Firefox OS 2.5 Developer Preview can also be installed as an Android app

With the release of the developer version of Firefox OS 2.5, Mozilla gives those interested with an Android device the opportunity to try out the operating system. The system is packaged as an Android apk, among other things, to download and install as an app.

The app can be downloaded as a separate apk from Mozilla. In this way, Mozilla wants to familiarize more people with the operating system. The experimental app replaces the normal Android home screen with the Gaia ui layer of Firefox OS without requiring the user to flash the entire phone to Firefox OS and uninstall Android. After installation, Android apps will be next to Firefox Web apps on the home screen.

Not everything from Android is replaced by using the Firefox OS 2.5 apk. Parts such as the task manager, the utility tray, navigation buttons and certain settings remain in the hands of Android. As one of the examples that could be perceived as inconvenient, the developers cite the use of the back button in Android, because Firefox OS normally doesn’t use it.

In addition, Firefox OS 2.5 Developer Preview features add-ons, the ability to browse in incognito mode, built-in tracking protection, and the ability to use Pin the Web, eliminating the “artificial difference” between web apps and websites.

The Android app is not the full Firefox OS, but tries to show as much of the OS as possible. Similarly, the Android pull-down menu has been replaced by a Firefox version. The full Firefox OS to flash a phone can be found at the Firefox OS Participation Hub.