Mozilla recently announced that it will end support for the Firefox 115 ESR version this month, which means that the last mainstream browser that can still be updated on Windows 7 will soon withdraw from the stage of history.For those still using Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1, Firefox has been the only browser option to get security updates.
Although the latest version of Firefox has been updated to 147, Windows 7 users can still use a modern and supported browser to surf the Internet with Firefox 115 ESR. Now, however, these users need to consider upgrading to a newer operating system.
Mozilla recently updated its official support documentation to make it clear that the company will end support for Firefox 115 ESR later this year. Once February 2026 ends, users still using systems prior to Windows 10 will no longer receive any security updates. Mozilla writes in the documentation: "Firefox 115 is now the last version supported on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1. Updates will be available through the ESR channel until the end of February 2026. After that, users should upgrade their operating system to continue receiving security and feature updates for Firefox."
Until then, the support document only showed an expected end of support as "around February 2026," hinting at a possible re-evaluation. Now it seems that Mozilla has made a decision to end Firefox 115 ESR.
Firefox 115 will be released in July 2023 and is the last official Firefox version to support Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Initially, Mozilla planned to support the browser until September 2024. Since then, however, the company has delayed its plans to end Firefox 115 ESR twice: once in September 2024 and once in February 2025. At the time, Mozilla said it had enough users to justify the cost of keeping Firefox 115 ESR running.
Unless Mozilla changes its mind for a third time, those stuck with Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 should consider other options, including upgrading to the currently unsupported Windows 10. It is worth noting that the free upgrade channel is now closed. On Windows 10, Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and other major browsers continue to receive support for new features, security updates, and more.