We're making improvements to the Firefox extensions toolbar button: share your feedback!

[alanmbyrne]

Hello everyone,

I’m Alan, a product manager working on Firefox extensions and add-ons. I wanted to kick off the new year by introducing myself and thanking everyone for their suggestions, comments, likes, and votes on Mozilla Connect.

I would like to share that we’ve been listening to this feedback and as a result are making improvements to the Firefox extensions toolbar button. 

Firstly, we are going to provide a way for you to hide the extensions button if you do not want it displayed on the toolbar. You will then be able to access the extension panel from the application menu, which will pop the button back out to allow you to interact with extensions.

Here are some examples of what we’re exploring:

The button will also pop back onto the toolbar to alert you to important information, such as when a new extension is installed, or extra permissions are requested.

Our goal for this project is to help people who love to customize their Firefox user interface have the tools to do so, whilst balancing the need to transparently inform them of important information about their extensions. You will still be able to pin individual extensions to the toolbar in the same way as you are today. 

We know there is no perfect solution for everyone, and this is just the first step for us on a journey to improve your experience with add-ons in Firefox. We welcome your feedback!

[Kvin]

Thank you for all the improvements to the extensions!
Actually, I would like to see more improvements when it comes to extensions and what is related to it.

What do you think about these issues, is there anything from this list planned, if not, can we expect any of this in the future?

The Extension Manager, will it be possible to manage all extensions in it, because so far you can only manage extensions from Manifest v3.
Make the extensions appear in a grid on the extensions page in columns, because when many extensions are installed, we have to scroll through the list for a long time to see the extensions we need.
The extension manager and the extension page should have a search button for extensions and a display of the number of pieces of extensions.
There should be a function to auto-exclude extensions on certain sites in order to save resources.
To have synchronization of extension settings.
The ability to drag the extension button icons together by simply dragging the cursor, without going to the Customize toolbar.
When you click on an extension icon in the toolbar, the option to disable the extension is displayed.
When synchronizing extensions, the order of the icons on the extension toolbar should not be out of order.
To display settings buttons next to each extension on the extension page, and to uninstall the extension without going to the 3 points of the extension menu.
Also, to have an option to export and import extensions.
To have 3 points of extensions in the extension menu, with the following options: go to the extension folder, go to the extension page, and others.
I wonder if there will be any new design changes to the extension store, for example, to display comments on the extension page immediately without going to the comments menu, to have a column of similar extensions, and also to publish videos for extensions, and to scale the screenshots to increase.

Once again, thank you very much for any improvements to the extensions, and what's more!

[alanmbyrne]

Thanks for the feedback and all the great suggestions! We already have a few of these topics on our radar to explore in future Firefox versions.  It would be great if you could please add any additional context or upvotes to separate Mozilla Connect threads about these.

For example, I see an existing thread here about excluding extensions from particular websites and another here about searching and filtering the extensions page. This helps us gather feedback and measure user interest for each individual idea separately, which helps us prioritize the things that will have the biggest benefit to our community.

[Synchro]

Customisation is good 👍

[MGrt46]

I have no problem with "extensions toolbar button", but can you please give back the ability to put the extensions back into the "overflow menu"?

Currently, there are only two options for placing the extension icon: either always visible in the toolbar or the unmanageable mess of the "extensions toolbar button."

As a user of 44 add-ons, previously I could have three places to manage my add-ons:

1. Toolbar: For the frequently used add-ons, or those with important visual cues (Ublock, KeePass, mail notification, RSS feed, etch).

2. Overflow menu: For add-ons that don't require visual cues nor being used regularly, but still need quick access when needed (Violentmonkey, Archive page, Unhook, SingleFile, Firefox Relay, etch)

3. Being hidden: For add-ons that don't any of that or just run in the background (SteamDB, Tap to Tab, Container Bookmark, etch).

