H.264 is a video codec used by some real-time video conferencing services in WebRTC. Firefox for Android, prior to version 68, would automatically install Cisco’s OpenH264 plugin for WebRTC calls, when needed. As of Firefox 68 this plugin will no longer be available for new installations of Firefox on Android. Some websites that utilize H.264 for video calls may not work properly on new installations of Firefox for Android after version 68.

Understanding this change will affect some users, Mozilla is considering future options to continue support for the H.264 video codec in WebRTC calls on Android.

Firefox 67 and older

If an older Firefox was already on a device with the OpenH264 plugin installed, updating to Firefox 68 may keep the OpenH264 working. This plugin was installed automatically for older Firefox versions and will not be removed unless Firefox is uninstalled from the device, although it is not guaranteed to work.

Is OpenH264 installed/working on my device?

To see if you have a functional installation of OpenH264, visit about:addons or about:plugins. There should be a version number if OpenH264 works:

• Enter about:addons in the address bar. If you're lacking a version number (see below), you do not have a working installation of OpenH264:

• Enter about:plugins in the address bar. If the version says $version instead of a version number, OpenH264 will not work.

  

How to identify if an installed Firefox is using the OpenH264 plugin from Cisco

Visit this test page and press the Test! button. Regular updates to Firefox should not remove this add-on from the device, if already installed.