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Why is Firefox and Edge not on the Mac App Store?

M

Marty_Macfly

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 26, 2020
964
274
Hi Guys,



Just checked, and Firefox and Edge are not listed on the Mac App Store.

A honest question - Why is Firefox and Edge not on the Mac App Store?!?!?! It there a problem with those browsers?!

Be good try try other browsers on the M1 MBA :)



Hope you can advise



Regards
Martin
 
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Marty_Macfly said:
Why is Firefox and Edge not on the Mac App Store?!?!?! It there a problem with those browsers?!
Click to expand...
No problem.

But both Edge and Firefox are free, so they don't need the App Store payment infrastructure, they're both very well known, so they don't need the discoverability, and there are large software organizations behind them that can easily afford to provide the download and update infrastructure.

App Store distribution is purely optional on the Mac and these apps don't need anything that the App Store has to offer. It's even a bit of a hindrance, because App Store apps need to go through review, can't update whenever they want and sometimes require changes to their code.
 
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Hi all,

Many thanks for the feedback!

Another question, if one doesn’t download from the App Store, how would one know when a update is available/should be installed because of a security update?!

Hope you can advise

Regards
Martin
 
Marty_Macfly said:
Hi all,

Many thanks for the feedback!

Another question, if one doesn’t download from the App Store, how would one know when a update is available/should be installed because of a security update?!

Hope you can advise

Regards
Martin
Click to expand...
I use Microsoft Edge mainly for cross platform compatibility as I use both PC and Mac. On the Mac side, Microsoft installs its own update engine and so it does the scanning for updates for all their products including Office 365 and Office 2016 and 2019 (I have Office) and then notify you when updates are available and will ask you to install it and restart the app. It's automatic and works like an app store update process except it's only for Microsoft.
 
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Comments about the apps being feee is why they are not in the App Store is highly incorrect. Why wouldn't you not want a free app in the Mac App Store? It's free, hosting and free delivery and easy discovery. Also, sandboxing does not affect browsers. Firefox has always been disgruntled with Apple. I would figure that's the reason why. However, Microsoft Edge was in the App Store in April 2024 two weeks ago or more, and no longer is. I do think it is odd that all of MS BS is in the App Store, but Edge. Normally I Would not care, but I have to install Edge trash for users at work cuz that's the commi browser the limits the stafff.
 
Marty_Macfly said:
Hi Guys,



Just checked, and Firefox and Edge are not listed on the Mac App Store.

A honest question - Why is Firefox and Edge not on the Mac App Store?!?!?! It there a problem with those browsers?!

Be good try try other browsers on the M1 MBA :)



Hope you can advise



Regards
Martin
Click to expand...
For the same reason lots of popular apps will no longer be on the iOS App Store thanks to the ridiculous E.U. Because they don't have to be.
 
Marty_Macfly said:
how would one know when a update is available/should be installed because of a security update?!
Click to expand...
Both of these browsers (as well as most modern browsers in general) download updates in the background and install it whenever you quit or restart the browser. :cool:
 
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