Version 109.0 New Extensions Icon!

[t3t4]

Again...... STOP changing my GUI or give me a way to undo the increasingly bloated thing! Starting in version 109.0 you've now stuck some puzzle piece icon thing in my tool bar. Just STOP IT! I don't want it, I won't use it, and you've given me NO way to get rid of it!!! I can't drag it away by clicking "customize" and it's pissing me off! I don't care that you make changes or add features, I only care that I can't undo said changes or otherwise make my browser look and work my way! If you're going to keep messing it up then you've got to give me a way to undo the mess.

Very unhappy camper!

[s_okuda]

Its all been downhill since v55.

[NovaFox]

PLEASE STOP THIS MOZILLA!  I hate this new icon.  Please let me remove it from the toolbar.

[Aurora1]

Yup! -- 100% agreed! -- The corporate tycoons are back at it again -- ugh!

[jscher2000]

The button is not going to go away, but there are proposals to allow it to be moved:

• https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/please-let-us-move-the-new-extensions-button-into-the-overflow/...
• https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/make-the-extensions-button-on-firefox-nightly-110-0a1-movable-i...

There is a temporary preference to move the overflowing add-ons from the Extensions button back to the overflow menu. See: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/upgrading-to-beta-109-replaced-my-handy-overflow-menu-wit... 

[t3t4]

This is only the latest offense in a growing list of perpetual issues. I don't want that hamburger menu thing either, or the V above that! If I didn't put it there then I don't want it! Who do I talk to about getting FF to just leave me and my browser alone? I've been complaining loudly I thought, but clearly the right people have not heard a single word I said. Who are the right people to contact and where do I contact them?

Thanks.

[jscher2000]

Over the years, some customizability was removed to avoid users ending up in a bad situation. Maybe there should be a secret "advanced user" / "promise not to gripe if I broke it" settings area, but currently, there isn't.

Are you familiar with the option of creating a userChrome.css file to hack the interface?

[Vincent · Accepted solution]

There is such an area: `about:config`, the preference is called `extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled`.

[t3t4]

That fixed it and my overflow menu is back!

Thank you.

[Vincent]

I should note that the aforementioned "promise not to gripe if I broke it" is pretty relevant here - if you ever notice an extension not working on a particular page, it might be because you needed this menu to enable/disable it 🙂

[gbjbaanb]

Ther correct answer to "my environment is messed up because an extension is broken" is to restart in some form of safe mode where all extensions are disabled. This is an established mechanism to handle such (rare) instances. Adding a unremovable, permanentlyt in-your-face button that sits there doing nothing for 99.999% of the time is a solution looking for a problem.

This poor decision making in UI is becoming more and more of a problem. I noticed the drop-down tab arrow. Sure, its fine. If you like it. If you do not though, too bad, you're having it anyway. That's a terrible attitude for the UI design team to have. I should be able to remove or hide that too, I never use it, it jst sits taking up space and annoying me. TBH I think such a think should be an extension that you install if you have so many tabs you need a tab selector button.  But its permanent addition because you at Mozilla decided you knew how I use my browser better than I do.

stop this.

[jscher2000]

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@gbjbaanb wrote:

Ther correct answer to "my environment is messed up because an extension is broken" is to restart in some form of safe mode where all extensions are disabled. This is an established mechanism to handle such (rare) instances. Adding a unremovable, permanentlyt in-your-face button that sits there doing nothing for 99.999% of the time is a solution looking for a problem.

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The Extension button and associated drop-down are driven primarily by the new permission model of Manifest v3 add-ons. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/extensions-button

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Of course, if you need to disable all extensions, you can use Troubleshoot Mode (formerly known as Safe Mode): https://support.mozilla.org/kb/diagnose-firefox-issues-using-troubleshoot-mode. This new button was not meant to replace that.

[justdave69]

I agree the puzzle icon should be removable, I've said so before. No, I'm not going to try any hacks. I like seeing my frequently used icons on the taskbar in my preferred order vs having to open a menu.  I was downloading several files from the internet and each time I had to open the icon then my downloader. So it creates additional clicks. After 20 or 30 times it gets annonying so I moved the icons out to the taskbar and now I just have a useless menu icon taking up space, which is ok as I'm pretty good at ignoring things. I do like progress and upgrades but why not allow us to customize like we want?  I have seen apps (mostly phone) upgrade themselves out of existence. Or add so many features, the main program becomes more trouble than it's worth or unstable. I don't mind Firefox trying out new things, I welcome it. But we are a community of privacy seekers and like to tinker a bit.  So I issue a challenge. Have you ever donated to Mozillia? I have and to Thunderbird. How about donating $2 with a note to please make the menu icon removeable? Let's put our money where our mouth is and help Mozillia out at the same time. How about that?

[ClassicNero]

This can solve the problem, I hope that in the future the icon can be removed more easily, for example by drag and drop it from the customize toolbar.

