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

Does clean start close tabs? (Firefox for iOS)

  • 3 cavab
  • 3 have this problem
  • 12 views
  • Last reply by C.V.

more options

The release notes for the latest update for Firefox for iOS mention "clean start", stating that Firefox will start on your home page every time you reopen the browser after a couple of hours to avoid being distracted by the tabs of your last session.

The first thing I want to know is whether this clean start means (1) that all previously open tabs will be closed, or (2) that a new tab will open to the home page IN ADDITION to the previous tabs.

Is there an option to turn off this clean start behavior?

(I do want to keep my open tabs; it's why I leave some open. I close tabs I don't want any more. I can use history, but I hope I don't have to, because I don't want to have to scroll through history and remember what I wanted to keep every time I don't use the browser for some hours -- especially after every night's sleep! If this functionality closes tabs, then I don't want to upgrade. If it's optional, that's fine, and good for those who want it.)

The release notes for the latest update for Firefox for iOS mention "clean start", stating that Firefox will start on your home page every time you reopen the browser after a couple of hours to avoid being distracted by the tabs of your last session. The first thing I want to know is whether this clean start means (1) that all previously open tabs will be closed, or (2) that a new tab will open to the home page IN ADDITION to the previous tabs. Is there an option to turn off this clean start behavior? (I do want to keep my open tabs; it's why I leave some open. I close tabs I don't want any more. I can use history, but I hope I don't have to, because I don't want to have to scroll through history and remember what I wanted to keep every time I don't use the browser for some hours -- especially after every night's sleep! If this functionality closes tabs, then I don't want to upgrade. If it's optional, that's fine, and good for those who want it.)

All Replies (3)

more options

I appreciate that clean start doesn't remove existing open tabs, but I strongly dislike that it keep opening new ones every time I open the browser after 4hrs away. The only benefit I've seen mentioned is to impose help with supposed distractions. I do not want this "help" - how do I turn it off?

more options

Hi, hhw4.

Your reply seems to imply an answer to my question. I still want to ask explicitly: "DOES the new version close existing open tabs? Yes or No?"

It seems like you have used the new version and have the answer, but if your reply instead refers to an assumption or understanding from *before* using the new version, then I don't want to act on it. I don't want to install the new version until I know how it behaves.

And if it doesn't close existing tabs, I'll still want to know the same thing you do: How would we turn off the clean start behavior? But that's a follow-up question for me.

more options

Update: The "latest update" I mentioned is: Firefox Daylight 36.0 (5732)