The "extensions toolbar button" practically could only replace the 3rd function, so I'm now missing my second option. I've tried using the "extensions toolbar button" to replace the 2nd function, but obviously it's impossible because of all those grey-out add-ons that just mess things up, and the fact that we can't manage it by using drag and drop, making it a practically unmanageable mess.

So, can you please give back the ability to put the extension button into the "overflow menu"?

[SenileOtaku]

For that matter, the "Extensions Button) could just as easily sit on top of the Overflow menu.   If Mozilla restored the old functionality of the Overflow Menu and let users move the Extensions Menu there, a lot of issues would be solved.

You could even make it a setting for the EM button to place it there automatically (an *optional* setting, mind you).

[Calizard]

From the comments I've seen, what people want is the ability to customise their interface, and not be forced to having buttons that they don't use permanently on display. If you want to provide a viable alternative to Chrome, don't do things 'because that how Chrome does it'.

[cipricus]

We have 2 separate issues: the extensions button and the overflow menu.

The extensions button:

• Pros:
  1. It gives access with one click to all extensions, although I doubt that it is better than a simple shortcut access to the addons page (about:addons),  not to mention that addons in the overflow menu was also an one-click access to them! See point 5 of Cons.
• Cons:
  1. It is very hard to access items in the list when they are more than a few. It is a long list ordered just by the moment of installation or of the un-pining from toolbar.
  2. The list is not alphabetical, and moving the buttons one step at a time is a pain (to add an addon button from below to the top I use the odd workaround of pining to + unpining from toolbar!!) Drag&drop should be the obvious way of moving items in the list (like we still can in the overflow menu) depending on their importance for the user.
  3. Some people complain about the fact that it cannot be hidden, but the above 2 problems seem more severe to me.
  4. The present close connection between the toolbar and the extensions button (pin addon to toolbar OR list in the extensions button) doesn't make sense to me as it breaks the continuity between tab bar, toolbar and overflow menu (which is still in place, but less coherently than before),  the toolbar items can be dragged even between tab bar and toolbar, while the extension button is foreign to that plasticity (like it's coming out of a a different interface).
  5. It brings not much above what a shortcut to the addons page would. In fact my main use of the button is to click it and then select ”Manage extensions”. Easy re-arranging of items would be a great plus, but asking for that seems odd: it was easy to do in the overflow menu! Why would I ask for that option inside 'the button' when I can ask for addons butons/icons to be allowed back to the overflow menu!

The overflow menu as it is now:

• Cons:
  1. Because addons cannot be added to it, it now stands totally empty in my case, because the items that I can add to it (because they are supposedly needed) I put them directly visible on the toolbar and on the tab bar while others are already accessible under the burger menu button
  2. To populate it I would have to be forced by further undesirable limitations to the possibilities of customization: if some items were not to be movable on tab bar or toolbar I would have to move them to the overflow menu I guess!
  3. The above would be an aggravation of a trend that is already in place: the separation of the overflow menu's modus operandi from that of the toolbar and tab bar (and their customization options) only as far as addons are concerned (the fact that only addon buttons cannot be put on the overflow menu nor on the tab bar) is artificial and feels offensive because we know that it was possible before and was removed only in order to give a raison d'être to that new button!
  4. I have no pros to list for it as it is now, its main purpose to me was to add and manipulate addon buttons. Firefox is 90% about addons, limiting interaction to them is reducing the incentive of using this browser, which in other respects doesn't out-compete Chrome or Vivaldi!

[alanmbyrne]

Thanks for the feedback, it's helpful to understand the different ways people interact with Firefox and the challenges they face.  Regarding point 2 above - you can move the extensions up and down in the extensions panel using the cog settings menu.

[sylph]

Great news!

[charlottemiller]

Hi Alan and team,

Thank you for the ongoing efforts to improve Firefox's extension usability. I’ve been a Firefox user for years, and I love how customizable it is. I wanted to share some feedback and ask for advice regarding a specific issue I’m encountering with the extensions toolbar.

