Firefox 19 now available for desktop and Android devices

By Mariella Moon February 19, 2013

firefox19 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s only been a few weeks since Firefox 18 was released, but the browser’s 19th iteration is now available for download. Today, Mozilla launched Firefox 19 for Windows, Mac, and Linux desktops, as well as for Android devices. Some of you may have already downloaded the file from Mozilla’s FTP servers yesterday, but for those of you who’ve yet to get it, you can download Firefox 19 from its official website or from Google Play for the Android version.

No dramatic updates were made for Firefox 19, but it does tout a couple of new features. The browser now has its built-in PDF viewer auto-enabled – the capability has been around for a while, but you previously had to turn it on manually. Mozilla made the feature more user-friendly to prevent you from using third-party add-ons for PDF viewing that might compromise your security. Since the browser converts PDF files into HTML 5, you can view those files directly on the browser not only on your computer, but also on your phone or tablet.

Firefox 19 for Android, on the other hand, now has lower CPU requirements, which means it’s now available on roughly 15 million more devices. As long as your Android device has a 600MHz processor, 512MB memory, and an HVGA display, you can download and install the new Firefox. Mobile Firefox for Google’s operating system now also supports themes – on your Android, go to addons.mozilla.org device, then click on the Personas tab, select a theme, and then press “Keep It.”

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Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…

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