Software:Waterfox

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Waterfox
Screenshot of Waterfox G6.0.5 running on Windows 10, showing the Main Page of the English Wikipedia
Original author(s)Alexandros Kontos
Developer(s)Alexandros Kontos, BrowserWorks Ltd.
Initial release27 March 2011; 14 years ago (2011-03-27)
Stable releaseG3.2.6 (15 September 2021; 4 years ago (2021-09-15)[1]) [±]
Preview release
G6.0 Beta 5 / September 14, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-09-14)
Written inC, C++, CSS, JavaScript, XUL
EngineGecko, SpiderMonkey
Operating system
Platformx64, ARM64, PPC64LE
TypeWeb browser, mobile web browser, feed reader
LicenseMPL-2.0

Waterfox is a free and open-source web browser and fork of Firefox. It claims to be ethical and user-centric, emphasizing performance and privacy.[2] There are official Waterfox releases for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.[3][4] It was initially created to provide official 64-bit support, back when Firefox was only available for 32-bit systems.[5]

Divisions

Waterfox

Waterfox shares core features and technologies like the Gecko browser engine[6] and support for Firefox Add-ons[7] with Firefox. It is also compatible with Google Chrome and Opera extensions.[2] It disables telemetry and Pocket by default, which are present in Firefox builds. However, it collects technical information about the user's device to update properly.[5]

Waterfox Classic

Waterfox Classic is a version of the browser based on an older version of the Gecko engine that supports legacy XUL and XPCOM add-on capabilities that Firefox removed in version 57.[8][9] It is still partially maintained with fixes and patches from Waterfox and Firefox ESR releases. However, its development has been separated due to several changes from Waterfox that are otherwise unapplicable.[10]

Vulnerabilities

Waterfox Classic has multiple unpatched security advisories. The developer states that "changes between versions so numerous between ESRs making merging difficult if not impossible".[11][10]

History

Waterfox was first released by Alex Kontos[12][5] on 27 March 2011 for 64-bit Windows. The macOS build was introduced on 14 May 2015 with the release of version 38.0,[13] the Linux build was introduced on 20 December 2016 with the release of version 50.0,[14] and an Android build was first introduced on 10 October 2017 in version 55.2.2.[15]

From 22 July 2015 to 12 November 2015, Waterfox had its own search-engine called "Storm" that would raise funds for charity and Waterfox. Storm was developed with over £2 million of investor funding and powered by Yahoo! Search.[16][17][18]

In December 2019, System1, an advertising company which portrays itself as privacy-focused,[19] acquired Waterfox.[20][21] In July 2023, Alex Kontos announced that Waterfox had been turned into an independent project again.[22]

An Android release of the browser was made available via the Google Play Store in November 2023.[23]

In April 2025, Waterfox launched a privacy-friendly metasearch engine, using Google's search results.[24]

Logos

  • Waterfox logo used until 2015
    Waterfox logo used until 2015
  • Waterfox logo used from 2015 to March 2019
    Waterfox logo used from 2015 to March 2019
  • Waterfox logo used from March to June 2019
    Waterfox logo used from March to June 2019
  • Waterfox logo used from May 2019 to August 2023
    Waterfox logo used from May 2019 to August 2023
  • Waterfox logo used from August to September 2023
    Waterfox logo used from August to September 2023
  • Waterfox logo used from September 2023 to present
    Waterfox logo used from September 2023 to present

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Waterfox G3.2.6 - Third Generation Release". https://www.waterfox.net/blog/waterfox-G3.2.6/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "What Is Waterfox and Is It Safe?" (in en). 2022-09-13. https://www.makeuseof.com/is-waterfox-safe/. 
  3. ↑ "Waterfox, Free Web Browser" (in en). https://www.waterfox.net/download/. 
  4. ↑ "Waterfox: Privacy Web Browser - Apps on Google Play" (in en-US). https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.waterfox.android.release&hl=en_US. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Proven, Liam. "Waterfox: A Firefox fork that could teach Mozilla a lesson" (in en). https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/04/waterfox_firefox_fork/. 
  6. ↑ "FAQ" (in en). https://www.waterfox.net/docs/faq. 
  7. ↑ "Find and install add-ons to add features to Waterfox". https://www.waterfox.net/support/WINNT/find-and-install-add-ons/. 
  8. ↑ Kev Needham (2015-08-21). "The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons". https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/. 
  9. ↑ Villalobos, Jorge (2017-02-16). "The Road to Firefox 57 – Compatibility Milestones". https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/02/16/the-road-to-firefox-57-compatibility-milestones/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Waterfox Classic development will continue, but as a separate project from G4". November 4, 2021. https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/04/waterfox-classic-development-will-continue-but-as-a-separate-project-from-g4/. 
  11. ↑ "Unpatched Security Advisories · BrowserWorks/Waterfox-Classic Wiki" (in en). https://github.com/BrowserWorks/Waterfox-Classic/wiki/Unpatched-Security-Advisories. 
  12. ↑ "About Waterfox" (in en). https://www.waterfox.net/docs/. 
  13. ↑ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 38.0 Release". https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-38.0-release-download. 
  14. ↑ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 50.1.0 Release (Windows, Mac & Linux)". https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-50.0-release-download. 
  15. ↑ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 55 Release (Windows, Mac, Linux and Android)". https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-55.0-release-download. 
  16. ↑ Kontos, Alex (12 May 2015). "4 Year Anniversary: Waterfox Charity and Storm Search". https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-charity-storm-search. 
  17. ↑ "New search engine from Waterfox founder aims to take a punch at Google". 11 May 2015. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/technology/11598207/New-search-engine-from-Waterfox-founder-aims-to-take-a-punch-at-Google.html. 
  18. ↑ Lake, Howard (2015-08-07). "'Ethical search engine' Storm to generate funds for charities" (in en). https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/08/07/ethical-search-engine-storm-to-generate-funds-for-charities/. 
  19. ↑ Brinkmann, Martin (14 February 2020). "Waterfox web browser sold to System1". https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/14/waterfox-web-browser-sold-to-system1/. 
  20. ↑ "Waterfox has joined System1". 14 February 2020. https://www.waterfox.net/blog/waterfox-has-joined-system1/. 
  21. ↑ "Welcome Waterfox!". https://www.system1.com/press/system1-welcomes-waterfox. 
  22. ↑ Kontos, Alex (2023-07-03). "A New Chapter for Waterfox" (in en). https://www.waterfox.net/blog/2023/07/03/a-new-chapter-for-waterfox. 
  23. ↑ Eswarlu, Venkat (November 30, 2023). "Firefox fork Waterfox is now available for Android with strict privacy defaults". https://mspoweruser.com/firefox-fork-waterfox-is-now-available-for-android-with-strict-privacy-defaults/. 
  24. ↑ Brinkmann, Martin (2025-05-01). "Waterfox Private Search: a first look at the privacy-friendly search engine" (in en-US). https://chipp.in/news/waterfox-private-search-a-first-look-at-the-privacy-friendly-search-engine/. 
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