Switch to firefox.
I would so love if this causes an usage spike for Firefox, so that all websites and webapps start testing for Firefox compatibility again…
The install counts for ad block extensions is surprisingly lower than you’d think.
uBlock only peaked just shy of 30M users, so much less than 1% of general users. Obviously it’s not that cut and dry, but you get the idea. It’s unlikely they have much influence no matter where they go.
How many of those 3 billion Chrome users were on desktop though? Mobile is the default for most of the world.
Mobile Firefox has uBlock too, at least on Android.
FF on iOS has not been given a lot of attention for a long time. Apparently this has changed, however I’m yet to see that and the issues I have with FF on iOS keeps me away. Some people try to defend Mozilla and blame Apple - and of cause there is some blame there - but other iOS browsers, including Safari, does a much better job. I’m on Vivaldi for that reason, with the latest version 8 have fixed the few annoying issues I had with it.
Isn’t that just because iOS rules mean Firefox is just reskinned Safari? Or do Apple allow other browser engines now?
That’s what people keep saying (and yes, only in the EU are alternative browser engines allowed), however other browsers on iOS can create a decent browser experience. A few things that aren’t supported on FF iOS, that IMO should have been available a long time ago and stops me from using FF anywhere as I want syn mobile with my desktop browser:
- Rearrange icons (web site shortcuts) on the FF Start Page. Also, not synced
- Very limited custom search engine settings (no search suggestions supported, very few search engines to choose from)
- No auto close old inactive tabs
For some reason, mobile FF is so bad on iOS, I keep it only to send links to my desktop or laptop.
I have uBlockOriginLite working with Safari on iOS just fine. I don’t use Firefox much on mobile because Safari works fine for me in that context but I assume it would work in Firefox too.
I use Vivaldi because I’m also synchronising with Linux. Had it just been a Mac, I would been perfectly fine with Safari. I think Safari is the best browser on iOS, using Wipr with it. Safari is just so polished and it has just the features I and less cluttered than all the other browsers and everything is silky smooth and load times are super fast.
IDK that it’s much less than 1% of general users, considering it’s .4% of the total global population, and even as #1 not everyone uses Chrome on desktop (but also some people have multiple desktops…).
But your point is still valid, if the roughly 1% desktop market share shifts to FF, not a lot is likely to change.
If that were true, Google wouldn’t be fighting them so hard.
You’re saying there are 3 billion Firefox users? That doesn’t sound right. Or you mean 3 billion chrome users?
I think they mean approximate chrome users. There’s about 3.8 billion of them.
Firefox has a user base of approximately 150 million users (and that’s down from 206 million in like 2024).
Fuck Firefox and it’s Pro-AI shit. Firefox has its own issues too, that’s why people are choosing forks of it than the main deal.
If only there’s a different web browser one can use… 🤔🤔
Netscape Navigator baby 😎
Why are people using chrome?
The majority of people just can’t fucking be bothered, don’t fucking care or are completely unaware that there are other options.
Pretty much this. People on the fediverse generally forget how ridiculously non-tech savvy the public at large is, moreso the underlying issues with things like AI, tracking, etc.
And even if the public does know they can just shrug and say “so what?”
People don’t know, don’t want to know, and can’t be bothered if told.
Also recognise that for some people, things breaking is either scary, or just more annoying than ads. They expect ads, but freak out when a website is broken -which will always be a possibility with adblockers due to the nature of them.
Yes, there are options, but some of those people see them as inconvenient.
Why did people use Internet Explorer before it?
It’s just “the internet button” for most people, the same as Windows is just “the computer” and Android is “the phone”.
The idea that you can change out fundamental software components of a modern computing device is alien to them.
deleted by creator
When you use Google services there’s a very annoying popup “why u no use Chrome” that appears at least once every three week and you can only choose between “ok I give up, install now” and “no, ask me again for the 134th time”
I have seen that on Firefox one time in 3 years
It appears almost every single time I login to gmail
There is your problem. You are using shitty gmail.
Or you could just stop using google services?
I only have it installed so I can configure my Keychron keyboard.
Because some sites don’t work unless you have Chrome.
I guess I don’t use those sites then
Especially on mobile… It’s crazy how many times I tried to do a food order or some checkout process and mobile Firefox just hits some error.
There’s always Brave. And yeah, I know there’s some dilema going on out there, but it works for stuff that only loads on chrome.
Ungoogled Chromium works, too.
