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Can I get the Firefox search bar to not automatically go to the website of the search engine I switch to?

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  • 6 have this problem
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  • Last reply by hxnguyen05

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The Firefox search bar seems to have changed from the last update. I understand that things are always changing, and you have to get used to them, but I'm wondering if there's any way to change the bar back to the way it was, or at least understand why it was changed.

Basically, I used to be able to switch search engines by choosing from the dropdown, and this wouldn't bring me straight to that search engine's site. It would only actually bring me to the site after I hit the search button (or enter). It's pretty annoying to have to remember to open a new tab before changing search engines to avoid navigating away from the tab that you're currently on, and it's also annoying that when you open a new tab and switch search engines, you're immediately taken to that search engine's site. It feels like an extra step (going from "empty tab to search engine page to search result" instead of "empty tab to search result").

I know it probably sounds like a minor gripe, but I'm actually just really curious as to why it was changed. More importantly, I'd like to know if there's a way to customize back to the way it was.

Thanks for any help!

The Firefox search bar seems to have changed from the last update. I understand that things are always changing, and you have to get used to them, but I'm wondering if there's any way to change the bar back to the way it was, or at least understand why it was changed. Basically, I used to be able to switch search engines by choosing from the dropdown, and this wouldn't bring me straight to that search engine's site. It would only actually bring me to the site after I hit the search button (or enter). It's pretty annoying to have to remember to open a new tab before changing search engines to avoid navigating away from the tab that you're currently on, and it's also annoying that when you open a new tab and switch search engines, you're immediately taken to that search engine's site. It feels like an extra step (going from "empty tab to search engine page to search result" instead of "empty tab to search result"). I know it probably sounds like a minor gripe, but I'm actually just really curious as to why it was changed. More importantly, I'd like to know if there's a way to customize back to the way it was. Thanks for any help!

Chosen solution

A lot of users have been bringing this issue up. I've mentioned the same issue in this post here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1086138

To sum, it seems like the Firefox team isn't intending to bring back the ability to revert to the old search bar, which was possible (though in a very roundabout way) in versions before 42. For now you can either:

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Chosen Solution

A lot of users have been bringing this issue up. I've mentioned the same issue in this post here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1086138

To sum, it seems like the Firefox team isn't intending to bring back the ability to revert to the old search bar, which was possible (though in a very roundabout way) in versions before 42. For now you can either:

Modified by PeaCats

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Thank you very much for the quick feedback. I think I'll try one of those options.

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I downloaded the Classic Theme Restorer and it worked perfectly. Thanks again, this was exactly what I needed!