Original author(s) | Alexandros Kontos |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Alexandros Kontos, BrowserWorks Ltd |
Initial release | 27 March 2011 |
Stable release | 6.5.2 [1] / 26 November 2024 |
Preview release | G6.0 Beta 5 / September 14, 2023 |
Repository | |
Written in | C, C++, CSS, JavaScript, XUL |
Engine | Gecko, SpiderMonkey |
Operating system | |
Platform | x64, ARM64, PPC64LE |
Type | Web browser, mobile web browser, feed reader |
License | MPL-2.0 |
Website | www |
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]
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 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]
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]
Exodus Privacy Analysis demonstrates that Waterfox uses the following trackers:
According to Exodus, [13] these are the same as the trackers used by Firefox, with the notable exclusion of the Adjust marketing platform that only Firefox uses.
Waterfox was first released by Alex Kontos [14] [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, [15] the Linux build was introduced on 20 December 2016 with the release of version 50.0, [16] and an Android build was first introduced on 10 October 2017 in version 55.2.2. [17]
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. [18] [19] [20]
In December 2019, System1, an advertising company which portrays itself as privacy-focused, [21] acquired Waterfox. [22] [23] In July 2023, Alex Kontos announced that Waterfox had been turned into an independent project again. [24]
An Android release of the browser was made available via the Google Play Store in November 2023. [25]
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