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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Mozilla has not announced that it will build a Gecko-powered Firefox for iPhones in the European Union. In a September 29, 2026 interview, Firefox chief Ajit Varma said maintaining separate iOS versions for the EU and the rest of the world could require Mozilla to roughly double its iOS team. He said Mozilla is instead asking Apple and regulators for one set of rules that would allow Gecko worldwide.
What Mozilla said about a regional iOS version
Varma described the central obstacle as the cost of supporting two versions of Firefox for iOS. “Forking to build two different versions of iOS, one for markets where this is possible and then for markets where it’s not possible, would mean we would basically have to double the size of our iOS team,” he told Ars Technica.
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He also pointed to practical complications beyond engineering: how two regional versions would appear in the App Store, where users would encounter one app, and how people could move between versions. The interview did not provide a staffing plan, technical design, or independent estimate of the cost, so “double” should be understood as Varma’s description of the burden, not an audited calculation.
Why the EU is different
Apple’s January 2024 developer notice said that options arising from the EU’s Digital Markets Act, including using an alternative browser engine in an iOS app, applied to apps distributed in the 27 EU member states and not elsewhere. That makes the regulatory opening regional rather than a worldwide change to iOS.
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Apple also documents a process for EU developers to request interoperability under Article 6(7) of the DMA. It involves eligibility review and subsequent phases; it is not an automatic global entitlement. Apple’s published process does not establish that Mozilla has secured approval for Gecko on iOS.
What Gecko would change for Firefox on iPhone
Firefox is the browser people use; Gecko is the engine that interprets and renders web content. Mozilla identifies Gecko as Firefox’s engine and, in its March 2026 account, describes it as the independent engine among three widely used engines: Apple’s WebKit, Google’s Blink, and Mozilla’s Gecko.
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Allowing Gecko in an iOS browser could let Firefox use its own engine in the markets covered by the rules. But permission to use an engine is not the same as a product commitment: the interview does not say Mozilla has decided to ship an EU Gecko build, specify when it might arrive, or describe how it would work alongside a non-EU version.
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Why Mozilla wants global rules
Varma said Mozilla is pressing Apple and regulators for “a single set of global rules that allows us to build Gecko across the world.” A common rule set would avoid having to maintain a regional fork solely because engine permissions differ by market. It would also address the company’s stated concerns about presenting one app in the App Store and handling users’ movement between versions.
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Mozilla’s case for engine diversity is that independent engines preserve room for different technical approaches and competition. That is Mozilla’s advocacy position, not a finding that a particular engine policy will produce a specific market outcome.
Choice-screen figures show interest, not the cost of a Gecko build
Mozilla argues that EU browser-choice screens have helped people select Firefox. In a May 2026 post, the organization reported more than six million Firefox selections through DMA choice screens and said a selection occurred every 10 seconds. The same post summarized external analysis finding EU Firefox daily active users on iOS were 113% higher than an estimated no-DMA counterfactual over a 15-month before-and-after comparison. That percentage is Mozilla’s account of the external analysis, not a direct measure of the effect of an EU-only Gecko version.
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These figures speak to the value Mozilla assigns to browser choice and uptake. They do not establish the engineering feasibility or financial case for maintaining separate iOS builds.
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What is confirmed—and what is not
- Confirmed: Varma described the separate-build burden, App Store presentation, and user migration as challenges, and said Mozilla wants global rules for Gecko.
- Not established: a final decision to build or cancel an EU-only Gecko version, a launch date, or a commitment to ship Gecko-powered Firefox on iOS.
- Not described: the proposed migration flow, app identity arrangement, or technical architecture for regional builds.
The most accurate reading is that Mozilla considers an EU-only fork impractical under its current constraints and prefers a global policy solution. That is a stated policy preference and account of the challenge, not a permanent refusal to build a regional version.
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Sources
- Ars Technica interview with Firefox chief Ajit Varma, September 29, 2026
- Mozilla Open Policy & Advocacy on independent browser engines, March 23, 2026
- Apple Developer: Update on apps distributed in the European Union, January 25, 2024
- Apple Developer: Requesting interoperability with iOS and iPadOS in the European Union
- Mozilla Open Policy & Advocacy on DMA browser choice, May 11, 2026
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