Mobile Firefox - all settings = placebo/fake?
 

So this is admittedly a little bit ranty, but: mobile/ARM-based Firefox appears to fully reset all settings/config/preferences/deletes all add-ons more or less 'at will.' I've now observed this on Android and Manjaro-ARM on two different devices. Neither device was reset/re-imaged/etc and all their other installed applications are 'behaving' and yet Firefox just flushes all settings right down the tubes, re-sets all their baked-in advertising/Pocket/Home Content/Google Search/etc for no reason whatsoever...

Anyone have any ideas on halting this behavior, at least on Manjaro-ARM? (I accept that Android is 'their computer') Any, better browser to use instead?

** SOLVED (tentatively) per @lvm_'s response below.

I have not seen that happen on my Android devices. I have no idea what is happening on yours.

I also have not encountered this on my Android devices.

I will say that Firefox is not my primary browser on Android, but I do use it at least once a day.

Firefox is the only browser I use. Chrome is installed, and not removable, but I don't use it. I have never used Manjaro-ARM, so I can't comment on that. Perhaps you would have better luck posting on a Manjaro or Firefox forum.

I used to use Fennec F-Droid on Android for years and it never happened. Downside: updates aren't as often as desired.
Problem is, you don't know if this is FF doing that, or Android itself (maybe as some sort of "security feature").

I now use Fennec F-droid on Sailfish OS Android comaptiblity layer, and this still does not happen.

Actually there was one iffy update this summer: Mozilla for some reason kept mobile Firefox stable locked at version 68 (ESR) for quite a while and then jumped straight to 79 - and that was a minor disaster, including configuration resets and many unwelcome changes. But apart from that it was ok.

I'm wondering if this isn't what happened, since I did notice some websites on the Manjaro-ARM box complaining about 'outdated Firefox' which has since stopped (and it hasn't 'reset' itself in a few days - basically since posting this). 'About Firefox' shows Version 83.0 on that setup now. Guess we'll see if that is 'persistent.' Thanks for the heads-up!

Perhaps if it is written to ROM storage somehow? New settings could be loaded in memory only?

Perhaps it is possible to choose to install Firefox to an SD card to test? I dunno much about how Android does stuff or what specifics Manjaro-ARM use, but could perhaps be worth a shot?