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{{short description|Open-source web browser based on Firefox}}
{{short description|Open-source web browser based on Firefox}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Primary sources|date=June 2024}}
{{Primary sources|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox software
{{Infobox software
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| collapsible =
| collapsible =
| author = Alexandros Kontos
| author = Alexandros Kontos
| developer = Alexandros Kontos, formerly BrowserWorks Limited
| developer = Alexandros Kontos, BrowserWorks Ltd
| released = {{Start date and age|2011|03|27|df=yes}}
| released = {{Start date and age|2011|03|27|df=yes}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|reference|P348}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|reference|P348}}
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| latest preview date = {{Start date and age|2023|09|14}}
| latest preview date = {{Start date and age|2023|09|14}}
| discontinued =
| discontinued =
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]], [[JavaScript]], [[XUL]]
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[CSS]], [[JavaScript]], [[XUL]]
| operating system = {{ubl
| operating system = [[Windows 7]] or later, [[macOS|Mac]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[Linux]]
|[[Android 5]] and later
|[[Linux]]
|[[macOS 11]] and later
|[[Windows 7]] and later
}}
| engine = [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]], [[SpiderMonkey]]
| engine = [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]], [[SpiderMonkey]]
| platform = [[x64]], [[ARM64]], [[PPC64LE]]
| platform = [[x64]], [[ARM64]], [[PPC64LE]]
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===Waterfox===
===Waterfox===
Waterfox shares core features and technologies like the [[Gecko (software)|Gecko]] browser engine<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQ |url=https://www.waterfox.net/docs/faq |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.waterfox.net |language=en}}</ref> and support for Firefox [[Add-on (Mozilla)|Add-ons]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find and install add-ons to add features to Waterfox |url=https://www.waterfox.net/support/WINNT/find-and-install-add-ons/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.waterfox.net}}</ref> with Firefox. It is also compatible with [[Google Chrome]] and [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]] extensions.<ref name=":0" /> It disables telemetry and [[Pocket (service)|Pocket]] by default, which are present in Firefox builds. However, it collects technical information about the user's device to update properly.<ref name=":1" />
Waterfox shares core features and technologies like the [[Gecko (software)|Gecko]] browser engine<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQ |url=https://www.waterfox.net/docs/faq |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.waterfox.net |language=en}}</ref> and support for Firefox [[Add-on (Mozilla)|Add-ons]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find and install add-ons to add features to Waterfox |url=https://www.waterfox.net/support/WINNT/find-and-install-add-ons/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.waterfox.net |archive-date=3 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103230611/https://www.waterfox.net/support/WINNT/find-and-install-add-ons/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> with Firefox. It is also compatible with [[Google Chrome]] and [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]] extensions.<ref name=":0" /> It disables telemetry and [[Pocket (service)|Pocket]] by default, which are present in Firefox builds. However, it collects technical information about the user's device to update properly.<ref name=":1" />


===Waterfox Classic===
===Waterfox Classic===
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==Privacy==
==Privacy==
Exodus Privacy Analysis demonstrates that it uses the following trackers:
Exodus Privacy Analysis demonstrates that Waterfox uses the following trackers:


* [[Google Firebase]] Analytics
* [[Google Firebase]] Analytics
* [[Mozilla]] Telemetry
* [[Mozilla]] Telemetry
* Sentry Crash Reports<ref>{{cite web | title=Exodus Privacy Report for Waterfox | url=https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/445535/ | website = Exodus Privacy | language=en}}</ref>
* Sentry Crash Reports<ref>{{cite web | title=Exodus Privacy Report for Waterfox | url=https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/445535/ | website = Exodus Privacy | language=en}}</ref>

According to Exodus,<ref>{{cite web | title=Exodus Privacy Report for Waterfox | url=https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/459079/ | website = Exodus Privacy | language=en}}</ref> these are the same as the trackers used by Firefox, with the notable exclusion of the [[AppLovin|Adjust]] marketing platform that only Firefox uses.


