Why is there an OpenH264 plugin in Firefox for Android?

This article is no longer maintained, so its content might be out of date.

This article is for an old version of Firefox for Android that's no longer supported. Please update to the latest version to get the most up-to-date features and fixes.

Many streaming videos rely on the H.264 codec in order to work. Because of licensing restrictions, H.264 is not available for open source software like Firefox for Android. Instead, Firefox uses an open source alternative, OpenH264, to support video calls.

OpenH264 is shipped in collaboration with Cisco and Mozilla. It is automatically installed by Mozilla to enable video calls with devices that require the H.264 codec.

openh264 android

These fine people helped write this article:

Tonnes, Joni, Angela Lazar
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