How to Run Desktop Firefox on Android

Install FoxBox from Google Play. It runs a Linux desktop build of Firefox on Android, so you get desktop extensions, developer tools and real desktop websites, not the mobile versions.

How to do it

Install the app from Google Play. Search Google Play for FoxBox by UserLAnd Technologies. It is a one-time purchase.
Open it and let it set up. The first launch downloads and sets up the Linux files the app needs. Stay on Wi-Fi; this only happens once.
Browse like on a PC. Firefox opens as a desktop window. Websites see a desktop browser, so you get full desktop layouts and features.
Use touch as a mouse. Tap with one finger to click, two-finger tap to right-click, pinch to zoom, slide two fingers to scroll, and hold and slide to pan. Tap the screen and choose the keyboard icon to type.

What you get

Desktop page rendering, so sites behave as they do on a PC
Standard desktop Firefox extensions
Developer tools
A built-in file manager for files on your device, once you grant permission
Sound support

What you need

An Android phone or tablet with Google Play
Free storage for the Linux files (a tablet or a phone with a large screen is most comfortable)
Internet for the first-time setup
Optional: a Bluetooth or USB keyboard and mouse

Prefer free?

UserLAnd is free, and you can install desktop Firefox in it yourself: in UserLAnd, set up Debian, choose Graphical, open a terminal and run sudo apt install firefox-esr. FoxBox does all of that for you in one tap, and buying it supports UserLAnd development.

FoxBox is not Firefox itself and is not a Mozilla project. It is a compatibility layer that runs a Linux desktop build of Firefox.

Get FoxBox on Google Play ($1.99) · Full guide and FAQ on userland.tech

Comments

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