Mozilla’s recent release of Firefox 115.0 comes with an important announcement — this version will be the last to support several older desktop operating systems. Starting from Firefox 116.0 in August 2023, macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, as well as Windows 7 and 8 will no longer be supported or receive new security patches.
Other major browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Opera, have already stopped supporting older OSs. Safari is the only exception, but its support is limited to the current and two previous macOS versions.
The company shares its poignant reason why.
First, all of the dropped operating systems are already beyond their expiration dates, with no future security updates from Apple or Microsoft — this exposes the user to numerous known vulnerabilities and hackers have a much easier time exploiting older devices.
Unfortunately, many users simply can’t upgrade their OS due to hardware compatibility issues. The latest macOS and Windows versions have steep system requirements, making it difficult for older devices to handle them.
Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) 115 will continue receiving security updates for about a year for those who wish to stick with older OS versions but desire the latest browser. However, it’s essential to consider the risks of using an outdated OS.
For macOS users, OpenCore Legacy Patcher offers an unofficial method to upgrade older Macs to the latest version. Windows users can also use unofficial software to run Windows 11 on older hardware.
There is one browser that caters to older Macs and Windows PCs—Pale Moon. Designed to work with OS X Lion and Windows 7, this browser is a viable replacement for Firefox support. Pale Moon retains compatibility with hardware from several years before its release, and its codebase is similar to Mozilla’s Firefox.
If you are going to continue running an outdated version of Firefox on an older device, it’s recommended to use a quality antivirus, so you can make sure you’ve got some protection while you browse the web.