Firefox has become one of the handiest web browsers in recent times. It might not be for the general population. Still, suppose you have a little more technical knowledge. In that case, you will surely choose it over the other famous browsers in the market. However, this web browser, too, has some limitations. This article will tell you which image file format is not supported in Firefox.
Which image file format is not supported in Firefox?
There are a bunch of image formats that are either partially supported or not supported at all by Firefox; MNG (Multiple-Image Network Graphics) is one of them.
Besides this, WebP (Web Picture) is another format that Firefox does not natively support. SVG, on the other hand, is only partially supported by this web browser.
Before we dive into the depth of these file sizes and understand why they are not compatible with the browser and what the alternative can be, let’s know a little about Firefox.
And why would someone want to open an image file in the browser in the first place? This will give us a better outlook on tackling our original problem.
What is Firefox? When should you open an image in this browser?
Firefox is an open-source web browser that is developed by the Mozilla foundation. It is free and compatible across every operating system present out there.
It works seamlessly on Microsoft Windows, iOS, Linux, and even phones developed by Android and iOS. Thus, making it one of the most compatible browsers and famous as well.
As of 2021, 300 million people in the world use this web browser. The number of people using it on their desktops is greater than the ones using it on their phones.
This gives you an idea that there is more to Firefox than just browsing the internet.
This, in turn, brings us to the main mooting point of when to open an image on Firefox and why?
Now there are many reasons why you would view images on Firefox. Some of them are as simple as browsing an image that is already present on the web and viewing images that are embedded in emails and downloaded from the internet.
However, some advanced features on offer by Firefox are listed below:
- Inspecting and debugging images: If you are a developer, then this is one feature that comes very handy while using Firefox. It allows you to inspect pictures, especially in developer mode; you can enhance your experience by examining different aspects of the image in question.
- Editing Images: with the advent of online tools, many people have started using browsers for editing images as well, and Firefox is no different. There are hundreds of tools available online that you can access with your browser to edit and enhance your images.
- Opening images: This feature might sound innocuous, but there are several people out there that use browsers as default image viewers on the computer. This allows them to view a broader range of image files that sometimes might not be supported by native image viewers.
Now with a comprehensible knowledge of why one would like to use Firefox to view images, we return to the initial question of our article, Which image file format is not supported in Firefox?
Let’s see the actual reason why files like WebP, MNG, and SVG (in some capacity) are not supported by Firefox.
Why are WEBP, MNG, and SVG not supported in Firefox?
MNG:
Firefox does not natively support the Multiple-image Network Graphic, and the reason behind this is that it is an uncommon format. Unlike JPG, PNG, or GIF, very few people use MNG.
Furthermore, this file format has been discontinued. The last version of this file was launched in 2001. Hence software nowadays does not support this image file.
WEB:
Another file format that is not supported natively by any Firefox version below Firefox 65 is WEBP or Web Picture file format. Now there are two significant reasons why Firefox does not support it:
- Originally when Google launched WEBP, it was less popular than other file formats present at that time. Hence Firefox didn’t include it as a supported file format.
- Moreover, earlier on, there were some patenting and licensing issues related to WEBP. This is why the format was adopted by software at a slower rate.
However, if you have Firefox 65 version (launched in 2019) on your device, you will be able to use the WebP format without any external help.
The software’s latest version comes equipped with a decoder that makes using WebP files possible.
And those with older versions can update their browser to the latest versions to enjoy this feature.
SVG:
The SVG or Scalable Vector Graphics file format is not fully supported in Firefox. It might open the file, but several features like masking and filters might not be supported in all versions of Firefox.
Conclusion:
Firefox is one of the most popular web browsers in today’s time. Yet, like every other software out there, it too has some limitations.
But these limitations can always be overcome by installing add-on widgets and extensions. So, now we hope that you know which image file format is not supported in Firefox, and will take appropriate actions to resolve the issue.
FAQ’s:
What is the latest version of Firefox available?
The latest version of Firefox as of January 2023 is Firefox 109. This new version supports MV2 and offers better security to windows devices.
How do I add extensions to Firefox?
To add extensions, you will have to visit the Firefox Add-on website. From there, you can find any extensions you want; once they are downloaded, enable them from the menu, and you are good to go.
