Frustrating UX issues on Firefox Android: Redirect loops, Tab management, and Shortcut clutter.

jehad_husein — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:49:12 GMT

I’ve been a loyal Firefox user because of its privacy-centric approach and extension support, but the current state of Firefox on Android is becoming increasingly frustrating due to some 'over-smart' behaviors that hinder basic usability. I’ve compared these behaviors with Chrome, and unfortunately, Firefox is lagging behind in user-friendliness. Here are the specific issues I am facing:
1. Redundant Double-Tapping on Redirects: When using a router-level Safe DNS (like CleanBrowsing), Google Search results use a redirect link (google.com/search?safe=active). Firefox identifies this as 'link decoration' or a tracker and blocks the first tap, forcing me to tap the exact same link a second time to actually open it. Chrome handles this smoothly in a single click.
2. Inefficient Tab Management: Firefox often opens new tabs for internal site navigation where it shouldn't. For example, while browsing GitHub, moving from a repo to a profile or releases page often triggers a new tab instead of staying in the same one. This leads to massive tab clutter.
3. Inaccurate Shortcut Algorithm: Even with 'Sponsored' and 'Recently Visited' toggled off, Firefox automatically pins random deep-links (like specific Facebook notification URLs or GitHub release pages) to my Shortcuts on the homepage. It should prioritize the root domain or only pin sites I manually choose.
4. Home Button Behavior: Tapping the 'Home' icon should ideally return my 'current' tab to the homepage. Instead, it forces a completely new tab, leaving the previous one open in the background. This is counter-intuitive and adds to the tab management mess.
Firefox is a great browser, but these UI/UX bugs make it feel clunky compared to the competition. Please focus on making the navigation more seamless and 'less intrusive'.
Looking forward to seeing these improvements in future updates.

topic Frustrating UX issues on Firefox Android: Redirect loops, Tab management, and Shortcut clutter. in Discussions

Frustrating UX issues on Firefox Android: Redirect loops, Tab management, and Shortcut clutter.