How to Install Chrome and Firefox Add-ons on iPhone Devices

Unlike the “desktop” versions of popular web browsers such as Google Chrome and Firefox, which support installing extensions or add-ons that help improve productivity and enhance the web browsing experience, smartphone versions lack this capability. For Android phones, this can be bypassed by installing alternative browsers that support external add-ons. However, on the iPhone, it is more complicated, as you can only install and use add-ons specific to the Safari browser starting from iOS 15, while there is no way to use any of the thousands of add-ons specific to Google Chrome or Firefox — at least, that was the case before the arrival of the Orion browser, which not only allows you to run all Chrome extensions, but also those tailored for Firefox, directly from the iPhone without compromising your privacy or paying a fee. Let’s see how below.

The Orion Browser is the first web browser to offer initial support for Google Chrome and Firefox extensions on iOS and iPadOS, allowing iPhone users to access the Chrome Web Store or FireFox Add-Ons store and easily install their favorite extensions for a desktop-like browsing experience. Orion is based on the WebKit engine, which is the same engine used by Safari on Mac devices and all browsers designed for iOS to ensure smooth and fast web page loading, as well as providing most functions found in other browsers and adding privacy enhancements such as built-in ad blocking and site tracking prevention. However, the most important feature is the support for accessing both Chrome and Firefox extensions. While not all extensions work perfectly on Orion, popular ones like uBlock Origin and Dark Reader work flawlessly!

To get started, head to the App Store on your iPhone to download the Orion browser for free. You don’t need to create a personal account to install extensions, just launch the browser, then press the menu button (⋯) in the bottom right corner, then press “Settings” to display the settings. Now scroll down to the Extensions section where you need to activate the ability to load external Chrome and Firefox extensions as shown in the image above.

Next, press the menu button (⋯) again and this time press “Extensions” and since this is the first use of the browser, you will find that the extensions list is empty. To download new extensions, click on the plus sign (+) in the bottom left corner and choose “Install Chrome extensions” to be directed to the Chrome Web Store where you can find thousands of Chrome browser extensions, select any extension and click “Add to Orion” and confirm your desire to install the extension by clicking Add.

Similarly, you can choose “Install Firefox extensions” to go to the FireFox Add-Ons store and download your favorite extensions that you usually use with the Firefox browser on your computer. In addition, Orion allows you to install standalone extensions available outside these stores, for example, if you have a crx. file (Chrome extension file) on your iPhone, press “Install from File” and select this file to install the extension immediately.

Once you install any extension, it will be automatically activated and you will find its icon in the menu that appears after pressing the (⋯) button in the toolbar at the bottom, you can simply press the icon to access the extension from within the websites you are browsing. In our experience, most extensions work without any issues and provide the same experience as if we were using Google Chrome or Firefox on the computer. However, in rare cases, extensions may cause problems either in the browser’s performance itself or in the way websites are displayed, and this is possible as most extensions are not designed to be responsive to mobile browsers.