There is no lack of browsers in the Android market, but still, the release of Firefox beta for Android is worth all the attention. The beta version of Firefox for Android brings much changes and improvement to its pre-alpha build. Plenty of new features such as sync, addons, awesome screen and the improved user-interface are added to make it a real competitor to the native Google browser.

Here’s what you can find in the new Firefox beta for Android.

Sync

Firefox users who have been using the Firefox Sync feature to synchronize your bookmarks, settings and profile across multiple computers, you can now sync it to your Android phone too. Simply go to the Preferences, fill in your sync credential and tap on the Connect button.

Add-ons

Just like what makes the desktop browser great, the mobile version also comes with addons. You can either browse the addon gallery or just do a search to locate your addons.

Yes, you still need to restart your mobile browser every time you install an addon.

Personalized Start Page

The start page is a good place for you to… well, get started. It shows your previous browsing session, the tabs that you opened and also tabs from other computers. Cool!

Left and Right sidebar

Firefox for Android makes clever use of the sidebar which have been largely ignored by most applications. By flicking the page to the right, the left sidebar will appear to reveal the tabs. Similarly, on the right side (flicking the screen to the left) shows the quick bookmark icon and the forward/back button.

Awesome Bar and Awesome Screen

The Awesome bar in desktop Firefox (the same as the URL bar) continue to be awesome in the mobile version. A tap on the URL bar will bring you to a awesome screen where you can access to your bookmarks, history and other desktop tabs all in one place. Similarly, you can type the URL to load the site you want.

Pinch to zoom

The pinch to zoom is becoming the norm in multi-touch device, so it is not surprising to know that Firefox beta supports pinch to zoom as well. In a quick experiment, the pinch to zoom feature is not as sensitive as the native Google browser, but still, it is a good inclusion.

Increased Responsiveness

Yes, this is the one that we all been waiting for. Firefox beta for Android is definitely more responsive than the alpha build. It is even on par with the native browser.

Can’t wait to try it? Hit the link below to download and give it a test drive. Don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments.

Download Firefox beta for Android

Damien Oh started writing tech articles since 2007 and has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry. He is proficient in Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, and worked as a part time WordPress Developer. He is currently the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Make Tech Easier.

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