Firefox is now available to download from Microsoft's revamped Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users. This means Windows users will no longer have to download this security-focused browser from the internet and can do so directly through the Store.
Mozilla's Firefox is notably the only independent major browser that has its own engine, Gecko. The company did also try to sound an alarm when Microsoft decided to adopt Google's Chromium engine back in 2018. Chris Beard, then CEO of Mozilla, wrote at the time:
This may sound melodramatic, but it’s not. The "browser engines" — Chromium from Google and Gecko Quantum from Mozilla — are "inside baseball" pieces of software that actually determine a great deal of what each of us can do online. They determine core capabilities such as which content we as consumers can see, how secure we are when we watch content, and how much control we have over what websites and services can do to us. Microsoft’s decision gives Google more ability to single-handedly decide what possibilities are available to each one of us.
Microsoft made some Windows Store policy changes to bring Firefox the Windows Store
Until now, Microsoft required web browsers to use the engine that the Windows maker had built into their platform, which meant Firefox couldn't run on its own engine.
This was not only bad for you but bad for the web because it meant that the web on Windows 11 would only have the features Microsoft was willing to provide. People deserve choice and we’re glad there is an easier option to download Firefox on Windows.
With new policy changes, Firefox is now shipping directly to Windows users with its Gecko engine. This means the browser remains private, safe, and secure, maintaining its own engine. These Microsoft Store policy changes also mean more third-party browsers can now be made available on the official Store.
Head over to Microsoft Store to download Mozilla Firefox.