I use Firefox extensively to manage my IPTV service (MagisTV APK, downloaded via themagistv.com) and rely on several add-ons, like VPN extensions, for smooth access to global content. With the current toolbar setup, I often find it cumbersome to manage pinned extensions because I need quick access to some (like my VPN) while hiding others I rarely use.

My main concern:

• The "pop back onto the toolbar" feature sounds useful, but will it allow us to prioritize which extensions pop back for alerts? For example, I don't want my VPN extension cluttering the toolbar unless it’s disconnected or needs attention, but I still need it functional in the background for IPTV streaming.
• Also, would the updates include the ability to group or categorize extensions? This could help users like me manage work-related tools vs. personal-use tools like my IPTV setup.

I’d love any tips or clarifications on how this would work! Keep up the great work on Firefox!

Thanks,
Charollete

[alanmbyrne]

Thanks for the feedback and for engaging with this thread! 

At the moment we are thinking that the button will re-appear when there are system notifications about extensions.  For example when you're installing a new one, when an existing extension is asking for additional permissions, or when an extension you have installed has been detected as malicious and has been blocked.

Categorizing extensions is an interesting idea.  May I ask how many extensions you're currently using and what kind of categories you would use? Do you only want to separate extensions into work/personal way or also other browser items like tabs, bookmarks etc?

[tilwiti]

I like it, even though I click that button regularly, but it's a very good move. Users should be able to destroy the interface as easily as they like, as long as there is a big red button next to it, like in World of Goo.

Dear @alanmbyrne, is it possible to force extension pop-ups to close with a button as an option for button enjoyers? I use Bitwarden and change the keyboard layout with Win+Space and this popup disappears, which is kind of frustrating because Bitwarden forgets the UI state and I have to reopen things. I don't want to use Bitwarden in the sidebar for some reason, maybe because it overlaps with the tree-style tabs. I think it definitely has some sort of customisation that I'm missing.

Also, is it possible to add extension buttons to the address bar like Form History (II) and Copy URL do? That's pretty cool. I'd love to have that option for a screenshot button on minimal popup windows that only have an address bar from the toolbar.

Looking forward to your response.

[Skywind]

Wonderful! This is the way I like about Firefox PC. Always bringing more customizations for the users to customize their browsers to their hearts' content!

[myspace]

Great news. Thanks for the update and for listening to feedback here! More flexibility and customization for us is always a big plus. 

[m4a4]

I just want to be able to customize it like the old system. The new system (after being forced to use it) is a big step down, and should never have been forced onto users in it's downgraded state.

[alanmbyrne]

Thank you all for engaging with this topic and for providing feedback!

I see a lot of enthusiasm for extensions and the overflow menu. Unfortunately the overflow menu doesn't work well for newer paradigms like informing a user of an extension requesting new or optional permissions which is a benefit that comes with our MV3 extension support. This is why we created the extensions panel in the first place, and why we are popping the button back out when an extension requests these changes. 

I acknowledge that giving users the tools to put extensions into the overflow menu is something we should look at further. Once we have made the changes to allow the extensions button to appear when needed, it may change some of the challenges that we have with supporting the overflow menu as an extension target.

[ffffff]

I'm not sure that the overflow menu is all that important. The focus here might be "people with many extensions want a middle term between all pinned, and all in a gigantic unmanageable list that hurts to look at." To be clear, I'm not sure what the best solution here looks like, I merely think it doesn't necessarily have to the overflow menu.

Maybe improvements to the extensions menu would help? Drag and drop to reorder, ability to hide extensions unless they demand attention ("appear when needed"), use icons to convey meaning instead of showing the same "Extension can make changes on this website" twenty times in a row, making the UI feel extremely dense and cluttered... Just throwing out ideas, I don't know whether any of that is feasible.

Very interested to see what you folks do next, thanks for all your work.

[SIfu]

Adjust extensions order on toolbar directly by dragging them.

[okay_okay]

+1 agreed!

[alexhale5]

Hi Alan and team,

First off, I want to express my appreciation for the continuous improvements to Firefox’s extension usability. As a long-time Firefox user, I value the flexibility and customization it offers, especially when managing different extensions for various tasks.