[justdave]

The tool bars are crowded enough I think and the extensions icon is just not needed. There is more than one way now to get to the extensions section, so having it up front and in your face is a distraction. And don't give me some solution involving anything Chrome, or about.config or anything else.  I'm just a user and I need it simple. Going to the tools menu when I want to do something with extensions works fine. Firefox is a wonderful browser, maybe people like it because it's simple and more private. Let Edge, Chrome blaze new options. I'm a Firefox guy who likes it simple private and just works. You do all that. We like it simple, I hope yall can understand that. If it ain't broke don't fix it. People that want the fancy stuff aren't going to use Firefox anyway.

[jscher2000]

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@justdave wrote:

The tool bars are crowded enough I think and the extensions icon is just not needed. There is more than one way now to get to the extensions section, so having it up front and in your face is a distraction.

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The purpose of the button and its corresponding drop-down is to manage add-on permissions as add-on developers transition to "Manifest v3", which will give users site-by-site control over whether add-ons can run. See:

https://support.mozilla.org/kb/extensions-button

Most people probably won't need this for several months because unless one of their favorite add-ons is really basic, converting it is complicated and will take time.

*** Edit/Update: Actually, one of my add-ons already updated to Manifest v3: TinEye Reverse Image Search. ***

Hopefully between now and then we'll get improvements to the drop-down such as being able to hide individual add-ons and being able to rearrange them. There also are threads on the "Ideas" section of this site about being able to move the button. You can vote for these ideas and give your input there to shape what happens in the next few months before it's too late:

• https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/unified-add-ons-ui-improvements/idi-p/20964
• https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/please-let-us-move-the-new-extensions-button-into-the-overflow/...
• https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/make-the-extensions-button-on-firefox-nightly-110-0a1-movable-i...

[Aurora1]

Right, so Mozilla should have just made a separate build for the developer option as aforementioned, and leave everyone else a normal version of the browser. That isn't rocket-science, and neither should allowing users the ability to remove it via the already built-in customization feature of firefox. Again, it's not rocket science, but rather a matter of programming the correct code to facilitate the option.

Say what you will, but most of your responses will just end up sounding tone-deaf to many of us because you guys refuse to listen to our feedback and accept constructive criticism!

[valenti]

OK, this is a good reason to introduce the new button. Why had you not made it any customizable, before releasing it, is a good question.

But the main universal query here is WHY ON EARTH did you messed it up with overflow menu??? For what reason did you disable the option to put SOME pined add-ons (NOT ALL OF THEM) to the overflow menu? For what reason did you think that the Unified Extensions button should mandatorily substitute the overflow menu???

[jscher2000]

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@valenti wrote:

OK, this is a good reason to introduce the new button. Why had you not made it any customizable, before releasing it, is a good question.

But the main universal query here is WHY ON EARTH did you messed it up with overflow menu??? For what reason did you disable the option to put SOME pined add-ons (NOT ALL OF THEM) to the overflow menu? For what reason did you think that the Unified Extensions button should mandatorily substitute the overflow menu???

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I think right now, the Overflow menu can only hold built-in buttons and not add-on buttons. I'm not sure of the reasons behind needing to separate them instead of making the Overflow menu work more like the Extensions menu.

[kaelen]

Not currently functioning in 111.0b1 (64-bit)

[jscher2000]

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@kaelen wrote:

Not currently functioning in 111.0b1 (64-bit)

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This was one of those temporary preferences that are removed after a feature is finalized. It's not too late to advocate for improvements. For example:

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/unified-add-ons-ui-improvements/idi-p/20964

[valenti]

Like firefox developers listen to any of this...
They have finalized this option, before fixing it according to the users' demands...

[Liwet]

This no longer works.  Puzzle icon is still on the toolbar.

[pgpattison]

This option was removed in FF 111.

Seriously Mozilla?

[vlr]

This solution did not help me remove this icon, but thanks for offering your idea

[shreeree]

I did this several times and it didn't work.

[Summerhawk]

Can you tell me how to do this solution, so I can see & customize my add-ons toolbar again? I'm not computer literate enough to understand "`about:config`, the preference is called `extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled`." & know what to do or how to do it. Thank you.

[pgpattison]

The 'extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled' setting no longer works. Firefox began ignoring it several versions ago.

You can right-click on an extension and select "Pin to toolbar" to show it on the toolbar instead of consolidating it under the Extensions menu. But the jigsaw puzzle-piece icon is here to stay, whether we wanted it or not. I certainly didn't.

