Gradient Highlighting for Recently Used Tabs

[dbastreghi]

Firefox users often switch back and forth between multiple tabs. When many tabs are open—especially several from the same website—it can be difficult to visually identify which tab was used most recently. Currently, Firefox only distinguishes the active tab from inactive tabs, providing no indication of recent tab usage.

Proposed Feature

Add optional gradient-based highlighting to represent tab recency:

• The active tab uses the most prominent highlight
• One or two previously active tabs display intermediate colors in a gradient
• Older inactive tabs keep the default appearance

The gradient reflects recency of use, not tab order.

Benefits

• Faster visual recognition of recently used tabs
• Reduced cognitive load during frequent tab switching
• Improved navigation efficiency without adding new UI elements

Configuration & Accessibility

• Enable/disable
• Number of recently highlighted tabs
• Theme-aware and high-contrast compatible colors
• Must respect accessibility guidelines, including color-blind-friendly palettes

Motivation

Firefox emphasizes user choice, accessibility, and productivity. Subtle visual feedback for recent tab usage aligns with these principles while preserving a clean and customizable interface.

[Jon]

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

[Jon]

Similar idea here: Heat colored tabs