download waterfox for android Waterfox for Windows. Another open-source browser that claims to be ethical. The Mozilla Foundation has made the code for Firefox open-source, and a few other developers have taken it and made one of their own. One such browser is Waterfox. Good intentions, poor results. Waterfox tells you upfront that it wants to be an ethical and powerful browser; however, it doesn’t do so. When talking “ethics”, it means that no data is sent to the Waterfox project or to Mozilla, which does sound like an important step forward. However, Firefox already has the option to disable sending data. So, in that regard, all that differentiates one “fox” browser from another is that Waterfox has several privacy options turned off by default while Firefox has them on. You might say that this program isn’t as powerful as other alternatives. In the browser’s subreddit, which the site links to instead of a support page, several big issues can be found by critical users. Waterfox’s worst flaws include its underwhelming HTML5 support when compared to Firefox. It also constantly lags and freezes. It's not any more powerful, nor ethical, than Firefox. There is a reason for that; very few people work on Waterfox. However, this sort of thing doesn’t excuse its flaws. Perhaps, with more collaborators, it could live up to its potential, since it is still accessible for the casual user. Where can you run this program? Waterfox can be downloaded on most platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, and even Android on the Google Play Store. It is unavailable on iOS’ Apple Store. Is there a better alternative? Yes, there are plenty of better options. Firefox itself still outperforms it in several areas. If you desire an alternative that does not come from the Mozilla Foundation, Opera or Brave is another great choice. Our take. Waterfox has no significant problems, and it seems to be improving slowly. However, other competing browsers develop faster and have more features. Should you download it? No, you should not download Waterfox. Although its principles for a more ethical browser are admirable, it is not unique enough compared to other browsers. Firefox vs Waterfox – Which Browser is Safer to Use? Mozilla Firefox is an open source software, which means that any user can access its code. If you know what you’re doing, you can make changes to the existing code, and release a brand new browser. That’s how Waterfox came to be. It is a browser originally based on Mozilla Firefox code. There are other similar projects based on Firefox, like Pale Moon, and Basilisk. However, Waterfox has gotten the most attention as an independent browser. What Is Waterfox? Waterfox is a browser based on Firefox code. The following reasons contributed to the success of Waterfox: It was the first 64-bit browser on the web. It not only offered better speed, but also gave users freedom and control to run any extensions or add- ons they like, including traditional XUL Firefox extensions and NPAPI plug-ins like Java and Silverlight. Waterfox promised that no data or telemetry would be sent to Mozilla or the Waterfox project, and ensured enhanced privacy and security. Waterfox is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux operating systems. There’s also an Android version available to download for free in the Google Play Store if your smartphone or tablet runs 64-bit Android. Firefox vs Waterfox: Which One Is Safer to Use? When Firefox Quantum and Firefox 57 were released, many users weren’t happy with the transformations even though it was much faster than its predecessor because they dropped the traditional Firefox extensions and interface everyone knew. In that regard, Waterfox seemed like a better alternative as it could match Quantum’s speed and also keep the add-ons. However, since Mozilla released Firefox Extended Support Release or Firefox ESR, there aren’t too many differences between Firefox ESR and Waterfox. In fact, Waterfox feels like Firefox ESR with a few settings changed. Let’s look at how the telemetry function works in both browsers. Firefox collects this data and sends it to the developer (Mozilla) to improve the browser. You can read exactly the type of information that is captured here. If you consider that a violation of your privacy, Waterfox might appeal to you since it’s free of telemetry. However, in Firefox ESR you can easily disable this function and stop your data from being sent to Mozilla. The biggest issue with the Waterfox browser is the slow security updates. Since Waterfox is based on Firefox ESR, the Waterfox developers have to wait for Mozilla to release the security updates and then work on integrating them into Waterfox. This may take them anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks after the security patches have been released for Firefox ESR users. This may leave your computer vulnerable to all sorts of attacks. How to Implement Waterfox Features in Firefox. If you find certain Waterfox features appealing, you can tweak the Firefox browser settings to get the privacy features of Waterfox and enjoy the best of both browsers. Remove Pocket from Firefox. Waterfox disables Pocket by default, while Firefox (especially Firefox Quantum) has Pocket deeply integrated within the browser’s working processes. The good news is that you can remove Pocket from Firefox with just