Please switch to Firefox
BIG TL;DR:
Firefox is better than Google Chrome and most other Chromium browsers in a lot of ways. They're committed to privacy and transparency unlike Google, and it's a lot more configurable.
Switching to Firefox is really easy when you get over the mental barrier. All of your passwords, bookmarks, and tabs can be automatically transferred. I made a huge list of Firefox extensions that make certain things more convenient.
Remember that you don't have to make the move all at once. You can slowly ease into Firefox if you'd like; your data on Chrome will be safe.
I'm not being paid. I got $0 for this page. I have never talked to someone who works on Firefox in my life. I'm writing this because I love it.
This one is going to be difficult to write. Not in an emotional way but because like, I know how people are, and they're resistant to change.
People with ADHD-riddled brains like I do are constantly vying for that damned instant gratification, and the instant benefits of switching a web browser seem to be little-to-none (and doing so is a bit of an inconvenience in your day. no thanks.) Do you plank for one minute every day? Me neither.
When people try to sell you on Firefox, they usually go straight for the privacy argument. Firefox is an open-source project and they're incredibly transparent about their data usage, and how committed they are to privacy. They're the real deal!
But you might be thinking, "why should I care about internet privacy?" I can't really answer that question because the answer is so subjective, and the average person probably, ultimately, doesn't care.
Let's take a step back for a second. What if I told you there's practical reasons for switching to Firefox? And it's so much easier than you think?
(This article is gonna assume you use Google Chrome or a Chromium-derivative browser, like Edge.)
How easy are we talking?
I have a confession to make. I've never moved to Firefox.
For context, I've been using the internet since 2010, at an age a bit too young to be browsing the sites I was browsing. My dad is a tech guy of a different sort (he's an engineer,) but he was friends with tech guys of this sort (computer science). His compsci friends used Firefox, told my dad to use Firefox, and then my dad told Me to use Firefox.
This was before Chrome became massive, which was in 2012. I saw the constant advertising and my little neurodivergent resistant-to-change brain hated Chrome on instinct. So I'm still using Firefox twelve years later.
graph from Captain Gizmo's video "Most Popular Web Browsers 1993 - 2020"
I've tried Chrome a few times and really didn't like it. So I think I made the right choice.
Ok cut the bullshit
Because I don't have the personal experience of switching to Firefox, I've decided to ask my friends what the experience of switching was like for them. Here's some anecdotes:
for me, the big hurdle was the idea of moving my bookmarks, tabs, passwords, logins, et cetera.
then i found out firefox just does it for you. there's a prompt, three clicks, and all of that stuff is moved over.
mechanically? firefox is basically the exact same, but like, visually it's a bit different. so it was just a matter of getting used to it.
What you just read is basically a condensed version of every single anecdote I've read about how easy it was to switch to Firefox.
But why, you might ask? What does Firefox have that Chrome or Edge don't? I asked people this question too.
super customizable. if there was a part of chrome's interface i didn't like, i'd have to kinda bear with it. with firefox there's settings that lets me rip out the shit i don't like.
it feels more convenient, usable, than chrome. anything it's missing from chrome, there's probably an extension that puts it back.
just about every extension i used on chrome is on firefox too. sometimes they're better than the chrome version
i HATE google
the "new tab" page for firefox is almost blank and adjusts to dark mode, which i never realized how much i needed until i had it. actually orgasmic
firefox has a mobile browser. which not only supports extensions, but you can also play youtube in the background. WHILE BLOCKING ADS. it makes chrome look so garbage by comparison
Surely there are SOME cons...?
Uh, three:
- Some people think Firefox is uglier
- You might have to log into all your accounts again
- You're gonna have to get used to it
I recommend picking a theme if the first one is an issue. They're easy as hell to make with an extension, or you can pick one off the Mozilla add-on store. You can even choose a theme that makes it look like Google Chrome or whatever browser you used before.
The second is a bit nastier. However, I have some good news: moving from another browser doesn't delete that browser's data! You'll have your passwords on Firefox, but you'll still be logged in (AND you have your passwords) on your previous browser.
So, maybe you haven't saved a password for a website, and you don't remember what it is, so now you're not logged in on Firefox and you effectively can't. Well, you can still use Chrome on that account for the time being, maybe change or find your password on those accounts in some way.
You don't need to make the move all at once!
I can move my passwords, but what about my extensions?
If you're at this stage where I've pulled you in, hook line and sinker, congratulations! Here is a list of useful extensions.