Mozilla Firefox now lets Android tablets and foldables open websites in desktop mode

The Mozilla Firefox browser on Android is getting updated with a useful update: support for defaulting to the desktop version of websites on large-screen Android devices such as tablets and foldable phones.

The feature is a part of the latest release of Firefox for Android v133. The new update changes the default behavior for "large screen" devices to automatically open websites in their desktop modes rather than the mobile modes, just as Google Chrome does.

Google Chrome got a similar update in late 2023 for premium Android tablets. Mozilla has no such distinction and the new behavior should be available for tablets and foldable phones from all price ranges.

The desktop mode is now enabled by default for large devices. Of course, if you'd like to change this, you can. To change it, you need to go in Settings, then "Site settings" and there you'd have the preference.

The desktop mode in Firefox is unlike Chrome's as well because it is present for foldable phones, which Chrome's option isn't. Desktop versions of websites open for book-style foldables, like Pixel 9 Pro Fold, or Galaxy Fold devices, and the option is understandably not opening desktop mode for clamshell foldables like a Razr or a Galaxy Flip.

The update also brings content copied from a Private Browsing mode as "sensitive", which is in line with Android's ability to mask clipboard items in notifications. This feature will be available on Android 13 or later.

I really like the feature to open desktop mode on tablets and foldable phones, and I'm happy that Mozilla is introducing it to its Firefox browser.

It's very convenient and indeed, a big screen such as a tablet or a foldable phone would take advantage of a desktop-style layout of websites. It would be more comfortable to look at websites like this, so kudos to Mozilla for thinking about large-screen phone and tablet owners.