a few clicks. Open Firefox and start a search. Hover over the Pocket icon in the search bar, right-click it, and select Remove from Address bar. This gets rid of Pocket. Stop Sending Telemetry Data to Mozilla. If you don’t like the idea of telemetry data being sent to the developer, you can disable that function also. To do that, follow the path Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac) > Privacy & Security > Firefox Data Collection and Use and edit the preferences for sharing telemetry data with Mozilla. Disable DRM-controlled Content. Digital Rights Management or DRM is technology that allows online video and audio services, like Netflix, to enforce their own requirements when the content they provide is being played. Waterfox has the DRM feature disabled by default. This will, however, prevent you from watching DRM protected content from sites like Netflix. To disable DRM-controlled content, go to Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac), then scroll down until you see Digital Rights Management (DRM) content . Deselect Play DRM-controlled content to disable it. Which Browser Should You Choose? We recommend using Firefox because it receives security updates on release. If you have used both browsers you will realize that the advantages that Waterfox initially had over Firefox no longer apply. Share your thoughts on whether you prefer Firefox vs. Waterfox in the comments section below. Anya is a freelance technology writer. Originally from Russia, she is currently a full-time Remote Worker and Digital Nomad. With a background in Journalism, Language Studies, and Technical Translation, Anya couldn't imagine her life and work without using modern technology on a daily basis. Always looking out for new ways to make her life and location-independent lifestyle easier, she hopes to share her experiences as a tech- and internet-addict through her writing. Read Anya's Full Bio. Waterfox: Alternative to Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Today, Google Chrome is the most used browser worldwide. And nobody is able to dethrone this browser. Although it is not for alternatives. Firefox is one of its rivals, occupying the second place in the browser table, followed by Edge, Microsoft‘s browser, which has recently changed engines to Chromium to stand up to Google in its own home. However, there are many other alternatives to Chrome to surf the Internet. And some of them as interesting as Waterfox. Surely the first thing that catches our attention is this name. Waterfox is an open source browser launched in 2011 to try to gain a foothold in the browser war. Although this browser is based on Firefox, its developers created it because of the need to make some changes regarding the original Mozilla project. For example, this browser works much more efficiently on 64-bit systems , in addition to eliminating features that Mozilla includes in your browser, such as Adobe DRM and Pocket, among others, to offer users a browser as free and light as possible . Waterfox: a 100% OpenSource web browser full of features. Waterfox has been one of the most faithful browsers has been maintained to the original Mozilla Firefox. This browser is characterized by being compatible with the XUL and XPCOM add-ons , which Firefox removed in version 57 of the browser. Encrypted media extensions (EME) are disabled by default. Web Runtime is disabled, since it has been deprecated since 2015. Pocket removed. Removed all Mozilla telemetry. It does not collect absolutely any user data. Use Bing as the default search engine. It is compatible with all 64-bit NPAPI add-ons. It allows to install unsigned extensions. It has no sponsored listings or any type of advertising. You have a secure password manager with login function. Thanks to Cookie Prompt we can navigate more privately with tracking protection. Synchronize bookmarks, history, tabs, passwords, add-ons and preferences with all other devices. The appearance, configuration and other elements are the same as those of Firefox, so if we dare to use Waterfox, we will have the same thing we can have in the Mozilla browser, but with all the improvements we have just listed. Download and use Waterfox. This browser is open source and, in addition, totally free for all users. If we want to try it, we can download the latest version available from the following link . Waterfox is available for Windows, macOS and Linux, in standard and portable format. In addition, we can also download it on Android smartphones to always take it with us on our smartphone. To facilitate its use, Waterfox allows us to easily import all data from another browser (such as Google Chrome or Firefox) directly to the browser. So, in a few seconds, we can have migrated to this new browser without difficulty. The interface is very similar to Firefox. Even to Google Chrome. Therefore, if we are familiar with these browsers we will not have any problem to start using Waterfox in our day to day. Obviously, being based on Firefox, we will not see a completely radical change. The entire browser itself is practically Firefox. But eliminating the bad things from Mozilla’s browser, especially the closed-source parts it includes (such as Pocket or Adobe DRM), in addition to telemetry and data collection. Even this browser takes advantage of Firefox Sync to synchronize data with the cloud. Waterfox