Firefox installed on Fire TV and Fire TV stick will allow users to stream popular video websites on the device. Video Websites such as youtube, load any website address and search the web for videos to play full screen. But as per the recent update, Firefox seems to be ending support for both Amazon Fire TV and Echo shows. Firefox ends Fire TV and Echo show devices support starting from 30th of this month.
Full Web browsers like Firefox are an important selling point for devices like Amazon Fire TV and Echo show devices. Amazon Fire TV streaming devices are pretty popular around the world. As Firefox ends its support for Fire TV or Echo Show devices will significantly impact its usage. Anyway, there are other alternatives like Amazon Silk for web browsing.
Once this update goes live, you will no longer be able to get this Firefox browser on your FireTV. And you won’t be able to receive security updates, or no longer be able to reinstall the app if you uninstall it starting on April 30. Mozilla informed users through its support document that if you have Firefox browser set as your default browser on Echo Show or Amazon Fire TV. After 30th April you will be redirected to Amazon Silk for web browsing.
Here are the details of Firefox ending support for Fire TV and Echo show devices
Mozilla launches Firefox on Fire TV in December 2017
Initially, Mozilla launches Firefox on Fire TV just two weeks after Google made it official that it would be removing Youtube from all Amazon devices. Mozilla Firefox’s first default shortcut led directly to YouTube’s TV-friendly web app which offers the same Youtube using experience. In addition to this, Amazon added a pop-up message redirecting users to its browser or Firefox whenever they tried to stream using the legacy app.
Once you installed this Firefox browser, you can launch popular video websites like Youtube and other web addresses. Also, you can search for other websites for videos to play full screen on the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV stick. Mozilla has officially confirmed that you can in fact view Youtube content using the Firefox browser on Amazons’ Fire TV devices.
Whereas, for Echo devices, Mozilla introduced the Firefox browser along with Amazon’s Silk browser. At that time, there was no particular Youtube app available for Echo Show devices to stream Youtube videos. So both Mozilla Firefox and Amazon’s Silk browser offered a practical solution to watch Youtube in the Amazon-made smart displays.
Factors that may have influenced Firefox to end its support for Fire TV and Echo Show
On the Contrary, Amazon added a pop-up message redirecting users to its browser. Mozilla may have realized that there is no much of a reason to continue developing for the platform. Apart from this, People who want to access social media sites on their Fire TV Sticks will mostly choose Amazon’s default browser over seeking out an alternative.
Addressing these issues Mozilla points out on its support page that Amazon-made smart devices can continue to use Silk for web browsing. While Fire TV devices use their dedicated apps for both YouTube and YouTube TV. This means if you’re using Firefox to stream videos from your favorite creators, then you need to switch to Silk browser to continue watching and streaming. In addition to this, you can also install the Android TV version of Firefox on your Fire TV by getting the APK from the APK mirror.
With all this, we can say that Amazon Fire TV sticks have come with two major browsers since 2017. One is Amazon’s own integrated browser that is called a Silk browser and the other one is Firefox. If Firefox ends support for Fire TV you can still use the other browser Silk.
Firefox now shows a message on the top declaring upcoming end of support
Recently the Mozilla Foundation officially announced on its support page that it will be ending support for the Fire TV version of Firefox, along with Amazon Echo Show Firefox. This new update will be starting on 30th April 2021. Along with its official website, Firefox also displays this upcoming news that Firefox ends its support for Amazon Fire TV and Echo Show devices starting from April 30th, 2021.
As of now, you can still install or download Firefox on your Fire TV device. But you will have to do so before April 30, after that it will anyway be removed from the Amazon App Store. However, you won’t be getting any support and software updates. This will make your Firefox browser on the Fire TV more vulnerable to cybersecurity threats and hacks.
So, it will be better to switch to other alternatives like Amazon Silk browser or something else. To stream and browse the web on your Fire TV and Echo Show uninterrupted.
Conclusion
Mozilla Firefox has made it official that it will no longer support Amazon Fire TV and Echo Show. Once Firefox ends Fire TV and Echo Show support, you won’t be able to install the app on FireTV anymore. Also, you won’t receive any security updates or be able to reinstall the app, if you uninstall it starting on April 30, 2021.
In addition to this, Mozilla encourages users that if they have Firefox set as their default browser on Echo Show they will be automatically redirected to Amazon Silk or web browsing after this update goes live. Using Firefox even after this update, will make it more prone to cyber threats and hacks