==History==
==History==
Waterfox was first released by Alex Kontos<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Waterfox |url=https://www.waterfox.net/docs/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.waterfox.net |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> on March 27, 2011 for [[64-bit Windows]]. The Mac build was introduced on May 14, 2015 with the release of version 38.0,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kontos |first=Alex |title=Waterfox 38.0 Release |url=https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-38.0-release-download |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215221138/https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-38.0-release-download |archive-date=2017-12-15 |access-date=2017-12-15 |website=www.waterfoxproject.org}}</ref> the Linux build was introduced on December 20, 2016 with the release of version 50.0,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kontos |first=Alex |title=Waterfox 50.1.0 Release (Windows, Mac & Linux) |url=https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-50.0-release-download |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005152102/https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-50.0-release-download |archive-date=2017-10-05 |access-date=2017-02-05 |website=www.waterfoxproject.org}}</ref> and an Android build was first introduced on October 10, 2017 in version 55.2.2.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kontos |first=Alex |title=Waterfox 55 Release (Windows, Mac, Linux and Android) |url=https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-55.0-release-download |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221030051/https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-55.0-release-download |archive-date=2017-12-21 |access-date=2017-12-15 |website=www.waterfoxproject.org}}</ref>
Waterfox was first released by Alex Kontos<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Waterfox |url=https://www.waterfox.net/docs/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.waterfox.net |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> on 27 March 2011 for [[64-bit Windows]]. The macOS build was introduced on 14 May 2015 with the release of version 38.0,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kontos |first=Alex |title=Waterfox 38.0 Release |url=https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-38.0-release-download |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215221138/https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-38.0-release-download |archive-date=2017-12-15 |access-date=2017-12-15 |website=www.waterfoxproject.org}}</ref> the Linux build was introduced on 20 December 2016 with the release of version 50.0,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kontos |first=Alex |title=Waterfox 50.1.0 Release (Windows, Mac & Linux) |url=https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-50.0-release-download |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005152102/https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-50.0-release-download |archive-date=2017-10-05 |access-date=2017-02-05 |website=www.waterfoxproject.org}}</ref> and an Android build was first introduced on 10 October 2017 in version 55.2.2.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kontos |first=Alex |title=Waterfox 55 Release (Windows, Mac, Linux and Android) |url=https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-55.0-release-download |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221030051/https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-55.0-release-download |archive-date=2017-12-21 |access-date=2017-12-15 |website=www.waterfoxproject.org}}</ref>


From July 22, 2015 to November 12, 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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-charity-storm-search|title= 4 Year Anniversary: Waterfox Charity and Storm Search|last= Kontos|first= Alex|website= www.waterfoxproject.org|date= 12 May 2015|access-date= 2017-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New search engine from Waterfox founder aims to take a punch at Google |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/technology/11598207/New-search-engine-from-Waterfox-founder-aims-to-take-a-punch-at-Google.html |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lake |first=Howard |date=2015-08-07 |title='Ethical search engine' Storm to generate funds for charities |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/08/07/ethical-search-engine-storm-to-generate-funds-for-charities/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}</ref>
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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.waterfoxproject.org/blog/waterfox-charity-storm-search|title= 4 Year Anniversary: Waterfox Charity and Storm Search|last= Kontos|first= Alex|website= www.waterfoxproject.org|date= 12 May 2015|access-date= 2017-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New search engine from Waterfox founder aims to take a punch at Google |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/technology/11598207/New-search-engine-from-Waterfox-founder-aims-to-take-a-punch-at-Google.html |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk|date=11 May 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lake |first=Howard |date=2015-08-07 |title='Ethical search engine' Storm to generate funds for charities |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/08/07/ethical-search-engine-storm-to-generate-funds-for-charities/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}</ref>