[Summerhawk]

I right click on the extension, but it does not offer "Pin to toolbar" as an option at all. I've tried click/drag it to the toolbar, but as I am dragging it up to the toolbar, it give me a circle with the slash through it (essentially the no you can't do that symbol). Even when I try to customize the toolbar, it doesn't show ANY of the add-ons in the list of things I can include in the toolbar. The stupid puzzle piece is simply a list of my add-ons, but doesn't actually allow me to use the add-ons. What really floors me is all this is because I got a new laptop, and while everything is still fine & looks like it should on my old laptop, and everything but the customized toolbar transferred over to my new laptop as it should have, so I don't understand why the new laptop isn't letting me have my customized toolbar like on my old laptop. Thank you for trying to help, it is very appreciated. 🙂

[t3t4]

I am an avid user of the about:config area but without a list of what does what, I tread lightly. But I have not heard of the "userChrome.css" hack. Could you tell me where to learn more please?

Thank you.

[jscher2000]

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@t3t4 wrote:

I am an avid user of the about:config area but without a list of what does what, I tread lightly. But I have not heard of the "userChrome.css" hack. Could you tell me where to learn more please?

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Around the time Firefox 57 launched -- you may remember that legacy extensions like Classic Theme Restorer could no longer run in the Quantum release -- I made a website with general background on it: https://www.userchrome.org/

The FirefoxCSS subreddit is a great resource for updating rules to adapt to recent changes in Firefox, and to get personalized assistance: https://www.reddit.com/r/FirefoxCSS/

[justdave]

I don't want anything to do with Chrome, that's it.

[jscher2000]

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@justdave wrote:

I don't want anything to do with Chrome, that's it.

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Neither do I. Mozilla has used the word "chrome" for the browser UI since before Firefox 1.0, to distinguish from the stuff you view in the UI, the "content". Some other company loved it so much they named a bunch of products after it. But you don't need those products to customize Firefox.

[Aurora1]

So rather than listen to it's customer base and take their concerns seriously, Mozilla has decided to become a dictatorship!?!

You folks just never learn do you!?!

Did you forget how well things went for Microsoft during their whole 'Forced Win10 Upgrade' campaign they implemented? -- Do you recall the backlash they rightfully got for railroading all their customers?! -- All the lawsuits they faced?!

Two words come to mind here:

  "Corporate Hubris"

[jscher2000]

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@Aurora1 wrote:

So rather than listen to it's customer base and take their concerns seriously, Mozilla has decided to become a dictatorship!?!

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The purpose of this Connect site is to listen to users. I gave you the link to vote over on the Ideas section of the site. Ideas posts are part of the product design flow; Discussions are... discussions.

Also, to be clear, I'm giving you my opinion as a long-time support volunteer and do not speak for Mozilla.

[Aurora1]

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@jscher2000 wrote:

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@Aurora1 wrote:

In response to your statement:

"Also, to be clear, I'm giving you my opinion as a long-time support volunteer and do not speak for Mozilla."

                                                            🙄

You say you don't speak for Mozilla, yet all your rapid responding to this issue, including the specific info you keep touting as so-called (reasons) why we shouldn't expect things to change --- would seem to suggest otherwise!

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[jscher2000]

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@Aurora1 wrote:

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@jscher2000 wrote:

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@Aurora1 wrote:

In response to your statement:

"Also, to be clear, I'm giving you my opinion as a long-time support volunteer and do not speak for Mozilla."

                                                            🙄

You say you don't speak for Mozilla, yet all your rapid responding to this issue, including the specific info you keep touting as so-called (reasons) why we shouldn't expect things to change --- would seem to suggest otherwise!

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The site automatically subscribes me to threads I reply in, so your numerous replies keep showing up in my mailbox.

Did you read the support article about this button? Mozilla didn't make it possible to hide this button because there is a perceived need to be able to display a "permission needed" notification for extensions whose buttons are not individually pinned to the toolbar. I'm not convinced they will see (and choose to implement) a viable alternative, but I've been wrong before. So far, moving the button to the Overflow menu, which doesn't have the dot but would be reasonably close at hand, sounds like the idea with the best prospects. https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/please-let-us-move-the-new-extensions-button-into-the-overflow/...

[t3t4]

I just can't see this icon as a needed thing. Just simply use a simple popup if special permission is required. Just like the way it's currently done on everything everywhere.

Wanna use my mic? Popup.

Wanna allow this site to track your location? Popup.

Wanna accept cookies? Aaaaand you guessed it, popup.

No icons required, just a simple popup permission box would suffice. If we need to 'manage' addons, we do that with a right click or in tools. No need to change what's already working or create new problems where non existed. Hidden or not, this new icon just seems completely unnecessary/useless. That's my nickles worth opinion anyway. Cheers.

[Aurora1]

Thank you for sharing the articles and resource material. That said, it's still nothing but excuses from the top down at Mozilla because, again, they do not listen to their customers.

Hopefully you're right about being wrong. Nothing personal. We just don't like these tyrannical changes and obfuscations by the obviously tone-deaf big shots at Mozilla who think they know what people want. -- In reality and in all fairness, that couldn't be further from the truth!

[Alex]

Another useless icon.  Need more useless icons for god of useless icons