One key area I think could see improvement is the organization and accessibility of extensions on the toolbar. I use Firefox extensively for both work and entertainment, particularly for managing my IPTV service (MagisTV APK from themagistvs.com), which requires VPN access for optimized global streaming. However, juggling multiple extensions—some of which need to be easily accessible while others work in the background—can be a bit frustrating.

A few suggestions that could enhance the user experience:

1. Smart Prioritization for Pinned Extensions:

   • Would it be possible to introduce an option where users can define "priority extensions" that only appear on the toolbar when necessary?
   • For instance, my VPN extension should only pop up when it’s disconnected or requires attention, while remaining hidden otherwise.

2. Customizable Extension Categories:

   • Grouping extensions into categories (Work, Entertainment, Security, etc.) could streamline usability, making it easier to switch between different browsing contexts.

3. Adaptive Toolbar Layouts:

   • A feature that allows users to create different toolbar setups for different profiles or use cases (e.g., "Work Mode" vs. "Streaming Mode") would be a game-changer.

Are any of these functionalities planned for future updates? If not, I’d love to hear if there are any existing workarounds that can help manage toolbar clutter efficiently.

Thanks again for all your hard work on Firefox—excited to see what’s next!

Best,
Alex

[sikandarhayat01]

Hey Alan,

Welcome! I love the idea of customizing the Firefox toolbar and being able to hide the extensions button. It’s great that you're focusing on keeping things neat while still providing important updates. As someone working on MagisTv, I appreciate the effort to improve user experience and customization. Keep up the great work!

[Jessicasmiths]

That sounds great! Enhancing the Firefox extensions toolbar button can improve user experience and accessibility. I’d love to see better customization options, quicker access to frequently used extensions, and a more intuitive interface. Keep up the great work, and looking forward to the updates! 🚀

[cipricus]

The background is this:

I am in Linux (Plasma KDE). Meaning I am used with unlimited customization (Plasma) but I cannot ”voice type” like in Windows. But I am writing here by dictating to my laptop. In Chrome. Something which I cannot do in Firefox. The ship has sailed. I have a lot of customizations in Firefox (some older than 10 years, maybe much older) that I never thought I could leave behind. But most of that I was able to replicate in Chrome. On a slightly more powerful computer (than what I was having), one that can handle the fact that Chrome requires more resources than Firefox, the latter feels overall a bit slower compared to Chrome (my past computer was slowing down Chrome, Firefox is slowing down my present computer, in a sense). But I don't want to use Chrome browser — I want to use Firefox. I have also installed Vivaldi and Brave. I  come back to Firefox again and again, a few websites that I like work better in Firefox (academia.edu is one, maybe the only one I know, anyway that is something which seems very intersting!): but I don't stay! I practically have no real reason to stick with Firefox. 

Imagining that this dictation issue wouldn't exist and that all browsers would support it. Even then, customization wise, Vivaldi would largely win against Firefox. (All shortcuts are listed in Vivaldi in a long list that can be edited. Firefox gives a message that its default shortcuts cannot be overridden. Let's not mention the level of theme customization. )

It is obvious that this Firefox button is a replica of the one present in Chrome.

It is identical I'd say and the level of customization is as limited. Why would Firefox design find inspiration in Chrome instead of Vivaldi or Opera or instead of trying to be completely original especially by being totally flexible in the way the old overflow menu was? The more freedom for user UI customization (like one has in Plasma KDE or in foobar2000 — I used to compare foobar2000 with Firefox!—) the larger the potential for originality, because that is ”externalized”, it becomes the user's responsibility!

I fail to identify what makes Firefox different these days in a positive way, excepting the fact that it is ”the only non-Chrome-based”. The overflow menu was an answer to that, part of the thing that made me feel Firefox is my browser. (How silly is that! —Because it still is! — Even if I am not using it these days: which I ”hate”, as they say! 😅).