On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Talk about Mozilla browsers for small devices such as PDAs and cellphones.
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MozBrat
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Joined: August 4th, 2016, 12:44 pm

On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by MozBrat »

I think it's great that Mozilla is working to try and make Firefox even better, but at the moment, the most recent push to our Android leaves me cussing and disgusted.

So I went looking for a way to get my older Firefox back, the one I dearly loved and used every day for the past several years. I for one will wait until Mozilla comes up with a better alternative, or at least allows me to choose if I want this new user interface or not. I really do want the latest and greatest. But I don't want a Firefox that looks like it was made for dummies. I need a power tool on the Android, not a simplified, pretty-boy thing.

Here's how to get your old Firefox V68 back on your Android:

1) Uninstall Firefox.
2) Go to https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/mobile/ ... s/68.11.0/ and download something like version 68.11.0 (which was just before the major user interface change), and once it's downloaded 'open' it to install it.

You'll be downloading an APK file, which is an Android Package Kit.

I lost my bookmarks, but then the new Firefox version had already trashed them I think. I also had to re-drag the start button out of Apps to my favorites bar. At least now have my old Firefox back until Mozilla comes back to it's senses I hope. Perhaps I can restore my bookmarks from a backup. I'll work on that next.



We have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Android version 7.0

UPDATE: Appears I'm far from alone from the many questions about What happened to my Lost Tabs and ability to Print#&*!!? See Q's at https://support.mozilla.org.
Taylia
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Joined: May 12th, 2012, 12:39 pm

Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by Taylia »

I did this on my moto G4 yesterday, and even went into about:config and tried to disable the auto updates. This morning it updated again. Not a happy camper. Anyone know how to stop the auto updates?
MozBrat
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Joined: August 4th, 2016, 12:44 pm

Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by MozBrat »

@Taylia, sadly, I now see that this reverted for me too. Guess I'll be using the Android less now, as I really hate the new Firefox for it. I read somewhere that Mozilla was getting a good portion of their bottom line from a contract to put the google as the default search engine, and that this contract was recently renewed. ... The suspicious one in me asks if google didn't force Firefox to dumb down, knowing this would push users to chrome. I just can't believe they got rid of tabs.
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James
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Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by James »

MozBrat wrote: I read somewhere that Mozilla was getting a good portion of their bottom line from a contract to put the google as the default search engine, and that this contract was recently renewed. ...The suspicious one in me asks if google didn't force Firefox to dumb down, knowing this would push users to chrome
Google is only the defualt for some language locales. Mozilla needed a new default search engine again in place of Yahoo when Mozilla had issues with Yahoo which resulted in a lawsuit going on.

https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2017/12/0 ... -and-oath/
https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2017/11/1 ... nd-taiwan/
https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2015/11/1 ... rs-in-u-s/
https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2014/11/1 ... n-the-web/
JYLD
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Joined: July 18th, 2019, 9:59 am

Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by JYLD »

I like many absolutely hated, despised, and found almost unusable the "new" 78.x Firefox for Android interface. I also found 78.x to be a bit buggy. It fails to handle link handoffs and page back requests properly. Really and totally awful.

I had to download the APK from a non-mozilla mirror site for version 68.11.0. You uninstall firefox completely. On my LG Stylo 4 that required installing a file manager + which would delete the program immediately and not save it in trash, etc.

After that installed the apk for 68.11.0. Then went to about:config search for the key " app.update.auto " - The key didn't exist so I added that key as a boolean true or false key. Made sure the key was set to " false ". So far knock wood it has not updated back to the abortion known as firefox 78.x .
IdOp
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Joined: May 16th, 2013, 12:42 pm

Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by IdOp »

I'm still running 68.11.0 ... fortunately I'd turned off auto-updating. In my about:config the variable is app.update.autodownload . It was so long ago I can't remember if this was disabled directly in about:config or via some kind of "Settings" submenu.
JYLD
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Joined: July 18th, 2019, 9:59 am

Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by JYLD »

IdOp wrote:I'm still running 68.11.0 ... fortunately I'd turned off auto-updating. In my about:config the variable is app.update.autodownload . It was so long ago I can't remember if this was disabled directly in about:config or via some kind of "Settings" submenu.
Thanks for the above. Someone somewhere else had recommended app.update.auto and set that to false, but I found out this morning that did not work. So today I reinstalled 68.11.0 and added your recommendation app.update.autodownload and set that to false. For good measure I also deleted the URL address under app.update.channel . Hopefully this will work.
JYLD
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Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by JYLD »

Sadly app.update.autodownload set to false does NOT keep FFA 68.11.0 from updating to latest version of FFA. Does anyone know of a way to keep FFA 68.11.0 from updating??
Taylia
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Joined: May 12th, 2012, 12:39 pm

Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by Taylia »

I ended up downloading Fennec F-Droid. Seems to be doing well at the moment. Also set app.update.auto to false.

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.moz ... ec_fdroid/
JYLD
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Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by JYLD »

Apparently the only way to stop FFA 68.11.0 from updating is to turn off all app auto updates at the Google Play Store level. You go to google play store and select my apps and then select settings and turn off auto updates. Then every now and then you have to go back to google play store, my apps, and manually select from the apps shown as having available updates and tell each one to update (leaving out FFA of course). This is what I've done and while its a bit of a pain, it works.

Fennec F-Droid looks like it might be interesting but it appears to be at the FF 68.x level.
bollyholly
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Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by bollyholly »

JYLD wrote:Apparently the only way to stop FFA 68.11.0 from updating is to turn off all app auto updates at the Google Play Store level. You go to google play store and select my apps and then select settings and turn off auto updates. Then every now and then you have to go back to google play store, my apps, and manually select from the apps shown as having available updates and tell each one to update (leaving out FFA of course). This is what I've done and while its a bit of a pain, it works.

Fennec F-Droid looks like it might be interesting but it appears to be at the FF 68.x level.
Go to the Firefox install guide.Scroll down to the "I still want to downgrade" section.Click Directory of other versions and languages.Select a version number.Select your operating system's folder.
avada
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Location: Hungary

Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by avada »

I naively upgraded not long ago... Such an abomination, even some basic stuff is broken.
Currently I'm trying to figure out how to back up data, on my unrooted phone, uninstalling an app of course erases their data... (Of course rooting would wipe all data as well, so that's fun...)

Which was the last version that didn't suck? Was it 77? I think I was using a fair bit older version, I didn't make note, because I didn't expect this much sh*t when I ended up on 78.
Did the dark theme also came with the destroyed version or was it available before, and I didn't know about it? I rather like it.


By the way. Some of the crap I noticed:
  • Friggin unloads pages. I sometimes open some pages that I can read after the bus I'm on goes out of mobile net range. But this gunk just plain unloads them so I'm screwed.
  • about pages broken: about:config and about:addons cannot be loaded, only the most important about pages...
  • Can't tap and hold to feed suggestions into the urlbar. (I think it worked with history items as well). A painful regression
  • destroyed urlbar, don't show most viewed pages or bookmarks or recently closed pages. Have to friggin open a new page for most used pages and the rest is hidden in stupid places or unavailable.
  • Layout ruined. Even if I set the urlbar back on top where I expect it to be the new tab page is at the bottom, so I get a hybrid trashy layout.
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c627627
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Re: On Android how to revert to an older Firefox?

Post by c627627 »

Let's think about this for a moment.
If Google didn't insert fifth column saboteurs to dynamite Mozilla from the inside, what are we left with?
Incompetence of such magnitude as to warrant wholesale firing of all involved. No trial - straight to execution.
Open the pod bay doors, Cortana.
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