Firefox no longer supports Android 7, so Google Playstore no longer displays Firefox. No worries. It's possible to obtain an older APK of Firefox from the Firefox archives itself instead of downloading it from any other dubious source.
I found version 143.0.4 here: https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/143.0.4/android/
- Version fenix-143.0.4-android-arm64-v8a: 112MB. This is for 64-bit ARM CPUs (ARMv8 architecture).
- fenix-143.0.4-android-armeabi-v7a: 109MB. This is the application compiled for 32-bit ARM CPUs. This is the Android Application Binary Interface (ABI) that corresponds to the ARMv7 architecture.
- fenix-143.0.4-android-x86: 121MB. This APK is for 32-bit x86 architecture, which is used by processors from companies like Intel and AMD. This is not compatible with an ARM processor.
- fenix-143.0.4-android-x86_64: 116MB. This is for 64-bit x86 processors. An ARM device cannot run this APK.
- fenix-143.0.4-android: 342MB. This directory likely contains a "universal" APK or an Android App Bundle (.aab) which contains all the APK files. If you were installing through the Google Play Store, it would deliver the correct file for your device, but for a manual installation, the specific armeabi-v7a file is the safest and most direct option.
Google's AI said that although there are technically no issues with using an old APK, there are some security considerations. It will be missing the most recent security patches and bug fixes. This can expose you to security vulnerabilities that have since been discovered and fixed in newer versions of Firefox.
It's sad that Android was built like this. There should have been an option available for upgrading to a newer version of Android even on older devices. I was hoping that Pine phone would come to the fore, but it looks unlikely.
