Slim down Firefox - remove Pocket and have it as a pre-installed extension

[Gustav]

A less complex product will have less bugs.

The core of Firefox should only be the needed functionality to browse the web.

Additions that are built in like Pocket add additional code.

I my idea is that Firefox should split Pocket out from the Firefox executable and have it as an pre-installed extension which can be disabled by users or even removed if they do not want to have have it in their installation.

[cruetf65]

Agree

[jocewey]

With Windows 11 + chronic Firefox updates and additions, browsing is becoming a resource-gobbling nightmare.  Can't Firefox issue a Firefox Lite browser?

[ikjadoon]

@Gustav Precisely!

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@Gustav wrote:

And now as described by ikjadoon there seems to be some features lacking in the Firefox implementation compared to the plugin for other browsers.

So I think there is another point in favor of removing Pocket from Firefox and establishing it as a plug-in that is included in the base installation.

I keep checking in on any movement here from Firefox. Nothing yet and that's quite unfortunate. 

Perhaps I'll check in again in 2025 (genuinely) as that seems to be the pace of work here by Mozilla.

[Harwill]

Gustav keeps coming back on-topic, which is good.  I support his viewpoint and urge others to do the same.  Make Pocket optional, please!

[Anonymous]

Pocket and Sync. Would be great of both could return to only being addons which AFAIK they initally  started out as anyways.

[NeonAtari]

Yes this is the way

[saluki]

A thinner client would be lovely.

[Gustav]

@Jonand Mozilla.

It has been a long time since this and other suggestions have been created and they are in the "In review" status and seem to have become stuck there.

The suggestions from us, the users, are because we feel that some things are terrible and could be made better.

But it seems like Mozilla and the leadership for the development of Firefox rather seem to want to make pointless (from ur user side view) new additions instead of focusing on addressing the complaints and realizing that their arbitrary design choices are not appreciated by the Firefox user base.

So I'm actually challenging Mozilla to engage in discussion with us about these suggestions on this site or stand up and say that "this" or "that" suggestion will never be implemented due to economical reason (like this one) or because you don't believe that user know best how they want to use Firefox.

As you probably have deduced - I'm a bit frustrated with this suggestion site where basically any idea that you (Mozilla) don't agree with just lingers where you hope it will die a slow death.

For every one else who happen to read this comment. Please vote on the suggestions you you want, and if you have time even write a comment on each one.

Hopefully Mozilla will see the engagement and actually make decisions. If they make decisions contrary to our wishes we, as end users, will probably find other browsers that will work for us.

[job]

Having Pocket as a pre-installed extension, though not ideal IMO would be a very welcome change and a step in the right direction for Mozilla. Mozilla can keep their revenue stream while there's a user-friendly way to remove it if unwanted. This should've been the way since the very beginning really...

As a bonus having it as an add-on would also make life easier for rebuilds and forks who don't need/want Pocket in their Firefox-based alternatives.

+1 for me!

[Mood]

Exactly like firefox focus for desktop(yes i am talking that slimmed down)

[LightCode]

@job> Technically it is possible to disable pocket by setting extensions.pocket.enabled = 'false'. It is not ideal, but may result in less resources used.

[2mustange]

Pocket as an extension would be awesome. Sounds like this has been in review for awhile. I wonder when they provide updates on this kind of idea?

[CJUK83]

please remove pocket, its unhelpful and annoying

[ArnoldGreybeard]

I have never used Pocket. For me it is not part of the core functionality of a web browser. The "Save to Pocket" is just another icon I have to move off the toolbar when fixing the Firefox UI to make it usable.

Bookmarks - core functionality with my data saved to my device.

Pocket - an optional service that saves my data to a place where it can be harvested.

So I try to NOT use functionality/sync/non-core functionality provided by the same organisation as the organisation producing the browser. Especially where it puts "my data" somewhere other than on my device.

[Kappa]

Reading through this thread I've been wondering... How much bloat does Pocket even add in practice? I've never used the thing, but as far as I understand it's just an extension for managing... bookmarks? It can't possibly be any worse than your run of the mill javascript-ridden website. In fact I think it's borderline funny to ask of the Firefox devs to make a lean browser when the modern web is such a cluster****.

I mean, I've tried lean browsers. And they all suck because they all miss critical features that, unfortunately, are mandatory in 2024 and have been ever since Chrome became the dominant browser and Google started making the standards for itself.

But I digress. Conceptually, I agree that Pocket should be an extension. Practically, I think it has 0 performance impact. Realistically, I think that no dev would bother refactoring it into an extension because no normal user would care about it, even if this issue got its fair share of Kudos among the power users.