topic Re: How to permanently disable group tabs? in Discussions

How to permanently disable group tabs?

Firefox23 — Wed, 21 May 2025 09:15:09 GMT

Every night I accidentally add these infuriating groupings over and over again. Then I lose the tab trying to quickly get rid of it in anger. Why on earth can't I disable them??

I get that for people who want them they may be the best feature ever added but this has been forced on me and I don't want it

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

Agentvirtuel — Wed, 21 May 2025 09:24:06 GMT

Hello

For information purposes https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/help-shape-the-future-of-tab-groups-in-firefox/m-p/95970/highlight/true#M37458 with Firefox 138.0.3, the preference, browser.tabs.groups.enabled is true, by default.

For information purposes.
1 - Go to Configuration Editor for Firefox
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/about-config-editor-firefox
2 - Enter a search term browser.tabs.groups.enabled
To change a boolean (true-false) preference's value, double-click on the preference.

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

computermusic — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:28:00 GMT

I turned off 'browser.tabs.groups.enabled' and now I have a policy in Settings: {"browser.tabs.groups.enabled":{"Value":false,"Status":"locked"}}

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

Agentvirtuel — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:49:12 GMT

Hello

For information purposes
Firefox policies https://mozilla.github.io/policy-templates
Preferences https://mozilla.github.io/policy-templates/#preferences

The Enterprise Policy Generator https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/enterprise-policy-generator helps to create the configuration file.

{ "policies": { "Preferences": { "browser.tabs.groups.enabled": { "Status": "locked", "Type": "boolean", "Value": false } } } }

Your browser is being managed by your organization, that's normal.

Use the Troubleshooting Information page to help fix Firefox issues
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-troubleshooting-information-page-fix-firefox

Enterprise Policies: This shows you if your browser is being managed by Windows Group Policy or a policies.json file. If enterprise policies are managing Firefox, clicking Active will show you a list of the policies that are currently active on Firefox.

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

computermusic — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:27:51 GMT

I should have specified that I have no idea why I have a Firefox policy. I am not working for a company, I am an individual user. How do I get rid of this policy?

I'm running Bitdefender Total Security (but not Bitdefender VPN). I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

Agentvirtuel — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:45:50 GMT

Hello

@computermusic wrote:
I turned off 'browser.tabs.groups.enabled' and now I have a policy in Settings: {"browser.tabs.groups.enabled":{"Value":false,"Status":"locked"}}

For your information

{ "policies": { "Preferences": { "browser.tabs.groups.enabled": { "Status": "locked", "Value": "false" } } } }

It doesn't work
"Type": "boolean" is missing

@computermusic wrote:
I should have specified that I have no idea why I have a Firefox policy. I am not working for a company, I am an individual user. How do I get rid of this policy?
I'm running Bitdefender Total Security (but not Bitdefender VPN). I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Firefox policies can be specified using the Group Policy templates on Windows, Intune on Windows, configuration profiles on macOS, or by creating a file called policies.json. On Windows, create a directory called distribution where the EXE is located and place the file there. On Mac, the file goes into Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/distribution. On Linux, the file goes into firefox/distribution, where firefox is the installation directory for firefox, which varies by distribution or you can specify system-wide policy by placing the file in /etc/firefox/policies.

Have you take a look at
Use the Troubleshooting Information page to help fix Firefox issues
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-troubleshooting-information-page-fix-firefox

Application Binary: Shows where Firefox is installed.

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

computermusic — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:51:54 GMT

The entry for the policy is exactly what is specified in Settings. At this point all I want to know is how to get rid of the policy. I didn't have one to begin with and don't know how it got there.

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

Agentvirtuel — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 19:01:58 GMT

Use the Troubleshooting Information page to help fix Firefox issues
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-troubleshooting-information-page-fix-firefox

Application Binary: Shows where Firefox is installed.

Go to your where Firefox is installed

Do you see a directory called distribution

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

computermusic — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 19:12:21 GMT

Yes. It contains the file 'policies.json'.

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

Agentvirtuel — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 19:17:17 GMT

To see, you can move your policies.json file, to your office, then, restart Firefox.

Re: How to permanently disable group tabs?

computermusic — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 03:07:44 GMT

AgentVirtuel, I need to apologize for my manners in responding to you. There was much that I didn't understand, plus I was worried about the possibility of having to do a Firefox refresh, so my responses were short and abrupt. Thanks again for helping me with the problem.