I may have to let Pale Moon for Android go. :(

[_Poke_]

Damn. I switched from using Opera and Firefox to Pale Moon on Android, the same switch I did on desktop a long time ago. It is a big shame to see it go, because it was the best possible browser for my low end device Moto E. Firefox for Android and Opera Mobile both constantly get killed in the background because of Motorola's mistake in the ram handling on their rom, and Pale Moon so far has been the only browser that does NOT get constantly killed for whatever reasons.

But I understand if you want to disconnect this project, but it makes me sad. Especially if I now have to move back to Opera Mobile without extension support or Firefox for android (Chrome Mobile is not even an option, it is just awful to use on this device).

Do you guys have any recommendations to replace Pale Moon with any browser at all? Does there exist any other Fennec based browsers? I will give F-Droid fennec a try at least. If I do move begrudgingly back to Firefox, does Firefox Android still allow extension install outside the mozilla shop?

Oh, and is there any way to extract Pale Moon for Android bookmarks as an html file or something? I do not know to use the sync feature.

If your device performs like that, you'll probably get the best performance with the stock browser. Maybe keep the latest PM (or Firefox) for the pages that stock doesn't render well.

[back2themoon]

Anything that makes the desktop version(s) better is great news.

[roseman127]

I use BOTH PM4A and also desktop PM64... I use Pale Moon for Android many, many times a day, I love it. I understand limited development resources, so if you must let it go to focus on desktop, then so be it.

But if you let PM4A go, I will be crying, sobbing crying... more crying... ANYBODY GOT A TOWEL????

[MonoS]

Even if i understand the reason was still a bad new for me. I've tried many browser on Android [i have 5 different browser installed right now, just because no one works on 100% of the pages], even if Pale Moon wasn't perfect was the best one available for common browsing due to the low memory and cpu usage compared to the others.

If i could ask a single thing, could you please warn the users if PM4A will ever become obsolete due to serious bug and/or vulnerabilities?? Cause i don't mind using a not up to date browser if it just works like a charm [thing that the other sometimes don't do], but if it can harm my device in any way, well this is another story

Thank to all the team for the work anyway.

[squarefractal]

if PM4A will ever become obsolete due to serious bug and/or vulnerabilities?

Yes, at some point of time it will become vulnerable.

However (the terms were made up by me, since I'm not aware of any terms that correspond with what I'm trying to explain):

• "System-affecting vulnerabilities": the risk of a vulnerability that tries to breach your system itself is very small, since Android performs a number of mitigations to prevent apps from interfering with other apps or with the system.
• "In-browser vulnerabilities": the vulnerability that concerns the browser and the browser only (e.g. a script reading a cookie for a domain it wasn't authorised to, or, say, a failure in performing the correct steps while negotiating a encrypted connection resulting in an attacker's website being displayed without warnings) is a greater risk.

[BoFiS]

If supporting the Android Pale Moon fork is too much work, would it be at all possible to release an extension for Firefox for Android so that it can sync bookmarks and passwords with Desktop Pale Moon instead of using the default new FF sync? That would be a great solution for syncing from Desktop Pale Moon to Android if possible and then let Mozilla update the app itself as long as the extension keeps working.

[Moonchild]

If supporting the Android Pale Moon fork is too much work, would it be at all possible to release an extension for Firefox for Android so that it can sync bookmarks and passwords with Desktop Pale Moon instead of using the default new FF sync? That would be a great solution for syncing from Desktop Pale Moon to Android if possible and then let Mozilla update the app itself as long as the extension keeps working.

It's certainly a possibility since Pale Moon Sync is fully Sync 1.1 (Google Weave 1.1) compatible, and this started out as an extension to the browser anyway.
It may even still be present on addons.mozilla.org Of course it's been removed from addons.mozilla.org a long time ago and hasn't been archived by archive.org; although softpedia still has a copy for Desktop Firefox -- but this will obviously have to be brought up to speed with current releases of Firefox Mobile, even though it may be a good starting point since it includes Fennec support .

[Moonchild]

As things stand now, Pale Moon 25.4 (to be released today) will be the final official publication of Pale Moon for Android. If anyone wants to pick up the torch and help pale Moon continue on the Android platform, they should get in touch with me -- unfortunately, because of the way Android works, any builds and releases will have to go through me since I will have to sign the final product to prevent loss of user data, so it's not as simple as other platforms to make a third-party contributed build. Still, this is easy enough for me to do, because I can just fire up the VM and build the browser, and sign the result to publish (also, no need for someone new to pay the Google fee for publication when I already have...)

