Mozilla is introducing a new app mode for its Firefox web browser, although the new tool is complicated in conception. Before getting to what led Mozilla to this feature, the new “run a Website in SSB (Site Specific Browser) is now available in Firefox 75 in Nightly.
If you’re unfamiliar with idea of a web browser app mode, it is something Google uses on Chrome. Indeed, the company allows users of Chrome to create app shortcuts for websites. This means sites can be opened in their own individual window.
This is delivered through the Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) model, which has also been adopted by Microsoft on Chromium Edge.
Mozilla used to operate a similar tool on Firefox, although it was modelled on Site Specific Browser (SSB). As Tech Dows reports, the project was part of Mozilla’s Prism development but was eventually abandoned.
Run Apps on Firefox
Now the company has revived the idea in Firefox 78. And it seems Firefox is leaving behind the SSB terminology (all though it still underpins the feature) and instead using apps, which at least makes it easier for users to understand. Either way, the important information is that the browser now allows users to run websites as applications.
As mentioned, this is currently available on Firefox 78 Nightly. This is the Mozilla’s development channel for the browser, so it is not available for all end users just yet.
In other words, the feature remains in preview and will move through testing in Nightly. We will let you know when the feature makes it to the mainstream Firefox 78 release.
