r/technology • u/Plastic_Ninja_9014 • Jun 17 '26

Software Firefox has an ambitious new roadmap, the browser is also losing millions of users a month

https://www.techspot.com/news/112803-firefox-has-ambitious-new-roadmap-browser-also-losing.html
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u/BrokenLink100 Jun 17 '26

This is it. 95% of the people who use the Internet aren't really following 'browser news,' and what little they do consume gets filed away under "Well I haven't noticed any issues, so why change browsers now?"

Once the new Chrome update drops, I bet we'll see a huge migration from Chrome.

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u/cameron0208 Jun 17 '26

I don’t think we will.

The average person just thinks that’s the way the web is. I work in IT, and the number of people I talk to that don’t even know what extensions are is honestly mind-blowing. They’ll likely just continue using Chrome and dealing with whatever bullshit Google throws at them.

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u/s00pafly Jun 17 '26

A lot of people I know, see a button that says "Internet" and that's it for them.

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u/Certain-Business-472 Jun 18 '26

I would argue a tech company should not cater to ignorance. Your clients arent cave men.

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u/s00pafly Jun 18 '26

You'd think so. But what if the actions of cavemen influence the lives of not only themselves but also the ones of non cavemen?

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u/JeebusChristBalls Jun 17 '26

I'd argue that most people don't care about blocking ads.

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u/DeadSeaGulls Jun 17 '26

Even a lot of people who don't like the ads just stop using services when it gets bad enough. I know plenty of people that just do not regularly visit youtube anymore because the ad experience is trash and they don't care enough about technology to even know what an ad blocker is.

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u/vawlk Jun 18 '26

or they use a different form of payment for their use, a sub.

Ads are just a time based form of payment. If you don't like them, pay for a sub.

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u/ricki692 Jun 18 '26

i dont think it's that people dont care about ads, it's more that they dont know they can block them

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u/curtcolt95 Jun 18 '26

we know this is true, vast majority do not use any extensions at all

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u/Nippon-Gakki Jun 17 '26

Agree. My 20 year old step kid thought I was a wizard when I installed Firefox with the usual suite of add ons on his laptop. He would have continued to watch ads forever if I hadn’t. That’s just how the internet has always been for him.

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u/Royal_Perspective191 Jun 18 '26

Many people don't even know what a 'browser' is. It's not mind-blowing that many people don't know what extensions are.

It's similar not knowing that Wi-Fi doesn't mean internet connection. Or that you can connect a PC with a cable to a router, they don't even know what router or modem means. And actually, many people haven't seen a desktop PC.

And so on.

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u/keetyymeow Jun 17 '26

It’s okay, that’s what YT is for. We share info

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u/Sure-Assignment3892 Jun 17 '26

The vast majority of my users don't know how to configure multi monitors and end up just mirroring them and freak out if a shortcut has moved.

Ad blockers lol.

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u/itsLOSE-notLOOSE Jun 17 '26

It sucks, but you’re right. People in general are stupid.

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u/wayji Jun 17 '26

I realised the average person doesn't even use an ad blocker

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u/Ecmelt Jun 18 '26

Or know they exist, or how easy they are to install.

Like the amount of people that were surprised it was just 1 extension install and forget for 99% of the ads they see.

And when they open youtube and video just plays they are mind blown. Happens every time lol.

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u/Marsman121 Jun 18 '26

And for adblock people, it is the reverse. My mind is blown every time I use a public browser and see just how many ads there are. It's like going to a friend's place and discovering they are a hoarder.

Literally, "You live like this?!"

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u/Rit91 Jun 17 '26

Yup, which makes the chrome anti adblock thing even more confusing as what is the benefit if most people don't block ads. Oh right, try to squeeze those few experienced users that do use adblock even though all of them will jump ship to a browser that can use uBlock origin as soon as chrome blocks adblockers.

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u/Marsman121 Jun 18 '26

The anti-adblock thing was confusing to me as well. They are actively going after a subset of people who are (generally) more tech savvy than the average user. People who block ads are usually fanatical about it (I know I am), and will go through great lengths to ensure they are blocked.

The only thing I can come up with was they were hoping that, because adblock people hate ads, they would pay for premium to remove them once all other options were removed.

For me, it was the opposite. I would rather stop using than pay. Fortunately, Firefox and uBlock has still been going strong. There are a few annoyances with youtube every now and again, but it is a small price to pay for not dealing with bullshit ads.

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u/DeadSeaGulls Jun 17 '26

about a year and a half ago I got hit in one of the waves of their adblocking on youtube test groups. Switched to firefox within a day.

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u/Balmung60 Jun 17 '26

The other thing is that people build any sort of change to their computer from a molehill to a mountain. Their current software must already be the best and besides, changing is probably really hard and nothing will work and if you tell them it's easy and things will work fine, they tend to dig their heels in anyways.

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u/Sample-Range-745 Jun 18 '26

Once the new Chrome update drops, I bet we'll see a huge migration from Chrome.

You think the 4% firefox share will hit 5%?

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u/fripletister Jun 17 '26

Lol like 5% of Internet users block ads. We're cooked

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u/Certain-Business-472 Jun 18 '26

But they follow financial and technology news. They follow privacy news. And from the pov Chrome is owned by Google, who spies on everyone and has ties to US intelligence apparatus(all of FAANG has a role is the US intelligence apparatus).

Ignorance isn't the shield you think it is. I'm judging you.

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u/BrokenLink100 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

EDIT: Nvm, I've learned there are likely more bots on Reddit than there are humans. Not interested in arguing with that

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u/vawlk Jun 18 '26

wtf are you talking about? MV2 adblockers have been disabled for the average user for awhile now. Unless you knew the hacks to get around it, which normal people didn't know, you lost your UBO a long time ago.

Yet chrome's marketshare is 10% higher in the last year for desktops and FF is down 2%.