Dear developers, what do you think of Split Screen?

[tilwiti]

I've noticed that the idea of implementing a Split Screen feature in Firefox has been on the list for quite some time now. It's a growing topic on the forum, with @Jon  frequently merging similar ideas. From my observations, people seem to be particularly drawn to this concept after experiencing it in Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi.

I realize this could present challenges for the UI design team and developers, but I believe the boost to functionality would be significant. It's worth noting that smaller browser projects like Floorp, developed by a small team, have already implemented this feature. While there are a few extensions available, a native implementation would likely provide a more seamless experience.

For me personally, Vivaldi's approach to split screen is ideal, though I understand others might prefer Edge's implementation or a different design altogether. The key point is that split screen functionality offers a completely new browsing experience that I, and seemingly many others, are eager to see in Firefox.

In the midst of all this discussion, I find myself lacking a response from someone on the development team. I'm concerned that while this idea might not get thousands of likes, it represents a substantial enhancement to the browsing experience that could attract new users and satisfy long-time Firefox enthusiasts.

I'd really appreciate a response from someone on the Firefox team. There's been several months of silence on this topic, and I believe many users would value some insight into whether this feature is being considered. Even if it's not currently in the development pipeline, understanding the team's perspective on split screen functionality would be incredibly helpful.

Could someone from the development team please provide an update or thoughts on this feature request?

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/split-screen-tab-in-tab-feature-view-more-than-one-tab-at-once/...

[asafko · Accepted solution]

Hi tilwiti,

Split view is at the top of our backlog as we've seen multiple signals (user research, extensions use, feature requests) that it's a massive enhancer of cross-referencing in the browser. Anyone who has ever tried to copy anything from a google doc to another web application would testify to this 🙂

The very small group of folks (myself included) tasked with productivity improvements in Firefox are currently working on the implementation of the sidebar and vertical tabs. We need to get this work to the minimal lovable state and go through a few rounds of polish-feedback before moving on to other work. We also hope to provide easy-to-discover entry points via both (right-click> Tile tabs in Vivaldi is quite handy but has limited discoverability), as when we advocate for new feature development it is crucial for us to have a vision of how this feature might receive (hopefully) deserved engagement, so it's not removed once only a small fraction of Firefox users find it helpful.

[tilwiti]

Дякую за повну та змістовну відповідь 🤗

Як можна допомогти вам?

[asafko]

Ох! Як приємно!

В наступні кілька тижнів ми спробуємо опублікувати наш беклог по роботі, яку ми хочемо втілити в реальність як тільки ми закінчимо базову першу версію сайдбару і вертикальних вкладок. Зараз, ми працюємо heads down щоб закінчити цю першу базову частину, але за кілька місяців ми будемо мати можливість працювати з open source contributors, якім буде цікаво працювати з нами над елементами цього беклогу і рев'ювіти їх bugzilla patches.
Раніше, ми працювали з контріб'юторами набагато ближче, і ми хочемо до цього повернутися у більше цікавій формі ніж відправлюючи людей в getting started docs та good first bugs

Вибачаюсь за англіцизми, важко від них відмовитись коли по робочих темах не розмовляєш часо українською!

Також, можливо, як дуже тимчасове рішення, ми будемо шукати когось зі спільноти, в кого є бажання і можливість підтримати SideView extension, яке ми не оновлювали значний час і яке потребує уваги.

[tilwiti]

Щодо опен сорс контриб'юту мої можливості обмежені, однак якщо це можливо, то був би радий побачити навіть найNightlyші версії функцій, над якими ви працюєте 😊

Радий зустріти україномовних тут ☺️

[asafko]

Ой, дуже приємно, в мене тому й прапор в профілі, бо дуже гарно зустрічати співвітчизників, які використовують Firefox і хочуть, щоб він був краще!

Дуже скоро - почекайте буквально кілька тижнів. Ми хочемо показати в Nightly не тільки поточний стан, але й показати наш беклог, адже розуміємо, що важко не критикувати напівготове рішення без інформації про те, як ми плануємо його відполірувати і довести до розуму.

[tilwiti]

Дякую ❤️

[stannikolov]

The split windows view is a very handy feature. It also seems to be one of the big reasons people switch to Arc.

I think if Firefox can jump on board early will make browsing nicer and probably attract some new users.

[fuseteam]

thanks for confirming, i am looking forward to the day it arrives

[tilwiti]

@asafkoвітаю, фактично, Split Screen у вас з'явився в вигляді гарного розширюваного сайдбару. Дозвольте туди щось своє сувати й настане сингулярність. Хоча й не дуже повна, бо врешті-решт split screen це різні контексти. Але особисто я користуюся сайдбаром та вертикальними вкладками щодня, чудова річ.

[fcg]

If the split screen feature not coming to Firefox, I will have to change the browser app.

[fuseteam]

read the solution friend, it is coming but not before vertical tabs

in the meantime there is a addon that could serve as stopgap: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/efficiency-split-screen/?utm_source=addons.mozilla.or...

[fcg]

Thanks, I know about the plugin, but why would I use a plugin for a feature that is available even in the Edge browser?

[fuseteam]

because the feature is coming in a future release of firefox and you may not want to switch and back and forth between browsers in the meantime?

[fcg]

I've been using the Firefox-based Floorp browser for a while now. So far it's been very stable and working well. I'm likely to become a regular user. 🔥

[ThePillenwerfer]

Can't the say effect be achieved simply by opening two windows and putting them side-by-side?

[tilwiti]

Unfortunately, no. It's better to have both pages in the same window. This eliminates duplication of the address bar, allows you to group related pages, and in Vivaldi, you can even arrange them in a mosaic layout. It might seem like a minor feature, but once you try it, it’s hard to go back.

[fuseteam]

i'm using an extension that does that for me: it is not the same

one difference for example is that with a split window tab is that you can restore it as such
with two windows you.....can't
another difference that you can close both in one go

this is possible because acts as one tab