Mozilla is ending Firefox support on Windows 7

For those who are still using Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1, Firefox is the only browser option that still receives security updates. While all the new features and upgrades are available in Firefox 147, Windows 7 users can still access the internet using a modern and supported browser using Firefox 115 ESR. However, it is now time to consider upgrading to something newer.

Mozilla recently updated its official support document and clarified that the company is ending Firefox 115 ESR later this year. Once February 2026 is over, there will be no more security updates for those still on pre-Windows 10 releases:

Firefox 115 is now the last version supported on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. Updates will be delivered through the ESR channel until the end of February 2026. After that, users should upgrade their operating system to continue receiving Firefox security and feature updates.

Before that, the support document would only show an estimated end of support as "~February 2026," indicating possible reevaluation. Now, it seems like Mozilla has decided and is ready to put Firefox 115 ESR to bed.

Firefox 115 arrived in July 2023. It was officially the final Firefox release to support Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. Initially, Mozilla planned to support the browser until September 2024. However, since then, the company postponed its plans to kill Firefox 115 ESR twice: once in September 2024 and once in February 2025. Back then, Mozilla said it had plenty of users to justify the cost of keeping Firefox 115 ESR alive and kicking.

Unless Mozilla changes its mind for the third time, those still sticking to Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 should consider other options, including updating to now-unsupported Windows 10 (bear in mind that the free upgrade route is now closed), where Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and other mainstream browsers continue getting new features, security updates, and more.

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Posted Wednesday 18 February 2026 at 12:28 pm AEST (my time).

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