In December 2019, [[System1]], an advertising company which portrays itself as privacy-focused,<ref>{{cite web |last1= Brinkmann |first1= Martin |title= Waterfox web browser sold to System1 |url= https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/14/waterfox-web-browser-sold-to-system1/ |website= ghacks.net |date= 14 February 2020 |access-date= 12 April 2020}}</ref> acquired Waterfox.<ref>{{cite web |title = Waterfox has joined System1 |url= https://www.waterfox.net/blog/waterfox-has-joined-system1/ |website= www.waterfox.net |date= 14 February 2020 |access-date= 17 February 2020 }}
In December 2019, [[System1]], an advertising company which portrays itself as privacy-focused,<ref>{{cite web |last1= Brinkmann |first1= Martin |title= Waterfox web browser sold to System1 |url= https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/14/waterfox-web-browser-sold-to-system1/ |website= ghacks.net |date= 14 February 2020 |access-date= 12 April 2020}}</ref> acquired Waterfox.<ref>{{cite web |title = Waterfox has joined System1 |url= https://www.waterfox.net/blog/waterfox-has-joined-system1/ |website= www.waterfox.net |date= 14 February 2020 |access-date= 17 February 2020 }}
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[[Category:Free web browsers]]
[[Category:Free web browsers]]
[[Category:Gecko-based software]]
[[Category:Gecko-based software]]
[[Category:MacOS web browsers]]
[[Category:macOS web browsers]]
[[Category:Mozilla]]
[[Category:Mozilla]]
[[Category:Portable software]]
[[Category:Portable software]]

Latest revision as of 19:00, 14 December 2024

Waterfox
Original author(s)Alexandros Kontos
Developer(s)Alexandros Kontos, BrowserWorks Ltd
Initial release27 March 2011; 13 years ago (2011-03-27)
Stable release
6.5.2[1] / 26 November 2024; 23 days ago (26 November 2024)
Preview release
G6.0 Beta 5 / September 14, 2023; 15 months ago (2023-09-14)
Repository
Written inC, C++, CSS, JavaScript, XUL
EngineGecko, SpiderMonkey
Operating system
Platformx64, ARM64, PPC64LE
TypeWeb browser, mobile web browser, feed reader
LicenseMPL-2.0
Websitewww.waterfox.net Edit this on Wikidata

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

[edit]

Waterfox

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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]

Privacy

[edit]

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.

History

[edit]

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]

Logos

[edit]
  • 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

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Release 6.5.2". 26 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b "What Is Waterfox and Is It Safe?". MUO. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Waterfox, Free Web Browser". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Waterfox: Privacy Web Browser - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Proven, Liam. "Waterfox: A Firefox fork that could teach Mozilla a lesson". www.theregister.com. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  6. ^ "FAQ". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Find and install add-ons to add features to Waterfox". www.waterfox.net. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  8. ^ Kev Needham (21 August 2015). "The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons". blog.mozilla.org. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  9. ^ Villalobos, Jorge (16 February 2017). "The Road to Firefox 57 – Compatibility Milestones". blog.mozilla.org. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Waterfox Classic development will continue, but as a separate project from G4". ghacks.net. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Unpatched Security Advisories · BrowserWorks/Waterfox-Classic Wiki". GitHub.
  12. ^ "Exodus Privacy Report for Waterfox". Exodus Privacy.
  13. ^ "Exodus Privacy Report for Waterfox". Exodus Privacy.
  14. ^ "About Waterfox". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  15. ^ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 38.0 Release". www.waterfoxproject.org. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  16. ^ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 50.1.0 Release (Windows, Mac & Linux)". www.waterfoxproject.org. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  17. ^ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 55 Release (Windows, Mac, Linux and Android)". www.waterfoxproject.org. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  18. ^ Kontos, Alex (12 May 2015). "4 Year Anniversary: Waterfox Charity and Storm Search". www.waterfoxproject.org. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  19. ^ "New search engine from Waterfox founder aims to take a punch at Google". www.telegraph.co.uk. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  20. ^ Lake, Howard (7 August 2015). "'Ethical search engine' Storm to generate funds for charities". UK Fundraising. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  21. ^ Brinkmann, Martin (14 February 2020). "Waterfox web browser sold to System1". ghacks.net. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Waterfox has joined System1". www.waterfox.net. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  23. ^ "Welcome Waterfox!". www.system1.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  24. ^ Kontos, Alex (3 July 2023). "A New Chapter for Waterfox". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  25. ^ Eswarlu, Venkat (30 November 2023). "Firefox fork Waterfox is now available for Android with strict privacy defaults". MSPowerUser.
[edit]
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