How To Install Firefox OS on any Android
If you found Mozilla’s OS efforts curious, though not quite enough to buy a Firefox phone or try flashing a ROM on an old Android, here’s a painless way to try out the HTML5-based OS. It’s called b2gdroid, a reference to Boot2Gecko, the basis of Firefox OS.
Android: Mozilla is best known for its web browser, but the company also produces Firefox OS for a limited number of handsets. With a little sideways thinking, though, you can try some of its apps in Android.
Much like Google Chrome, Firefox supports webapps—the OS and apps are built with the same technology—and this is how you can bring Firefox OS to Android. Apps work like browser extensions, so they take up very little room making them ideal for older devices or those with limited storage. Download a copy of Firefox for Android from the Google Play Store, or update your existing copy to 29 or above.
Fire up Firefox and visit the Firefox Marketplace, the Firefox version of Google Play or the Chrome Web Store. Take a browse through the Marketplace and tap an app that takes your fancy. Just as with regular Android apps, Firefox OS apps let you know about the permissions they need, and you have to accept this before you install anything.
Although the apps require Firefox, they are treated like any other app you might get though Google Play. Shortcuts automatically appear on the home screen, and you can fire up any apps you install without launching Firefox first.
It is still fairly early days for Firefox apps, but the current selection shows just how far webapps have come. They don't quite give the full Firefox OS experience, but you get a great feel for just what is possible, and of course there is cross-platform support so you can use the same apps on your mobile as on your desktop.
Exactly what is Firefox OS for Android
It’s a 65MB APK that puts a sort-of working, mostly complete implementation of the Firefox OS experience.
It replaces your launcher and adds an on-screen Home button (hardware buttons don’t work well). It comes with several of its own apps and you can even go on the Marketplace and download an app. I tried a game, which worked, though everything is pretty laggy (on a Snapdragon 800 device, so there’s room for improvement).
Surprisingly, even icons for my Android apps showed up in the launcher and you can use them as usual. They won’t show up in the Recent apps list though and hide Firefox OS’ on-screen button. Also, the custom notification area conflicts with Android’s notification area.
It’s not ready for prime time, not even close. The phonebook didn’t load the contacts from Android and the dialer wouldn’t dial. Support for microSD storage seemed off as well. By the way, x86 phones (i.e. Intel Atom powered ones) are not supported yet.
Still, this is an interesting glimpse of a way to break free from Google-controlled smartphones, without having to build custom hardware like Mozilla is currently doing.
Here are some random screenshots from around b2gdroid:
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