I will make a specific separate branch in the repository for future Pale Moon for Android development as I assume this will become more of a split off project that I don't necessarily want to merge back into the master branch if it requires toolkit/gecko changes.

[x-15a2]

Thanks for this release, there are many improvements and they are appreciated.

Thanks to for making PM4A available up to this point. I fully understand your reasons for discontinuing the project. Believe me, if I had the time and ability, I'd jump on this project, but that's not in the cards for me.

I'll continue to use PM4A as long as I possibly can, primarily for syncing with my other PM devices and also to continue to support the PM cause in my small way.

As is often said, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are my thousands words as to why shift away from Android by PM is disturbing to me:



Thanks again for all of the great PM browsers!

[Moonchild]

Your picture also paints an incomplete picture (no pun intended) and is over-simplified -- "global users" just indicates more people have and use mobile devices, and often have multiple. That neither means that they use it to use a web browser, nor does it actually indicate active use (many "apps" stay signed in 24/7, for example).
Some skepticism is required interpreting that graph

[Marvelicious]

This is a real shame. I understand the reasoning, but I have really grown attached to a mobile browser that syncs with a fully functional desktop browser (rather than an overgrown mobile browser running on my desktop). PM4A has never been perfect, but it has been the best option I could find.

[x-15a2]

Your picture also paints an incomplete picture (no pun intended) and is over-simplified -- "global users" just indicates more people have and use mobile devices, and often have multiple...

You are correct (here's the complete article that the graph came from: http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-mar ... tatistics/ ), but the point remains that mobile use is on the rise while desktop use has at best plateaued. Of course, mobile devices have the advantage(?) of specialized apps for many online resources (ex: Amazon, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia), but mobile browsers are still a key app in the mobile space. Beyond the loss of syncing between PM devices, I think it is important for PM to maintain a presence in the mobile space.

[New Tobin Paradigm]

I agree with you. x.. So learn mozcode and android and make it happen

[x-15a2]

I agree with you. x.. So learn mozcode and android and make it happen

First I need to invent a time shifter to give me 3-4 more hours per day. Believe me, I'd love nothing more than to help with the project, just not in the cards.

[New Tobin Paradigm]

I agree with you. x.. So learn mozcode and android and make it happen

First I need to invent a time shifter to give me 3-4 more hours per day. Believe me, I'd love nothing more than to help with the project, just not in the cards.

I know the feeling.. Believe me..

[kelendral]

Well, count me as another migrant from the FF camp who appreciates PM4A.

I understand and respect your decision and time though. I do notice 25.4.1 released for PM4A, and thank you.

[slytry]

Please don't do it...
Now that I found the only good browser on android, the only one fast, precise, no lags.
Don't do it

[JSB2000]

Moonchild, I'm curious:

What browser do YOU use on Android?

[Moonchild]

Moonchild, I'm curious:

What browser do YOU use on Android?

I'm not an active Android user. I use my tablet maybe once every 2 weeks.
I do tend to use Pale Moon when I do, since my tablet is an Android 4.3 device on which it works decently.

[davenz]

Well, this is extremely sad news for me. I have to put in my 2 cents if for nothing else to throw one more bone on the 'please keep' pile. I'm a realist though and that means that when something has to go in order that the main branch stays alive, then the marginals are the first to be cut away. Like the mountaineer who has to cut his partner loose to save himself, so be it. Some decisions are hard to make and I respect the fact Moonchild wouldn't have even considered dropping PM for Android if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

Like others, I've been a fan since day 1 and it pains me to have to go back to Opera or even FF in a pinch. Like the man says, sh*t happens, and life was never meant to be fair. I use my smartphone about 30% of the time and my Windows desktop the rest, so it will hurt, but not as much as someone who relies on Android 100% of the time. I'll just have to grin and bear it in the knowledge that my tiny, miniscule sacrifice will help me and other Windows users out there to have a better overall desktop browser experience. If I wasn't such a complete dullard, I would learn everything I needed to take over that side of development. Perhaps all us Android users could chip in 50 bucks and that would be enough to hire some rock-star code cutter to do the job. Ce la vie.

Dave.