Does ungoogled chromium have an ads and tracker blocker integrated regardless of the MV2 block in it’s upstream Chromium base?
No. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.
Fair enough
Integration and convenience for those people. Literally a closed wall garden environment much like iOS, Windows, or Facebook.
There was a time when Chrome was that much better. Since then, nothing else has been better enough to switch.
The Firefox forks that I use:
- LibreWolf ships with uBlockOrigin by default.
- Zen browser for power users who want lots of out of the box features and customization. An especially excellent browser for users who migrate from Vivaldi. Caveat, as with most feature-rich things, the line between bloat and feature can be a bit blurred.
Fyi, you won’t be able to watch videos on Zen if you’re on Windows. (Yes, you use Arch btw, and wouldn’t be caught dead using Microslop products, thank you random commenter from the future. :^) )
I use NixOS btw
you won’t be able to watch videos on Zen if you’re on Windows.
Videos work fine.
I found Zen to be lightweight, actually. It seems to use a hair less RAM than vanilla FF, and the UI can be extremely minimal.
deleted by creator
Misleading headline, as UBlock Origin Lite will work.
….Which is what the vast majority of Chrome users would be using now anyway. Using full Ublock requires a ton of manual hoops (or a Chromium fork) already, and basically no one using plain Chrome at this point is gonna do that.
Not that this is okay.
I’m just saying it’s misleading. Full Ublock has already been evicted from Chrome for like 99.99% of its users, and sadly, they didn’t seem to care.
The Lite version works fine for me. Would I prefer the full version? Sure. But migrating to a different browser is not that high on the list of things I have energy for.
You can export your contacts and settings and import them in another browser with a few clicks. I am not sure what energy is needed for that but use whatever you prefer.
Mental energy to overcome Stockholm syndrome.
Dude. It takes like 10 minutes for the full migration. Export your bookmarks and import them to any other browser other than chrome. Jeez. Preferably Firefox.
I mean, if you are using plain Chrome, you can kiss any semblance of tracking protection goodbye. And it is going to get more anti features in the future.
Believe me, I understand not having the energy to address a pile of tech issues; I have them too. But it’s not too bad if you decide to switch, either, as all browsers can import settings from each other.
Make it the end of Chrome instead.
Haven’t used chrome in years. The closest I’ve been to it is Brave, and I only use it when shit doesn’t load on LibreWolf or IceRaven.
Who the fucking fuck still uses stock Chrome in 2026, chrissakes.
everyone’s parents methinks. i got mine on chrome 15ish years ago and now they won’t stop. “but you’re the one that told us to use chrome…”
i get that a lot. it’s as if they cannot conceive that things that were once good can become shitty. enshittified if you will.
Fair enough, but do they need/want an ad blocker ?
i think everyone wants/needs an adblocker.
This isn’t really news. Anyone who cared and was able to do so isn’t using chrome anymore. They could add back what is needed for ad blockers to work and it wouldn’t bring back enough people to matter.
Shame for anyone still using Google Chrome.
The people using Chromium based browsers are all huge suckers. It’s just a fact
I wouldn’t say anyone using Chromium. Brave and a few others are still good options. But Firefox is the goat of course.
I switched to uBlock Origin Lite when all this shit started up, is that one going away too?
Nope. Ublock lite was made for Manifest V2 depreciation, specifically.
It’s not as effective as full UBlock though. I notice it missing elements or bugging some pages out when I use it on others’ PCs.
I thought this happened ages ago.
Yes
This is just straight-up incorrect. uBOL is not going away.
Yet
But it says it’s mv3 based and the article says mv2 only.
Ahh didn’t read enough of the article, the mention it specifically but also say it doesn’t allow the same level of blocking
I wonder if this will effect adnauseam.io
Yes, it will. It’s already very finicky with chrome, and it will stop working:
https://github.com/dhowe/AdNauseam/wiki/Install-AdNauseam-on-Chromium-browsers
This will also be an existential issue for downstream browsers that ship Ublock, like Helium (though forks with their own blocker engine like Cromite or Brave will continue to work).
Chrome is for work stuff, nothing else.
I can’t really research a topic for work without an adblocker. The experience is too miserable, everything is riddled with advertisements!
Pichai. Remember that name.
That fucking banchode running Alphabet.
deleted by creator
Yeah? I had trouble trying to know who’s running that monolith until the last two years they start realizing that fucking walled garden… and AI!