Firefox delays silent updates

Mozilla just announced that the silent update feature for Firefox will not make into version 10. Mozilla has delayed the integration of this feature until version 12.

Silent updates will not be introduced to Mozilla's Firefox browser until version 12 is released, according to the browser developer.

Other popular web browsers, including Google Chrome, already have 'silent' updates, which make changes to the software without prompting users with a dialogue box.

Tomshardware speculates that there has been a shift in perception about silent updates in recent times. Whereas previously users have been wary of 'silent' updates, thinking of them as 'forced' updates and robbing them of control of the software, now increasingly they are being seen as 'convenient'. This could be due to the increased reliability of software updates, and fewer problems related to them.

Recent statistics have shown that Firefox's market share is dropping, and the delay to the introduction of the silent updates have heightened fears about the browser's ability to compete with an increasingly strong market.