Firefox has officially released their web browser for all Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Edition televisions. The new app comes just a few weeks after Amazon released their Silk web browser for the Fire TV. Amazon has published a press release for the app’s arrival, so it seems like they worked with Firefox to bring the app to the Fire TV.
Launching Firefox on the Fire TV presents you with the app’s Home screen where 10 shortcuts to popular sites are available. Strangely, there is no way to edit the list of shortcuts and there is no way to add your own bookmark anywhere in the app. I’ll update my Bookmarker apps to work with Firefox soon, but for now, unless you want to load one of the 10 default websites, you have to enter the URL every time.
Firefox thankfully uses the Fire TV’s default on-screen keyboard. That means you can use your voice remote to speak your request instead of typing. The Firefox address bar doubles as a search bar, so, like the Silk Browser, it may be easier to use your voice and search for the site you want, instead of entering the full URL manually. Firefox on the Fire TV uses Google for searches and does not give you the option to change the default search engine.
When typing in Firefox, it autocompletes what you’re typing for popular websites. For example, entering “n” fills in “netflix.com” and then adding a “y” will fill in “nytimes.com.” There are plenty of sites that are not autocompleted, so you certainly will need to type the full URL in some cases, but the autocomplete is a nice touch that I don’t think I’ve seen in any other app using the default on-screen keyboard.
As for the settings of the Firefox app, they’re quite sparse and nowhere near as complete as the Silk browser’s settings. The only real configuration options you have are choosing to not send usage data and choosing to clear the app’s cookies and site data.
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Thanks for the update, in addition to contrasting the major differences between Silk and Firefox. Sadly; Firefox (regardless of platform) continues to be a massive disappointment. I’ll hold off on installing.
No bookmarks?
Based on the default first bookmark link we can narrow down the timing of development
Youtube in firefox for FireTV doesn’t show the notification banner from google like the youtube app from amazon.
Figures they would release a version of Firefox the day after I sideloaded this and Chrome onto all my Fire Sticks and a week on my FTV3. Sadly tho Philo and DTVN doesn’t stream on Firefox. I kinda actually like the updated Quantum version.
No bookmarks, no pop-up blocker, no ad block….. This seriously needs some basic features added to it.
if I could install ublock on it. I would use it for streaming sites that can’t be casted to the TV.
Exactly! Not being able to install an adblocker renders those types of sites useless.
Just got silk on fire stick original works just fine runs good for the 1st generation device
TV Bro from the Play Store is the best browser. I’ve tried them all.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.phlox.tvwebbrowser
Thanks for the heads up. Will take it out for a spin. Right now I got Opera Beta, Opera Mini Beta, Chrome Beta, FireFox for FireTV (Had FireFox Android v57.1 until this release) & Silk installed.
I tried TV Bro and it doesn’t go beyond the initial search engine screen.
The front search box is not compatible with FTV’s right now. But if you hit the back button & you get the left side menu where you can search &/or input and address & have access to Favorites & Settings. Not bad work in progress.
No bookmarking capability and not even any ability to edit/delete/add to the shortcuts list on the Firefox Home Page??? Are they joking???? What a total piece of B.S.
I have the regular Android browser app sideloaded on my Fire TVs. Has the regular browser’s bookmarking ability built in, and a lot of the other settings you’d expect and use. You just have to use it with some kind of mouse app like Mouse Toggle or the Fire TV mouse app.
please upload firefox for firetv apk
There was an update with bug fixes but no new features yesterday. The original v1.0 release would always studder on the main website I stream on. By the middle of a 30 minute show. The update v1.0.1 seems to have fix this problem.
Just waiting for favorites & shortcut editing. The FTV app seems to be based on FireFox Focus. Which now let’s you save an auto-complete list. And to add Home screen shortcuts. But that second feature doesn’t work on the FTV UI.
Does anyone have the APK and have they tried loading it on another Android device or android TV?
Can’t use the Voice remote to speak websites or searches on FireTV 1?! Is this normal or am I doing something wrong. On the pic it says “Press and Hold to say…” – this doesn’t show up on my keyboard.
That feature was added with the 5.2.6.0 update, so you need to be on that version of Fire OS or newer.
Thanks for the quick reply. I’m already on 5.2.6.1. (587600920) and still can’t use the feature.
Firefox for FireOS has developed in the last two years and now has a share tabs feature. This is for use with other tab-able Firefox apps on other devices or computers logged in on the same account.
Trouble is they seem to have omitted the tab feature on FireOS!
Any one see where they implemented a tab or is it just me?