Mozilla Developing Non-WebKit Version of Firefox for iOS, Possibly Anticipating Shift in Apple's App Store Policy [Updated]

[MacRumors]

Mozilla is working on a non-WebKit version of Firefox for iOS in anticipation of changes to Apple's platform rules, The Register reports.

Mozilla's GitHub repository contains code for the iOS version of Firefox with references to GeckoView, a wrapper for Firefox's Gecko rendering engine. Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules insist that browser apps on iOS and iPadOS must use its own WebKit browser engine, meaning that any version of Firefox based on Gecko could not be released under Apple's current policies.

The app, which contains a settings page for toggling GeckoView, could be for internal testing, but postings from Mozilla software developers on GitHub suggest that it is for a "secondary project," with open discussion of "proper Gecko Firefox on iOS." Last week, it emerged that Google's Chromium team is working on a new browser for iOS based on Blink, seemingly in expectation of changes to Apple's platform rules.

In the face of growing antitrust scrutiny, most recently by the Biden administration, Apple is rumored to be preparing to drop its browser engine restriction alongside broader measures to enable sideloading and third-party App Stores in Europe. The main motivator of the move is the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which is expected to compel Apple to make major platform rule changes as soon as next year. Similar legislation has been recommended by antitrust watchdogs in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan.

Update: In a statement emailed to The Register, a Mozilla spokesperson said, "We abide by Apple's iOS app store policies, and are simply doing some exploratory work to understand the technical challenges for Gecko-based browsers on iOS if those policies were to change. We hope the day will come when people can freely decide to use the browser of their choice, including the opportunity to select the engine that underpins it."

Article Link: Mozilla Developing Non-WebKit Version of Firefox for iOS, Possibly Anticipating Shift in Apple's App Store Policy [Updated]

 

[yellow8]

This does not look like it, but this is a major change!

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

A good change!

I love the Mozilla Firefox browser. It has never disappointed or failed me. 🦊

 

[eilavid]

this has always been such a bizarre rule to me -- if everything is sandboxed, the browser engine shouldn't matter

 

[contacos]

Starting to feel like Apple gave those major players the heads up to be ready in the fall

 

[ian87w]

Dear Firefox dev team, you guys can simply start by supporting tablets for your Android version. Seriously, Firefox is the only "big named" browsers that don't support tablets on Android.

 

[JapanApple]

The story has a few topics in it. It seems to be more bias than what the story intended to be.
hum................here we go again. Open up or let the hacker in...............No side loaders!

 

[mrbkk]

Why is this important? What limits does the current system put on these other browser developers?

 

[User 6502]

this has always been such a bizarre rule for me -- if everything is sandboxed, the browser engine shouldn't matter

Apple was just trying to force people to use the App Store by hindering web apps. Safari does not support a lot of the latest standards that allow to create web apps that in many case can easily replace native alternatives. Of course this couldn’t float for a long time with the regulators, so apple is being forced to allow other web engines first, and side loading next.

 

[Cheesehead Dave]

At this point I'm assuming that the browser policy change is a done deal; no way both Google and Firefox are both devoting resources to this unless they knew it was going to happen.

 

[Futurix]

Now Firefox I will install on my iPhone, unlike Chrome - they are trustworthy and I won't be supporting Google's browser near-monopoly.

 

[MJaP]

Dear Firefox dev team, you guys can simply start by supporting tablets for your Android version. Seriously, Firefox is the only "big named" browsers that don't support tablets on Android.

I use the Firefox browser on my Android tablet and it works perfectly, everything scales as it should.

 

[Cheesehead Dave]

Why is this important? What limits does the current system put on these other browser developers?

You can create an alternative browser, but you're forced to use WebKit as the renderer, essentially just Safari with a different skin. The current Google browser on iOS uses WebKit and not Chromium, so it can't take advantage of many of the features that its desktop browser can.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

Why is this important? What limits does the current system put on these other browser developers?

iOS only allows WebKit-based browsers, so while Chrome and Firefox etc are available for iOS, they're essentially just reskinned Safari with access to your saved bookmarks and history from those ecosystems.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Coming soon... the browser engine battle of the century!

WebKit vs Gecko vs Blink

FIGHT!!!

🥊

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Finally. I can't wait to be done with Safari.

 

[TriBruin]

Why is this important? What limits does the current system put on these other browser developers?

Currently Apple does not allow browsers to use any rendering engine other than Webkit (what powers Safari.) Essentially all third party browsers on iOS are just wrappers for Safari.

This would be a major shift as we could get Chromium and Gecko based browsers. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, but it would allow users to use their browser of choice.

 

[Bustycat]

Hope they can optimise the UX of Firefox for iOS more.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

Hope they can optimise the UX of Firefox for iOS more.

I barely use it on iOS, don't see the point when it offers no benefit over Safari and has the drawback of not having an adblocker. Last time I opened it I couldn't see a way to move the address bar to the bottom of the screen, one of those changes Apple made in Safari that I wasn't sure about at first but now just makes such intuitive sense, it confuses me when I open a mobile browser and the URL is at the top of the screen.

 

[aleksander_s]

My first question is whether it'll support plugins like the Android version does

 

[Bearxor]

I think this is Apple trying to get ahead of legislation. They can try to claim how they've made changes and are more open now so that there doesn't need to be legislation demanding it. But the ship has sailed for that, they should have done this three years ago if they wanted to avoid that.

 

[aleksander_s]

I barely use it on iOS, don't see the point when it offers no benefit over Safari and has the drawback of not having an adblocker. Last time I opened it I couldn't see a way to move the address bar to the bottom of the screen, one of those changes Apple made in Safari that I wasn't sure about at first but now just makes such intuitive sense, it confuses me when I open a mobile browser and the URL is at the top of the screen.

You can tell you haven't opened Firefox on iOS in a long time

 

[jclardy]

Why is this important? What limits does the current system put on these other browser developers?

All browsers are just Safari skins on iOS. All loading/rendering/javascript is executed in the exact same manner. On desktop OSes each browser renders and executes using their own internal engine (Though most have given in to become Blink based.) This means Apple completely controls web standards on iOS devices, and often falls behind on new web technologies, especially since safari updates are tied into full OS versions.

 

[thefredelement]

Does this mean Firefox containers on iOS?!? I'd be stoked!

 

[TheOldChevy]

I just hope it will be sooner, faster and better than Chrome, so that we can avoid the Google monopoly.