The ability to turn off Firefox Suggestions in the iPhone app and delete associated data

[mmmayer015]

Hello, I’ve turned off Firefox suggestions and search suggestions in my desktop and laptop browsers and cleared all history and cached data from my account, yet Firefox suggestions still shows up on the iPhone app with data that’s supposed to have been deleted. Where is the data coming from and how do I turn off Firefox suggestions in the iPhone app? I’m using an iPhone 14 Pro.

[zwodrei]

+1 churn.

Not being able to deactivate the suggestions is not an option. Thanks for the ride, Firefox ❤️

[aloneinthedork]

+1 million. How is this still a thing? June 2024 and just found out I can't disable search suggestions on my new iPad. Firefox Suggest is not just annoying but also a big privacy problem when you can't turn it off.

[Foggy]

I commented in this thread two months ago. For those interested, I still use Firefox for a desktop browser, though no longer my default browser. I have stopped using it for iPhone and don't use my Mozilla account anymore, except to post this comment. I'm using Brave browser for my default browser for iPhone. It has its issues, it's a much smaller user base with less developer interest, but it does work for this issue. 5 or more years of Firefox as my primary browser is over thanks to this issue.

[KOOTS]

@JonHi jon, Q2 has rolled over and I've yet to see this on IOS, I've uninstalled firefox and have yet to see this.This article suggests that I am able to disable it in IOS but I actually do not see these options at all. I am on firefox 127.0 (42448)

[chalupabatmansr]

Hi All, Looks like Mozilla finally “fixed” this one in the latest release (observed on 6/29/24)! Maybe after some journalists received tips to check this out…

The app no longer “remembers” any history by default for private tabs. They went the extreme route, so if you kill your browser and reopen, all private tabs are gone. The cache in your environment from previous sessions will be there until you go to settings -> privacy, and there’s Private data below website data along with a button to “Clear Private Data”.

This cleans out any data in “suggestions” and private surfing no longer seems to contribute to suggestions.

Feel free to add comments to verify.

[Pud69]

I cleared private data and im still getting unwated firefox suggests from private browsing. 

[Liwar]

I'm having the same issue and tried every things I saw in this topic. Is it really impossible to disable Firefox suggestion from the URL SEARCH BAR ? Still...thanks you mozilla team for this wonderfull browser and for helping preserving our privacy and sanity from all those commercials. ❤️

[PabloPadilla5]

September 2024 and this is still an issue -.-‘

[Jywoii]

Any update on this? This is a major blow to Firefox privacy-oriented reputation. I’m still having to use another browser on my phone because of this. 

[chalupabatmansr]

I think there’s confusion in this thread. Private Mode issue fixed; feature in normal browsing doesn’t have an “off”/disable setting.

The Firefox Suggestion feature doesn’t seem to have an off switch in regular browsing. This is an issue/annoyance.

More serious was that the Firefox Suggestion would track and retain Private-Mode Search details and browsing history and provide suggestions based on that in your normal browsing. The only way to clear that data required an uninstall/reinstall of the Firefox Browser App.

The private data tracking is now fixed, Mozilla has options to specifically clear any stored private data, and to disable retaining browser tabs in private mode when closing.

I think developers need to be made aware that users also want to disable the Suggestions Feature all together, however from a privacy perspective, clearing previously cached private data and no longer caching or using any private data for suggestions is a big win; it was both technically a violation of user privacy and false advertising for being privacy minded.