Firefox is finally ending support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and urges users to upgrade or switch to Linux
If you're somehow still on Windows 7 and use Firefox, I have some bad news. You will want to update your OS soon. That's according to the latest Mozilla post, which confirms "Firefox version 115 is the last supported Firefox version for users of Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1." (via TechSpot).
Mozilla technically started ending support way back in January 2023, but users have been able to access the Extended Support Release (ESR) for critical security updates until now. The ESR will only receive updates until the end of February.
This new update confirms that users won't even receive those security updates anymore. Naturally, being without security updates makes you more vulnerable to bad actors. Mozilla says, "You are strongly encouraged to upgrade to a supported Microsoft Windows version."
It is worth noting that, as Mozilla states, "Most browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, have already ended support for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1." Windows 7 was originally released way back in 2009, so it's not a major surprise to think it wouldn't be supported.
Firefox reportedly only ended support for 2001 OS Windows XP (and Windows Vista) in 2023, which means a pretty impressive 19 years of support (accounting for Firefox 1.0 releasing in 2004).
Despite the operating system hitting EOL, Firefox still currently supports Windows 10. Mozilla has affirmed, "You shouldn’t worry: Firefox will continue to support Windows 10 for the foreseeable future."
However, Mozilla doesn't just advise making the upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11. The latter has some hardware requirements which may make it hard for you to run it, though these are more standardised and easier to hit nowadays. Or you simply may not like newer versions of Windows.
The Firefox update says, "If your current hardware can't handle Windows 10 or higher for some reason, you can switch to a Linux-based operating system. The vast majority of Linux distributions come with Firefox as the default browser."
If you are still on an older version of Windows and don't fancy the upgrade, maybe it's time to switch to Linux. I know I've been tempted.