I’ve used Chrome on Android for so long that I learned to accept and live with certain elements of the browser I really didn’t like. This habit was born out of convenience; Chrome is already installed, and most sites render well on Chrome. But recently I downloaded Firefox on my Android, and one specific feature surprised me: I could install extensions on the mobile app. This made Firefox feel less like the smaller browser I tolerated on mobile and more like a browser that I actually wanted on my phone.

A phone browser that finally bends to me

Extensions turn Firefox into something you edit, not just use

It clicked when I visited a news website and the layout just felt calm; much calmer than I remembered. I did not notice those sidebars that would always shove the text into a narrow column, and the video that automatically played at the top didn’t play. It had to be a cleaner theme or a temporary glitch, but in reality, I had installed the uBlock Origin extension that changed how that page rendered on my screen.

I’d always known how powerful extensions can be. I use several extensions across the different desktop browsers that I work with, but having that same experience on my phone was refreshing and new. They can strip away page elements, change how a site behaves, or add functionality that wasn’t there before. Since Firefox for Android included extension support, the catalog grew from more than 450 extensions at launch in late 2023 to more than 1,000 by the following May.

The idea of using a browser instantly feels different once it starts allowing you to change how a page behaves and not only how it looks but also how it behaves.

Three small changes that added up to a different phone

None of them felt like new features but friction was disappearing

uBlock Origin quickly became indispensable because on some tech blogs that I loved, I’d usually spend the first few seconds wading through banners, newsletter pop-ups, and video players to hunt down the actual article. I installed the extension, and now the story opens cleanly in the middle of my screen. I’m far less worried about the occasional mis-taps that open up content I really never wanted. Most sites now feel more like they were made for my phone and less like they were designed around everything competing for my attention.

SponsorBlock is another extension that I’ve loved on Firefox for Android. This one isn’t changing how the page looks but it affects what happens while you watch. While watching YouTube, I don’t need to take any action; it skips mid-roll sponsor reads and other segments that have been marked in its database. It honestly felt a bit rude the first few times, almost like the video I was watching was edited on the fly. But it quickly became the expected experience, and I’m not sure I could go back to a browser without it.

I also like SingleFile. It may seem like it solves a smaller problem but it’s practical. When my signal is bad, I don’t have to hope the page is cached. This extension lets me save everything, including images and styling, as a single HTML file. I can then open it offline whenever I want.

Interestingly, these three extensions seemed to matter more on a phone than on my desktop. Ads and clutter feel like a bigger problem on a small screen, and once you remove them it changes the entire feel of reading or scrolling.

I haven’t bombarded Firefox on my Android with hundreds of extensions. I intentionally keep the list short because extensions can have access to what you browse, so I only install the ones I actually need.

Chrome is still the easiest browser to never think about

That convenience has a ceiling

On most Android phones, Chrome comes preinstalled, you sign in, and you can almost start where you left off. This makes it a clear winner for many people. Because Chrome extensions only work on desktop, this capability makes Firefox far more interesting.

I used Kiwi Browser for a while because it offered Chrome-style extensions on Android, but it stopped being maintained after January 2025. For me, it also showed how useful that capability can be, and how few mainstream options there have been.

All Firefox had to do was hand me the wheel back

There is a very significant shift. I’m not picking Firefox because I need a Chrome replacement. That’s not the criterion this time. I’m using it because I can shape it around how I use my phone. This is increasingly important if you’re tired of pages that have been designed around advertising.

Not all desktop extensions have or will eventually make it to Firefox Android, and Chrome is a more seamless option within Google services. Yet this one difference matters: the browser is giving me more control over how pages look and behave.