Recording audio in Firefox
Firefox has supported browser recording longer than any other engine and its implementation is solid. The main difference from Chrome is how it treats permission: temporary by default, which is a deliberate privacy choice.
Ready. Press Record and allow microphone access when your browser asks.
Permission is temporary unless you say otherwise
Where Chrome grants microphone access permanently, Firefox grants it for the session only — unless you tick Remember this decision in the prompt. Leave it unticked and you will be asked again next visit. That is more privacy-protective and mildly more repetitive.
Firefox's prompt also includes the device picker itself. If you have several microphones, choose the right one in the permission dialog rather than after granting access.
To review or reset: click the padlock in the address bar and clear the permission, or go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Permissions, Microphone for the full list.
What Firefox produces
| Format | Detail |
|---|---|
| WebM / Opus | What this page requests, and Firefox supports it. Left to itself Firefox would produce Opus in an Ogg container instead — same codec, different wrapper. |
| WAV | Uncompressed PCM, written in-page. Identical to every other browser. |
| MP3 | JavaScript encoder in the tab. Slightly slower than Chrome on the same hardware. |
Firefox was an early champion of Opus and its encoder is well tuned. If the file is only for you, Opus in WebM is the best quality-per-byte option available.
Firefox-specific notes
- The recording indicator is in the address bar rather than the tab strip, and Firefox also adds a global indicator to the system tray on desktop.
- Resist Fingerprinting can interfere. If you have enabled that hardening setting, it may hide device labels or restrict enumeration.
- Tab audio capture is not offered. Firefox supports screen sharing but does not expose tab audio, so the tab recorder will not work here.
- Container tabs keep separate permissions, so granting access in one container does not apply to another.
- Firefox on Android supports microphone recording, unlike Firefox on iOS which is limited by Apple's engine requirement.
- Recording in ChromeCompare permission behaviour.
- Microphone permissionsResetting permission in Firefox.
- WAV recorderUncompressed output for editing.
- Browser supportMinimum versions across browsers.
More in browsers and devices
- Recording audio in Edge
- Recording audio on iPhone
- Recording audio on Android
- Recording audio on a Chromebook
See all browsers and devices — browser recording works on every device, but not identically.
Questions
Why does Firefox ask for microphone permission every visit?
Firefox grants access for the session unless you tick Remember this decision in the prompt. Tick it and you will not be asked again on this site.
Do I need an add-on?
No. Firefox has supported the recording APIs natively for years and this page uses them directly.
Can I record another tab's audio in Firefox?
No. Firefox supports screen sharing but does not expose tab audio for capture. Tab recording needs Chrome or Edge on desktop.
Why are my microphone names missing?
Either permission has not been granted yet, or Resist Fingerprinting is enabled in your settings and is hiding device labels deliberately.
How do I reset a blocked microphone?
Click the padlock in the address bar and clear the permission, or open Settings, Privacy & Security, Permissions, Microphone and remove the entry.
Does Firefox on Android work?
Yes. Firefox on Android is a full Gecko browser with microphone support. Firefox on iOS is a Safari wrapper and inherits Safari's behaviour instead.