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Is there a way to disable those new "Firefox has updated" tabs after each major update?

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  • Last reply by cor-el

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Hi. I've used Firefox as my main web browser on desktop computers for over a year now, and it's so far been the best web browser I've used.... except for one issue when it comes to major updates to the app.

I have Firefox set to open up on the tab/site I was using before I end a session and close the app. Whenever there is a new major version release, the update gets installed the next time the browser is launched before showing the browser window. But, when the window opens back up, I'm not sent back to the site/tab I was previously using. A new tab automatically opens up to a Mozilla page saying that Firefox has updated, along with a large promotion for another Mozilla service.

I then need to manually close this new tab, and find the tab I was previously using during the last session before the auto-update. This is mildly irritating since it takes some control away over how I want Firefox to start up, and the new update tabs seem to just be used as a way to promote other Mozilla products seeing how the actual "Firefox has updated" text is very small.

Is there a way to turn off these automatic new tabs after every major auto-update? Or if there isn't, could an option to change the way Firefox notifies about updates be added in a future version, such as using the OS' notification option instead of opening a new tab?

Currently running the latest version of Firefox on an iMac, with Mac OS Sonoma.

Hi. I've used Firefox as my main web browser on desktop computers for over a year now, and it's so far been the best web browser I've used.... except for one issue when it comes to major updates to the app. I have Firefox set to open up on the tab/site I was using before I end a session and close the app. Whenever there is a new major version release, the update gets installed the next time the browser is launched before showing the browser window. But, when the window opens back up, I'm not sent back to the site/tab I was previously using. A new tab automatically opens up to a Mozilla page saying that Firefox has updated, along with a large promotion for another Mozilla service. I then need to manually close this new tab, and find the tab I was previously using during the last session before the auto-update. This is mildly irritating since it takes some control away over how I want Firefox to start up, and the new update tabs seem to just be used as a way to promote other Mozilla products seeing how the actual "Firefox has updated" text is very small. Is there a way to turn off these automatic new tabs after every major auto-update? Or if there isn't, could an option to change the way Firefox notifies about updates be added in a future version, such as using the OS' notification option instead of opening a new tab? Currently running the latest version of Firefox on an iMac, with Mac OS Sonoma.

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You can modify this pref on the about:config page.

  • about:config => browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone => ignore

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. On the warning page, you can click "Accept the Risk and Continue" to open about:config.