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This is what Pale Moon’s Firefox Compatibility Mode setting is all about

The Pale Moon 25.0 update released earlier this month was a major one as it cut another tie with Firefox. Up until this point, Pale Moon used a Firefox compatibility setting to display a Firefox version in its UserAgent string.

The UserAgent is automatically submitted whenever the browser connects to a server on the Internet. It reveals information about the operating system and web browser used to connect to the site.

While many Internet sites don't process the information, some parse the UserAgent. There are sites out there that won't work if you don't use a supported UserAgent while others may deliver different contents to you based on the information.

Tip: You can check your user agent and IP address on Ghack's IP Checker.

PaleMoon not identifying itself anymore as Firefox is a big deal as it lead to issues for users of the browser as sites would not work properly at all anymore or limit their functionality for users of the browser.

pale moon compatibility mode-firefox

Top: no compatiblity mode. Bottom: compatibility mode

This did not only affect obscure websites but also major sites maintained by Google, Netflix or Apple according to Pale Moon's author.

As a result of this, the author re-introduced the Firefox Compatibility Mode. It is now available as a switch in the options of the web browser and enabled by default.

Users who have run into issues connecting or using websites and servers after the update to Pale Moon 25.0 should see those issues disappear after the update to Pale Moon 25.0.2.

To check for updates simply click on the Pale Moon button in the main interface and select Help > About Pale Moon or download the latest version of the web browser directly from the project website.

firefox compatibility mode

You can access the new compatibility option in the following way:

  1. Tap on the Alt-key on your keyboard to bring up the menu bar.
  2. Select Tools > Options there which opens the Options window.
  3. Switch to Advanced > General using the tabs at the top.
  4. There you find the new Compatibility Mode which you can enable or disable.

It appears that the compatibility mode will remain an option in Pale Moon for some time to come. While it may be unfortunate for the developer, it is certainly best for most users of the browser as they don't have to deal with potential compatibility issues when using the browser.

Now You: Pale Moon users hear? Did you notice any issues in Pale Moon 25 in this regard?

This article was first seen on ComTek's "TekBits" Technology News

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