Mozilla will stop supporting Firefox plug-ins by 2016

Mozilla said that its decision mirrors actions by other modern browsers, such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, which have already removed support for legacy plug-ins.

Adobe Flash will continue to be available on Mozilla’s Firefox as an exception to its general plugin policy.

Mozilla has just announced its plans to drop support for NPAPI plugins from its browser’s core, all by the end of 2016.

As part of our plugin strategy, Mozilla and Unity are proud to jointly announce a close collaboration and an aligned roadmap that will enable Unity-based content to be experienced directly in the browser without plugins. To ensure that Flash plugin doesn’t cause stability and performance issues, Mozilla will continue collaborating with Adobe for foreseeable future. And thus the company warns site managers that while the plugin shutdown has already begun, they should begin preparations for the plugins to stop working on all versions of Firefox by the end of next year. Google’s Chrome started phasing out NPAPI support in April this year and dropped it entirely in September.

NPAPI plugins are seen as a problem due to their negative impact on a browser’s security, speed, and stability, not to mention the complexity of the code base.

The company also noted that the 64-bit version of Firefox will launch without plugin support by default.

Mozilla urged websites and publishers which now use plug-ins (such as Silverlight or Java) to “accelerate their transition to Web technologies”. As for browser web games that rely on such extensions, Mozilla also said that it is working with Unity to bring web-based games without the need for those plugins through optimizing the Web Graphics Library. There are a few plugin-free solutions like Java Web Start that would take place of the now used Java applets on sites to deliver a smoother experience.

Versatility help Unity carved out a niche and stay strong against its chief rivals as it can be operated in all kinds of platform such as PS Vita, Oculus, or gaming consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One).

Last but not least, keep in mind that Mozilla is making major changes to Firefox add-on development, also with more focus on Web technologies.