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Comment by Tagbert | Hacker News Reader

Firefox is not the default browser on mobile OSs. 99% of users don’t change the default. Most people don’t know that this is possible, desirable, or an issue.

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And if you're on Apple devices, you're stuck with a skin atop what is essentially Safari anyway.

Posting from Firefox on a desktop. I like my Ad Blockers to actually work.

Even if you do, does it actually change that much? You cant actually stop the os on mobile from using its default browser for most of it's tasks. Firefox on iOS is basically a reskin of safari if I am reading it correctly.

> You cant actually stop the os on mobile from using its default browser for most of it's tasks.

On Android, the only thing that the default browser ever opens for is captive portal detection. Otherwise, all links from apps like Signal or OSMAnd open in Firefox. Granted, I am running Lineage OS. Does a phone with Google Play Services installed override Firefox for Android to use the preinstalled web browser instead?

I've got firefox as my default on Oxygen OS. Don't remember the last time chrome was opened on my phone--by me or by other software. Firefox is even handles the tabs embedded in other apps.

I don't know, I disabled Chrome long ago to make sure it doesn't do shady stuff in background.

To add to your point, onnAndroid Firefix can even be the in-app browser (what Chrome calls Chrome Custom Tabs), and you can verify this by checking the menu as it will say Powered by Firefox.

Speaking as a mobile browser snob who lives and works out of their phone, it changes tons. Firefox Mobile used to be garbage but now it's my primary mobile browser. HN gets overly focused on cyber politics while forgetting the user experience imo. Right now Firefox Mobile comes with a better ad blocker than chrome, a better dark mode than the competition including Brave, and it has a reasonably good setup for a bottom screen omni bar (controversial with people who hate nice things).

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