Why has Firefox ended support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1?

Maybe it's finally time to update to Windows 11

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by Flavius Floare 

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firefox windows 7 support

In a recent blog post, Firefox announced that it has ended support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1. So if you’re still using this browser on these Windows versions, then you might have to update.

Extended support for these Windows versions is still guaranteed until September 2024. So you have a few months before Firefox shuts its doors to the older Windows OSes.

The current version, Firefox 115, is also the last Firefox version for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. You will be moved to the Firefox Extended Support Release and you will receive security updates until the browser version becomes obsolete.

However, after that date, no more security updates will be provided, and browsing on Firefox can leave you very vulnerable to attacks, viruses, and malware.

So why has Firefox ended support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1?

It seems that Mozilla is following Microsoft’s roadmap for Windows. Microsoft ended support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, so Firefox agrees that it is no longer suitable to provide support for these Windows versions.firefox windows 7 support

Microsoft ended official support for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 in January of 2023. Unsupported operating systems receive no security updates and have known exploits. With no official support from Microsoft, maintaining Firefox for obsolete operating systems becomes costly for Mozilla and dangerous for users.

Mozilla

As we said earlier, these versions will still get critical security updates that will allow you to safely browse the internet. Still, Mozilla advises you to update your Windows to the latest version, even if you’re still on Windows 7.

What to do then? You can either update to Windows 10, or you can update to Windows 11, and then you will be able to enjoy Firefox’s newest features. You need to know, though, that Windows 10 will officially reach the end of support on October 14, 2025, so Windows 11 seems to be the better idea.

Are you using Firefox on Windows 7 still? What’s your experience with it? Let us know in the comments sections below.

More about the topics: Firefox, Windows 11, windows 7

Flavius Floare

Flavius Floare Shield

Tech Journalist

Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling. He's always curious and ready to take on everything new in the tech world, covering Microsoft's products on a daily basis. The passion for gaming and hardware feeds his journalistic approach, making him a great researcher and news writer that's always ready to bring you the bleeding edge!

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