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*** UPDATE ***

• If you keep the automatically opening list (keep browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus set to true), you can switch from the Top Sites list to the classic frequently visited URLs list as described in the original reply below.

• If you turn off the automatic opening (set browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus to false), you can type a space in the address bar to drop the classic frequently visited URLs list. That's a bit easier than typing the ^ character.

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Hi casale, you might not have noticed this last suggestion here:

cor-el said

You can inspect and modify the Top Sites setting via "Options/Preferences -> Home".

If you don't curate your Top Sites list on the Firefox Home / New Tab page in a way that makes it useful on a regular basis, you can turn off that list to prevent Firefox from using it in the address bar drop-down. If you do that, Firefox will switch to dropping down the "Show History" list.

To make this change, go to the Options page, click Home in the left column, then uncheck the Top Sites box:

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Is that a workable option for you?

browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus is nowhere to be found!

FireFox changing my dropdown menu like this is infuriating! How does one get it back?

Hi Azure, apologies for not updating the update. That was for Firefox 75-77 and Firefox 78 works differently.

This hasn't changed: To show the classic frequently visited URLs list, type a space in the address bar.

Firefox 78 does not switch the automatic drop-down from Top Sites to the classic list when the Top Sites section of the new tab page is disabled. So that can be re-enabled if you want to use and clean up that list:

• Turn the Top Sites section (back) on: Customize your New Tab page to hide or display content
• Unpin, dismiss, add, rearrange: Customize your Firefox New Tab page

If you want to prevent the automatic drop-down from appearing, Firefox 78 has a new preference on the Options/Preferences page. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/address-bar-autocomplete-firefox#w_how-can-i-control-what-results-the-address-bar-shows-me

Hi Azure, apologies for not updating the update. That was for Firefox 75-77 and Firefox 78 works differently. This hasn't changed: To show the classic frequently visited URLs list, type a space in the address bar. Firefox 78 does not switch the automatic drop-down from Top Sites to the classic list when the Top Sites section of the new tab page is disabled. So that can be re-enabled if you want to use and clean up that list:

• Turn the Top Sites section (back) on: Customize your New Tab page to hide or display content
• Unpin, dismiss, add, rearrange: Customize your Firefox New Tab page

If you want to prevent the automatic drop-down from appearing, Firefox 78 has a new preference on the Options/Preferences page. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/address-bar-autocomplete-firefox#w_how-can-i-control-what-results-the-address-bar-shows-me

I don't want to have to type spaces. That is an extra step. I'd like my frequent address to show when I click on the bar.

I don't want to have to type spaces. That is an extra step. I'd like my frequent address to show when I click on the bar.

I understand.

So you turned on Top Sites in the Address Bar section, and when you click in the address bar, Firefox now drops down the list of your first 8 Top Sites from the Firefox Home / new tab page. You only see 7 or 6 right now? Are there are things there you don't want to see?

To fix that list so it better reflects your history.

Make sure Top Sites is enabled in the Firefox Home Content section of the Options/Preferences page: Customize your New Tab page to hide or display content.

By the way, quoting links -- including embedded image URLs -- triggers post moderation.

Then when you open the Firefox Home / new tab page you should be able to unpin and/or dismiss unwanted sites, using the menu button for the relevant "tile."

More info on managing the Top Sites section in this article: Customize your Firefox New Tab page.

Azure said

I don't want to have to type spaces. That is an extra step. I'd like my frequent address to show when I click on the bar.

I understand.

So you turned on Top Sites in the Address Bar section, and when you click in the address bar, Firefox now drops down the list of your first 8 Top Sites from the Firefox Home / new tab page. You only see 7 or 6 right now? Are there are things there you don't want to see?

To fix that list so it better reflects your history.

Make sure Top Sites is enabled in the Firefox Home Content section of the Options/Preferences page: Customize your New Tab page to hide or display content.

By the way, quoting links -- including embedded image URLs -- triggers post moderation.

Then when you open the Firefox Home / new tab page you should be able to unpin and/or dismiss unwanted sites, using the menu button for the relevant "tile."

More info on managing the Top Sites section in this article: Customize your Firefox New Tab page.

Top sites is not what I want to show on my list. I want it to show me most-frequently-visited sites, as it did before. Where do I find that list now? (Other than when I type a space!?) I would like it to show up when I click on the Megabar.

Top sites is not what I want to show on my list. I want it to show me most-frequently-visited sites, as it did before. Where do I find that list now? (Other than when I type a space!?) I would like it to show up when I click on the Megabar.

The Top Sites list, cleared of pre-pinned items and allowed to populate from history, is the closest thing now.

Firefox used to be about giving people more options. Giving us control. Now every tech company is plagued with the "Apple syndrome". For some twisted reason, they think that giving users less options is better. Here's why, in this particular case, this "update" is not just annoying, but harmful:

I was holding back on updating Firefox for a long time, and I was enjoying the ability to have some website links pinned in my new tab page, while also, having the ability to access the frequently visited websites on the drop down menu. Now this is all gone. If I pin websites in the new tab, they are all I can see in the drop down menu. And there's absolutely nothing to do about that. Because this is an "update"!!

Also, as part of my work, I always need to copy urls from the address bar, followed by copying texts from the page itself. I used to be able to do that easily. Now, everytime I click on the address bar to copy the address, the (useless) drop down menu with static links appears over the page, and I have to carefully click into the page to remove it, so that I can copy the article's title, making sure not to click any link on the page.

If you have a divine idea of how to "update" something - grand. Go for it by all means. All we ask (and what common sense dictates) is to keep the old way as an option. You already have the bloody code for it. You don't need to do much work to keep this as an option. But noooo. everyone thinks like Apple, and believe that all people are stupid enough, and eager to have someone else make all their decisions for them.

Hi EveryUpdateIsADisaster, support forum volunteers are not the developers and can't fix this. We can suggest settings changes and workarounds. Maybe those will help a bit.

If I pin websites in the new tab, they are all I can see in the drop down menu. And there's absolutely nothing to do about that.
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Also, as part of my work, I always need to copy urls from the address bar, followed by copying texts from the page itself. I used to be able to do that easily. Now, everytime I click on the address bar to copy the address, the (useless) drop down menu with static links appears over the page, and I have to carefully click into the page to remove it, so that I can copy the article's title, making sure not to click any link on the page.

True, the automatic-opening list is tied to the Top Sites list on the new tab. If this list is not useful in the address bar, you can turn it off using the new checkbox in the Address Bar section, Privacy & Security panel, Options/Preferences page. Looks like this:

To summon the classic frequently visited URLs list, you still can type a space into the address bar. I realize that is not a pure mouse solution, but that is what we have.