Mozilla Connect Weekly Recap: Top-Voted Ideas (5/1-5/8)

[Jon]

Hey all,

Happy Friday and welcome to another Weekly Recap here in the Mozilla Connect community!

This post will highlight the top 10 most-voted ideas for the previous week (5/1-5/8). While some are ‘new ideas’ and others are already ‘in review’ (learn more about The Idea Journey here), we encourage you to continue voting and add any input that supports your favorite ideas—the more details, the better.

Here they are…

Take the opportunity of the Nova redesign 🚀 to introduce a "corner rounding" feature! 

JMAP Support (or similar) for Thunderbird 

completely SMTPUTF8 + IMAP4rev2 Support (RFC 6531 + RFC 9051) 

Synced WORK SPACES (or Synced Tab Groups) 

Split view and stick both tabs to scroll together 

Make Vertical Tab Sidebar Both Hidden And Expand On Hover At The Same Time 

Permission to read clipboard or dom.events.testing.asyncClipboard per domain (manual whitelist or po... 

Bring back PWA (progressive web apps) 

Mobile tab grouping 

Set an alternative home page when opening a new tab 

And that's it for this week!

Want to show your support for one (or more) of the ideas above? Click on the idea link, give it kudos, and add your insights.

Is there another idea here on Connect that you think deserves more attention? Tag it in the comment section below.

Or do you have the next great idea for a new feature/feature enhancement/brand new product/you name it? Submit it right here 💡

[fed-up]

What about the ability to use the old menu? I noticed this was top idea on the weekly recap for about the last month, but it's conspicuously absent now.

Give us the option to use the redesigned 3 dot menu and tab viewer or the old configuration 

[kim533]

may Mozilla inform me if I may use the VPN feature in China? Firefox used to have a version just for China, and since there was business there, it had to abide with Chinese legislation. However, you are no longer required to abide by Chinese law, and there is no longer a Chinese version. I still hope, nonetheless, that you will be able to reply at this time regarding whether you have made the decision to offer VPN service to China. To save me from having to wait endlessly for the VPN, you might also inform me directly if there are no associated plans. Leather Bags 

[Zakhraf5656]

Really nice to see these weekly recaps. A lot of the ideas here are things Firefox and Thunderbird users have been asking for for a long time, especially synced workspaces, PWA support, and better tab management. It’s great seeing the community actively shaping future features.

[Crusader_Nejaa]

Odd that my suggestion to bring back the old UI and 3 dot menu as an option is absent. It's been voted pretty highly. Far higher than some ideas that have been marked as "Being worked on" or even "Implemented". Here's a link in case you need it to add to the list. Anyone else who wants to upvote it too is more than welcome 

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/give-us-the-option-to-use-the-redesigned-3-dot-menu-and-tab/idi...

[breakingspell]

Please understand that the Android UI is currently unworkable for one-handed users, specifically the Tabs "tray" and 3-dot menu! Accessibility was shot and it needs to be acknowledged. 

Give us the option to use the redesigned 3 dot menu and tab viewer or the old configuration 

[Crusader_Nejaa]

I'm glad someone else brought up the one handed accessibility too. A friend of mine only has his right hand, and the new changes to UI and the 3 dot menu bar him from using it without needing to put his phone on his lap or table, which so so much fun for him when riding the subway to and from work! It's seems like Mozilla just doesn't care about cases like his. You like the new way better whether you think you do or not and you won't complain or raise question or concern. No one likes options after all, You only like with the company says you like.

[breakingspell]

This is a real accessibility issue! It doesn't help that no modern phones come in at under 6" screen size. I've almost dropped my phone several times in the last few months constantly readjusting my grip for this redesign.

It's insecure and not the best solution by far, but i've been whittling down my open tabs list so I can reinstall and downgrade to v148, only to lock in the ability to turn on the old Secret Settings for Tab Manager Enhancements and Menu Redesign. 

The best solution would be to re-integrate those removed options in the main source tree so future versions can indefinitely use the old menus, but it's much easier said than done. I've tried restoring the old Tabs Tray into v152 several times in the last month, but too much has changed since then. 

[Crusader_Nejaa]

It's a huge accessibility issue. One that Mozilla and their UI team seem happy to ignore because it doesn't fit what they want to tell us we like and will be using from now on. I'll never understand so many tech companies and their lack of understanding what *options* can do for accessibility, usability and general user satisfaction. 

But hey, if they want less users that's fine. I've been using a different browser and so have friends of mine since the change. Some out of spite, some because if they have to relearn the menu and tab UI they're going to do so one a different app altogether and leave Firefox behind until or unless they give us the option the change the UI back again.

Which reminds me @Jon , where are we with adding my idea thread back to the weekly top votes list so people can vote to bring the old UI back again as an option? It's been more highly voted than some idea that are marked as "implemented" or "being worked on". Surely there's room for a top votes idea to be implemented if it's received 80 fold the amount of votes as ideas already being added to the browser.

[breakingspell]

I hope the message gets through. I fully respect that the developers have been "cooking" these features for close to a year now, but this is not a good redesign, at all. Look at all of these loose discussions, count the kudos! 

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/firefox-for-android-ux-ergonomics-move-navigation-controls-to/i... (43 votes)

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/new-ui-on-android-is-awful-please-give-us-an-option-to/m-... (76 kudos)

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/some-hopefully-helpful-perspectives-on-problems-with-the-... (34 kudos)

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/please-revert-the-android-ui-changes/td-p/118562 (35 kudos)

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/please-add-an-option-on-android-to-switch-back-to-the-old... (23 kudos)

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/new-android-ui/td-p/118874  (37 kudos)

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/android-tab-menu-is-no-longer-usable-one-handed/m-p/12072... (20 kudos)

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Now that these features are being enabled in production, they need to respond to feedback of production users, instead of their dedicated Nightly testers. 

[danielthompson]

This is a valid question, especially for users who rely on VPN services for privacy and secure browsing while traveling or living in different regions. Availability of VPN features in China can depend on local regulations, infrastructure, and company policies, so clear communication from Mozilla would definitely help users understand what to expect. Many people appreciate transparency about future plans rather than waiting without updates. It will be interesting to see whether Mozilla expands support in the future or provides alternative solutions for users in restricted regions. For users looking for apps and tools, checking the free download section can also be useful.