This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Why does a new window open when I click on a link?

more options

I used to get a new tab when I clicked on a link, but now it opens in a new window. Why? There doesn't seem to be an option to have links open in a new tab in the current window.

I used to get a new tab when I clicked on a link, but now it opens in a new window. Why? There doesn't seem to be an option to have links open in a new tab in the current window.

All Replies (1)

more options

If a website codes its links to open in a new window, you can divert that to a new tab.

The basic setting for this is here:

"3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options > Tabs

The first checkbox: "Open new windows in a new tab instead"

In some cases, a website uses a script to launch a new window with special features, such as a set height/width, or with one or more toolbars removed. To avoid breaking sites that create dialog boxes this way, Firefox does not normally divert this kind of window to a new tab. However, if you wanted to send these to a tab as well, there is a hidden setting you can change. (See: https://support.mozilla.org/questions/1035103#answer-662627])

If Firefox is sending ALL links to new windows or new tabs, you might have an extension like Tab Mix Plus or Tab Utilities which changes the built-in tab handling features. You would need to explore their settings to get it just the way you want it.