extensions, your strongest point. Obviously today there cannot be a browser that does not support extensions. And Waterfox was not going to be less. Mozilla changed some time ago from the classic extensions to the new WebExtension, extensions very similar to those offered by Google in Chrome. However, this change did not please users, as many extensions were lost because they could not work on this new system. Waterfox decided to continue supporting the classic Firefox extensions. In the following link we can find several repositories from which to access all these classic extensions, download them, install them in the browser, etc. And, of course, it is also compatible with modern Firefox extensions. An all-in-one for users to decide if they want to use classic or modern extensions. Two versions for users. Waterfox gives us the possibility to choose between two versions. The first, and the default one, is Waterfox Classic . This is the most faithful version of the original Firefox and is prepared to meet the needs of any Firefox user, both new and veteran. On the other hand, we also have the possibility to choose Waterfox Current . The Current version is a version that is more advanced in development and, although it is intended only for testing, it allows us to see the developments that its developers are testing. Something similar as the Canary and Nightly editions of Chrome and Firefox. As we see, the Current version is experimenting with a radical browser change. This version is more similar to the latest versions of Firefox. It has even adopted, in the end, Mozilla’s extension policy, blocking the installation of Legacy extensions and add-ons. We can only use WebExtension in this browser. What it does maintain are the rest of the improvements and qualities of this browser, such as its policy regarding data collection, privacy improvements and the elimination of closed source components that Mozilla includes in Firefox editions. In addition, we must bear in mind that, when the Current edition finishes its development, it will replace the Classic. Although some users will not like it, it is something totally necessary to be able to continue growing and being competent in such a close war. And in the long run it sure benefits this browser. This browser may not be able to beat Chrome or Firefox. But if you are tired of large Internet companies and want a simpler browser that allows us to navigate comfortably and respect our privacy better than any other, then Waterfox is sure to not disappoint you. Waterfox G3.2.5 (Third Generation) / 2021.07 Classic. Waterfox is a high performance browser based on the Mozilla Firefox source code. This code is taken and compiled to run specifically for 64-Bit Windows computers. To make Waterfox stand out a bit more, it’s compiled with optimizations. Therefore that it will run more efficiently and faster than just compiling Mozilla Firefox as a 64-Bit program. Waterfox focuses on giving users choice while also helping make the world a better place. It is partners with Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees with its generated revenues. The browser itself is focused on power users, which lets you make the important decisions. There is no plugin whitelist, you can run whichever extensions you like and absolutely no data or telemetry will be send back to Mozilla or the Waterfox project. This web browser is based on the current stable Firefox build, which means it functions in exactly the same way. Aside from its name on the menu at the top of the main window, there’s nothing to differentiate it from Firefox. Waterfox shares your Firefox settings, so should you come to uninstall it. Don’t select the option to delete all personal information if you’re still using Firefox. And your add-ons and extensions work on any version of Firefox, on any platform! Waterfox. Waterfox is a web browser that has been inspired and is forked from Firefox. The software is available for x64 systems, PPC64LE, and ARM64 systems. It is with the intention to be ethical and maintain support for the extensions made by Firefox. The software was released for Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux and was released in two editions – classic and current. Waterfox is developed and uses the same engine as Firefox; the software is made through several compilers like the Streaming SIMD Extensions 3, Math Kernel Library, and Advanced Vector Extensions. However, the Linux versions are built with Clang on all the articles available except PPC64LE. Waterfox is also capable of supporting XPCOM and XUL add-ons, which were removed by Firefox in version 57. The software was initially made by Alexandros Kontos and was initially released on March 27, 2011. It is mainly written in C++, C, CSS, JavaScript, XUL and runs on SpiderMonkey and Gecko engines. The software was made using Firefox's open-source code as its base, and the software is optimized to run for 64-bit windows. It can perform more efficiently and faster than Firefox for 64-bit. The software is ethical and, therefore, doesn't store or gather any information from its users. It gives full access to the users what they want to see. You don't even have to worry about your data being sold online because it doesn't even gather any. The browser starts-up faster; you can scroll up like a speed demon and hop tabs quicker with Waterfox.