Firefox Lost Almost 50 million Users: Here's Why It is Concerning

[douglas9]

Mozilla’s Firefox is the only popular alternative to Chromium-based browsers.

It has been the default choice for Linux users and privacy-conscious users across every platform.

However, even with all benefits as one of the best web browsers around, it is losing its grip for the past few years.

To be honest, we do not even need a stat to say that, many of us have switched over to Chromium-based browsers or Chromium itself instead of Firefox or Google Chrome.

However, I came across a Reddit thread by u/nixcraft, which highlighted more details on the decline in the userbase of Firefox since 2018.

And surprisingly, the original source for this information is Firefox’s Public Data Report


https://news.itsfoss.com/firefox-decline/

[Earth-shine]

1. To give up my firefox, they'll have to pry it from my cold, dead,

... computers.

I've been using Firefox, Thunderbird, and other Mozilla products for as long as I can remember.

I have no reason to stop using them.

[hlthe2b]

2. In its desire/attempt to add new features, they've not adequately tested & in reality most will

likely have LESS functionality unless willing to devote hours every month to troubleshooting.

What firefox never got is that people liked RELIABILITY and sometimes less is more. I still use it, but I've had to use MS EDGE or Chrome more and more because I can't get certain sites or documents or videos to play under Firefox. It has become infuriating because I still like the tab system and many of the other features better under firefox.

[Tadpole Raisin]

4. So right!

I love(ed) Firefox, but it always crashes and quicker now than before.

They give you add ones and then in updates tell you they’ve removed them because of conflicts.

I still have it on my system but only try it once in a while. Seems to be getting worse!

[2naSalit]

3. I've used Firefox...

For a very long time and have no desire to use other browsers, just don't like them.

[lpbk2713]

5. I started with Netscape on dial-up something like thirty years ago.

Then moved on with Mozilla to Seamonkey and Firefox. I have to use an older
ver of Firefox because the newer vers don't work with some of the addons I like
to use. If they could do something about compatibility I would be happy to move up.

[Marcuse]

6. Duck Duck Go seems nice.

[Midnight Writer]

7. I've been using DuckDuckGo for a few months now with no problems.

One nice side effect is that my junk mail box has gone from about 80 messages a day to around 2.

[lastlib]

8. Firefox is my browser of choice....

But it was useless for Zoom-type online meetings because of the codec protocols it uses. I had to download Chrome to do those.

[TygrBright]

9. "Things Firefox may have done to contribute to the decline" are telling:

Constantly breaking the user experience with major overhauls
Lack of significant performance improvements in the recent years

I don't want more bells and whistles on my browser. I want privacy, reliability, and speed, in that order. I want a few key add-ons like LastPass, an ad blocker, and an extra script blocker. The webmail ad blocker is nice but I could live without it.

That's all, really. I don't need "themes" although a set of contrast-level view settings would be nice. Accessibility settings and add-ons, those too.

I don't need fancy grabbers and filters and social media linkers/distributers, etc.

Just give me an easy to see/use browser with good security and high level privacy that renders at a quick bounce, doesn't crash, and doesn't require constant updating to keep adding in doodads.

Are you listening, Mozilla?

hopefully,
Bright

[msongs]

10. no probs here using firefox, zoom works fine too nt

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. I use Firefox and simply have not had any of the problems

stated here.

[AllaN01Bear]

12. i tried chrome a long time ago and fount that chrome was a memory hog. crashed .

and wouldnt display certain things . i forgot what i used in my m$ windoze days but on mac i started with flock(rest in peace ) i do have ff but w google , wont display du at all. so i still use sea monkey. wish theyd bring back full blown mozilla . i perfer tabbed brwosing rather than window browsing.