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Firefox brings its app store to brave Android users

Mozilla has opened its Firefox Marketplace app store for the first time in its latest test Aurora build of the browser for Android, asking early adopters and developers for their feedback.
Written by Jack Clark, Contributor

Mozilla has opened its Firefox Marketplace, with Android device owners and developers getting the first access to the browser's app store.

Firefox Marketplace
Android device owners and developers are the first to get to see Firefox Marketplace.

The access arrived on Thursday, in the release of the latest 'Aurora' build of Firefox for Android. Aurora is meant for developers and early adopters, as it is the test stream of Mozilla's browser. The storefront lets people find and install web applications delivered via the browser, and gives developers a place to publicise their apps.

"We're hoping that Aurora users, our awesome early adopters, will go experience the Firefox Marketplace on their Android phones and let us know what they think," Mozilla Labs engineering manager Bill Walker said in a blog post.

"Our goal is to collect as much real-life feedback as possible about the Marketplace's design, usability, performance, reliability, and content."

A handful of apps are already in place for testing, including Twitter and Soundcloud, Mozilla said.

"We created the Firefox Marketplace to allow developers to build, distribute and monetise rich, immersive apps that use web technologies like HTML, JavaScript and CSS," Mozilla wrote in a release post.

The Marketplace scheme was created in 2011, and developers began submitting applications in February.

"It's still early days for Firefox Marketplace Aurora — we'll be adding payments, ratings, reviews and more soon — stay tuned," Mozilla said.

As Aurora is the project's development version of the browser, it is updated frequently and may sometimes break. Mozilla said it expects to follow with a Marketplace for the Firefox browser beta and Firefox OS launches next year.

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