How do I launch Firefox for Windows 8 Touch?

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  • Revision id: 53961
  • Created:
  • Creator: Joni
  • Comment: Ready for review - updated to Beta and included a crash report bug
  • Reviewed: Yes
  • Reviewed:
  • Reviewed by: heyjoni
  • Is approved? Yes
  • Is current revision? No
  • Ready for localization: No
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Would you like to use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer on your Windows 8 Touch computer? You can now test a special version of Firefox (Firefox Beta) which comes with a Windows 8 Touch ("Modern") version designed from the ground up for Microsoft's latest operating system.

Firefox for Windows 8 Touch is currently available in the Beta, Aurora and Nightly test channels. The instructions below assume you are using Beta, but they will also work for Aurora and Nightly.

Important: Firefox Beta, Aurora, Nightly, and the Windows 8 Touch version of Firefox are for testing purposes only.
Known issue for Beta users (a fix is coming on February 10, 2014): If you restart Firefox from the crash reporter, the browser might not display properly and cause you to lose your sessions. We've figured out the problem and a bug fix is coming your way on February 10, 2014.

In the meantime, if you see the crash reporter while using the Firefox Beta version, do not press Restart from the crash reporter window. Close the crash reporter and the browser and relaunch Firefox manually.

Note: This article only applies to Windows 8.

Step 1: Install Firefox Beta

Note: Firefox Beta cannot run on Windows RT devices. And due to Microsoft's restrictions on third-party browsers, Firefox Beta can't be downloaded from the Windows Store at this moment.
  1. Visit the Beta download website in any browser.

  2. Click the "Download" button. Depending on your connection speed, the download may take a few minutes. Thanks for your patience - it’ll be worth the wait!
    download beta
  3. Start the install process by clicking "Run".
    run beta dl
  1. Then, just follow the installation steps (we’ve made the process as painless as possible).
  2. When you are done, Firefox Beta will start and ask you to upgrade your browser. Click Yes.

Note: If you have other versions of Firefox installed in addition to Beta, the default browser prompt may show the icon and name of a different Firefox version instead. Click on whichever version of Firefox is listed in the prompt.

Step 2: Launch Firefox for Windows 8 Touch (Modern-style)

  • Open Firefox Beta on the desktop.
  • Click on the Firefox menu button at the top of the window, and choose Relaunch Firefox in Windows 8 Touch from the menu.

    fx win8 touch menu
Note: If you are using a Nightly build with the new Firefox UI, click the menu button in the toolbar, then press the Windows 8 Touch button in the menu panel. If you don't see the button, click on Customize and drag the Windows 8 Touch button to the menu panel or the toolbar.

nightly win8 touch