A technical glitch breaks Firefox extensions, but a fix is out

Image credit: Firefox

Update 8/5: If the initial fix didn’t cure your problems with extensions being disabled, Mozilla has released a new version of Firefox which you should update to (Firefox 66.0.5). A patch for older versions of Firefox is also underway.

Update 4/5: The fix is out, Mozilla says, so extensions should be working again. You don't have to do anything to get your browser patched, as the update should be applied automatically.

Our original story is below...

If you're struggling to get your Firefox extensions working today, you're not alone – a technical glitch has rendered all add-ons unusable, and Mozilla is currently working  on a fix.

As Engadget reports, it looks like an out-of-date certificate has borked everyone's extensions, as Firefox is simply recognizing them as incompatible.

Tweets from the official Firefox browser and Mozilla Add-ons accounts show that the issue is being worked on behind the scenes, but as yet there's no estimated time for when everything will be back working normally.

It sounds as though the problem should be cleared up sooner rather than later though – we'll update this article if we hear anything more.

Extension power

With the vast library of extensions one of the main reasons for choosing Firefox as a browser, no doubt millions of users are feeling inconvenienced today.

From blocking ads and cleaning up page layouts, to quickly sharing pages to social media and streamlining downloads, Firefox add-ons can provide a big boost in functionality on top of the core browser itself.

You can even use Firefox extensions on the Android version of the browser, so they can travel around on your smartphone.

"So sorry for the issue we’re having with add-ons right now," Firefox said in a tweet. "We’re working hard to fix it and will keep you updated."

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.