Mozilla launched Firefox way back in 2002 and it immediately gained traction, but that popularity is slowing down in recent years. According to a recent report, Mozilla Firefox is bleeding users.
A website called Itsfoss recently pointed out the downward trajectory of the Firefox web browser found in its public data report. According to the report, nearly 46 million active monthly users have opted to abandon Firefox in order to use a different internet browser. In many cases, these users are moving to Google Chrome, but some are opting for other internet browsers.
RELATED: GeForce Now Launching in Beta on ChromeOS
According to the Firefox data report, active monthly users of the Firefox desktop client at the end of 2018 were about 244 million. This number plummeted to 198 million users in the second quarter of 2021. This significant decrease in Firefox users shows how long it took for the web browser to lose 46 million users.
In 2008, Firefox was responsible for 30% of all browser usage, with Internet Explorer accounting for around 60%. Today, Google Chrome accounts for 65% of internet users, with Firefox and Edge sitting at around 3%. With significantly less traffic than Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox may be looking for solutions to the fleeing user base.
The Firefox report covers internet usage across desktop, consoles, and mobile devices. Most Apple devices stick to the Safari browser, Android devices feature the Google Chrome browser, and Microsoft products default to Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer. Firefox fans in many cases have to go out of their way to download the internet browser compared to some alternatives.
Many Firefox users left the internet browser for an alternative when Mozilla released the Firefox 89 UI overhaul which significantly changed the browser. Firefox still remains the closest internet browser competition to Google Chrome, but the significant user decrease threatens to change that.
Some Firefox monthly active users have complained about performance issues in the internet browser that haven't been addressed over the years. Progressively more websites are optimizing for Google Chrome, making that internet browser a more ideal place to visit them. These optimizations could be working against Firefox as its competition is being lifted up.
The biggest Firefox user drops according to the public data report, was in May 2018, but users have been steadily leaving the web browser since. This significant drop in active monthly users hasn't changed Firefox's place as the second most popular internet browser, but it could lead to change.
While Mozilla Firefox is bleeding monthly active users, it still has a long way to go before it's at Microsoft Edge numbers. Mozilla may be looking at ways to improve the internet browser to more effectively compete with others, but some users may not return. Some Firefox users are worried that Google Chrome will eventually have a monopoly on internet browsing, but some competition will likely always remain.
MORE: Vin Diesel Family Memes Are Taking Over the Internet
Source: Itsfoss (via PC Gamer)
