Mozilla is entering the mobile operating system scene with its Firefox OS. While Firefox OS is yet to hit mainstream success just like Google's mobile operating system, it's still a welcomed testing ground for hackers and developers alike. As such, the company has seen it fit to release its Firefox OS as an experimental Android app for anyone interested.
Firefox OS 2.5 Developer Preview is now available on Android devices and comes with new features such as add-ons that can extend an app, a couple, or all of them including the system app. Private Browsing with Tracking Protection also allows users in the platform control how their browsing activity is tracked across websites. Pin the Web lets users pin any website or webpage to the homescreen so that they won't have to type it in the browser anymore and just launch it straight from the pinned website.
However, unlike other operating systems that would need its users to reflash their devices to replace or update it, Firefox OS 2.5 Developer Preview is a standalone app that lets its users experience what Firefox OS can bring. Quite simply, it's an alternative homescreen with a new overlay on the user-interface to give users an idea of how a device running Firefox OS works.
"We are very excited about the Firefox OS 2.5 Developer Preview app," Peter Dolanjski Product Manager for Firefox OS said. "We've worked hard to produce a Firefox OS experience for Android users. As with all things at Mozilla, this effort is very much a community effort and we welcome all forms of constructive feedback and suggestions for making the experience better."
Those who are interested to try Firefox OS can download the app straight from the official website. However, it's not available on the Google Play Store, so chances are, users would need to tweak a couple of settings to install the app.
