Mozilla has released the beta version of Firefox for iOS, and it has recruited individuals who are willing to take the mobile browser out for a test drive before the initial version goes live on the Apple App Store.
TechCrunch reports that Mozilla is sending out surveys to potential beta testers, asking them about which version of iOS they have on their devices. The only requirement Mozilla asks of anyone who wants to take Firefox for iOS out for an early spin is that he should have an iOS device and it should run on iOS 8.
"This will be a beta test, meaning that the app might have some bugs and break at times - which is why we need your testing and feedback to make it better," says Mozilla in its survey.
Users who are interested in becoming part of the beta program can fill out the survey, and Mozilla will contact those who have been chosen to be beta testers. As of press time, it appears Mozilla has stopped recruiting new testers, but it says those who are interested in following the latest information about Firefox for iOS are encouraged to join Mozilla's mailing list.
Apple requires developers to build apps for iOS using its own WebKit and Nitro JavaScript engine, which is why Mozilla has long refused to develop Firefox for iOS because it wants to use its own rendering engine.
However, a huge drop in what was once Firefox's dominant share of the web browsing market has caused Mozilla's leadership to reconsider Apple's requirement, and in December, Mozilla vice president for Firefox Jonathan Nightingale announced that "we need to be where our users are." He was later quoted by Firefox release manager Lukas Blakk on Twitter.
We need to be where our users are so we're going to get Firefox on iOS #mozlandia
— Lukas Blakk (@lsblakk) December 2, 2014
As of the latest figures collected by StatCounter, Firefox is lagging behind Google's Chrome and Microsoft's Internet Explorer when it comes to the number of users using the web browsers. Once the king of alternative browsers that kicked Internet Explorer off its thrown during the heyday of desktop, Firefox now only has 11.56 percent of desktop and mobile users combined, while Chrome commands more than 50 percent and Internet Explorer trails far behind with 13.09 percent.
Mozilla has not yet specified what technologies Firefox for iOS will be built on, but it is likely Mozilla is giving in to Apple's requirements. The user interface and experience, however, will remain "Firefox-like," with features such as bookmark syncing available for users who want to continue browsing on desktop.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
