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

Is google voice calling now blocked in firefox esr 52.2.0 on Win XP?

  • 9 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 18 views
  • Last reply by Lohan88

more options

My understanding was that all NPAPI plugins and Windows XP would be supported up through the Firefox esr 52 release cycle up until 2018, including making and receiving phone calls via the google voice plugin. I upgraded Firefox esr from 45.9.0 to 52.2.0 and the google voice dialer pad's green answer calls and red hang up calls buttons are obscured now by discontinuation disclaimer text with a Dismiss button that does nothing when clicked. I can still make calls via the google voice plugin but cannot receive calls due to the green answer button being obstructed.

Reinstalled Firefox esr 45.9.0 which restored full google voice functionality. It appears that the Dismiss button for the notice text is broken. Will it be corrected and restore full google voice functionality. If not, which is the last official esr release that supports all NPAPI plugins and Windows XP? - Thanks for the info.

My understanding was that all NPAPI plugins and Windows XP would be supported up through the Firefox esr 52 release cycle up until 2018, including making and receiving phone calls via the google voice plugin. I upgraded Firefox esr from 45.9.0 to 52.2.0 and the google voice dialer pad's green answer calls and red hang up calls buttons are obscured now by discontinuation disclaimer text with a Dismiss button that does nothing when clicked. I can still make calls via the google voice plugin but cannot receive calls due to the green answer button being obstructed. Reinstalled Firefox esr 45.9.0 which restored full google voice functionality. It appears that the Dismiss button for the notice text is broken. Will it be corrected and restore full google voice functionality. If not, which is the last official esr release that supports all NPAPI plugins and Windows XP? - Thanks for the info.

All Replies (9)

more options

It's possible that something changed between Firefox 45 and Firefox 52 in how plugins work, but I think other users have had luck with Google Talk in Firefox 52 ESR since it was released, so I have to wonder whether Google might have changed something.

more options

Do your other installed plugins still show on the plugins tab and on the about:plugins page in Firefox 52?

  • "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Plugins

Note that QuickTime that shows in the plugins list is considered a security risk and you should remove QuickTime.

more options

jscher2000 - it seems to be specific to esr 52 for me on a Win XP box, as the update from 45.9.0, which works fine, took me directly to esr 52.2.0. I also checked esr 38.5 and 45.3 which also still work fine. The google voice plugin shows last updated on 12/08/15.

cor-el - the plugins list okay with correct config settings intact, even the google voice plugin loads/activates okay in gmail, it's just the disclaimer text with "Dismiss" button overlay on the dial pad that will not dismiss when clicking the button, nothing happens. Can still make calls from contacts listing, just can't hang up outgoing calls or answer incoming calls due to the Hang Up & Answer buttons on the dial pad being obstructed by the disclaimer overlay.

more options

Can you attach a screenshot?

If this button is covering some other elements then try to right-click this button and open the Inspector. Then you can go up in the DOM until you locate the enveloping element and right-click this element and click "Remove Node" to remove this element to see if that allows to click other buttons.

more options

cor-el - See attached image jpg. I ran the upgrade again to esr 52.2.0, placed an outgoing call, clicked the "Dismiss" button which hilites but doesn't dismiss itself, right clicked it with Inspect Element, then clicked it again and it then dismissed the overlay properly, showing the call in progress & underlying buttons. I'm not familiar with the DOM editor. Is it possible to permanently remove the overlay using it so it doesn't keep coming up with each call?

more options

Thank you for the screenshot. There's a very long contentious thread on Google support about the non-working Dismiss button. The original poster said there is a way in Gmail to switch between an older style of Hangouts and the "new Hangouts" and that the problem doesn't affect the older version. Not sure if this is still available:

My workaround was to switch to ESR 52.0.1, and to switch to the old style of Hangouts (where there is no Dismiss button for either incoming or outgoing calls). Works perfectly.

Open GMail. There should be a Hangouts column on the left. Left mouse (single click) on your photo, and see if switching is one of the options (I've already switched, and don't want to undo it; but this would be the way for me to go back to the new Hangouts, as "Try the new Hangouts" is my first option).

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/voice/Iwwk9zHK2q8

more options

jscher2000 - Thanks for the link. Yes, they are describing the same issue there. I am still using Google Chat (the predecessor to Hangouts) on the Win XP box, as, if I remember correctly, Google did not support Hangouts in Firefox on Win XP when it came out.

It may be that Google is confusing the Firefox esr 52 release which continues support for NPAPI plugins with the Firefox general 52 release version which discontinued NPAPI support, with the exception of Flash.

Ironically, after my somewhat haphazard initial use of the Inspect Element routine noted in my prior post, the "Dismiss" button, though still annoying, is now working & removing the overlay for outgoing calls.

Unfortunately I can't duplicate the same for incoming calls due to the limited time/number of rings one has to answer a call before the Dial Pad dismisses itself automatically & the call goes to voice mail, and also the high CPU usage demand the Google Voice plugin places on the processor limiting/slowing access to the Inspect Element DOM option cor-el recommended before the Dial Pad closes automatically.

more options

There are some extensions for removing unwanted elements from pages that you could try. For example:

more options

jscher2000 - Thanks again for the links. I tried the ABP Element Hiding Helper on the Google Voice incoming call pop-up dial pad but no luck. When I select the overlay rectangle or the "Dismiss" button, there does not appear to be anything below them but white space (no answer call button) which turns black just before the dial pad closes and the call goes to voice mail. Despite applying blocking rules, they reappear on the next incoming call. Though it worked perfectly in getting rid of the ad pane in Yahoo Mail. :-)

I managed to get to the Inspect Element "Delete Node" DOM option a few times for the "Dismiss" button and it shows nothing but black space underneath (no answer call button).

It appears that Firefox esr 45.9.0 is the last update in which the Google Voice dial pad functions properly, at least in regard to my old Win XP Pentium IV box. Would be interested in hearing if anyone else is successfully using this configuration with any of the Firefox esr 52 update series.