Mozilla's Firefox browser landed on iOS relatively late compared to other products like Google Chrome back in November 2015 and has proved a popular download on Apple's App Store.
Today, Mozilla introduced a second browser to the iOS ecosystem, Firefox Focus.
The new browser is designed for users who are security conscious or perhaps users who prefer a simpler browsing experience, as this is effectively a single page browser.
Lacking tabs, auto-complete and other common browser features, Firefox Focus delivers only a single input box with which a user can enter URLs, or search using Google (UK) or Yahoo! (US). Currently, there's no way of changing the default search engine, with that feature promised in for a future release.
Compatible with both iPhone and iPad, Firefox Focus delivers a full browser experience in terms of content and responsiveness.
Its killer feature becomes apparent when you close the webpage you're viewing by using an 'ERASE' button, triggering the deletion of the page from your browsing history along with cookies and tracking information. However, if you wish to continue browsing the page outside of Firefox Focus, there is a button for exporting the session to the normal Firefox browser.
In terms of configuration, there is a minimal set of options for customizing what tracking information is blocked, as shown below:
It's also possible to block web fonts, as well as toggle on/off Firefox Focus' ability to send anonymous usage data, which seems slightly ironic considering the privacy functions built into the browser.
Another nice-to-have feature is the ability to use Firefox Focus as an integration to Safari on iOS. As with various ad-blockers, Apple now allows developers to write Safari integrations, and Mozilla have included an integration for Firefox Focus that means you can block tracking information inside the Safari browser too, though history and other information will still be collected.
The application is free and can be downloaded now from the Apple app store.
Source: Mozilla Blog via TechCrunch
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