox for Android and Maemo:

Streamlined Interface

• Focus on Web content: Features like tabs, one-touch bookmarking and browser controls that stow away when not in use help users focus on the websites they visit

Browse More, Type Less

• Awesome Screen: Type less with easy access to history, bookmarks and open tabs
• Save to PDF: Capture important websites, like directions or a boarding pass, to view offline
• Share Page: Share websites via apps like email, Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader and more
• Add Search Engine: Customize your search engine list

Private and Secure Synchronization

• Firefox Sync: Access Awesome Bar history, bookmarks, open tabs, passwords and form data across multiple computers and mobile devices with secure end-to-end encryption

Most Customizable:

• Firefox offers thousands of ways for users to customize the features, functionality and look of their mobile Web browser with Firefox Add-ons

Cutting Edge Tools for Web Developers:

• Firefox improves existing tools like CSS, Canvas and SVG to enable developers to make exciting Web pages
• HTML5 support in Firefox for Android and Maemo includes Location-Aware Browsing, device orientation, accelerometer, desktop notifications and more
• The JavaScript engine incorporates the new JägerMonkey JIT compiler, along with enhancements to the existing TraceMonkey JIT and SpiderMonkey’s interpreter for faster page-load speed and better performance of Web apps and games

For more information:

• Video tour of what’s new
• Full details on features
• Reviewer’s guide
• Screenshots and logos
• Full release notes
• Share Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo with the Spark game

Mozilla Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo is now available as a release candidate in more than 10 languages from the Android Market and for download on your Maemo device.

This release offers faster scrolling, better responsiveness with Firefox Sync and improves the overall user experience of Firefox. Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo brings the performance and customization of Firefox to mobile devices with features like Firefox Sync, Awesome Screen, tabbed browsing and Firefox Add-ons, to create a personalized and effortless mobile browsing experience.

Watch this video to see what’s new in Firefox for Android and Maemo:

We are working closely with Firefox Add-ons developers to ensure their add-ons are ready for users to customize the features, look and functionality of Firefox 4. For more information on how to create or update add-ons to be compatible with Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo, please read this blog post.

We build Firefox with help from our contributors and beta testers. Please help test the release candidate and provide feedback to prepare Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo for a final release.

For more information:

• Give feedback – Tap on Give Feedback on the Firefox Start page
• Get Help – Ask a question and get answers with Firefox for mobile Support
• See the release notes for a full list of features, updates and improvements included in this release.
• List of supported devices