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Firefox 57 no X to close tabs apart from the active tab?

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When I have multiple tabs open, sometimes I will want to close a tab that is not the active tab (not the tab I'm currently on). However, the 'X' to close tabs is now missing from everything but the active tab (meaning I can only close the active tab and not the one next to it). In order to close a tab I don't want, I have to actually click on it, bringing up that page, just to close it.

This is a pretty stupid change imo especially if you have multiple tabs you want to close all at once, I don't like having to open a tab just to close it, since it takes longer than it used to. Is there any way to restore this option in the new version?

When I have multiple tabs open, sometimes I will want to close a tab that is not the active tab (not the tab I'm currently on). However, the 'X' to close tabs is now missing from everything but the active tab (meaning I can only close the active tab and not the one next to it). In order to close a tab I don't want, I have to actually click on it, bringing up that page, just to close it. This is a pretty stupid change imo especially if you have multiple tabs you want to close all at once, I don't like having to open a tab just to close it, since it takes longer than it used to. Is there any way to restore this option in the new version?

All Replies (3)

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Hi, try this: Type about:config into the address bar, press Enter, accept the warning, scroll down to browser.tabs.tabClipWidth then right click > Modify, and enter a smaller number - try 80. Now restart Firefox.

If your question is resolved by this or another answer, please take a minute to let us know. Thank you!

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Note that you can middle-click a tab with the mouse scroll wheel to close the tab.

Firefox 57 also has a pref setting for the minimum tab width.

  • browser.tabs.tabMinWidth
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Two other notes:

(1) Firefox removes the X when the tabs get narrow, so there is more room for text.

(2) You can use a custom style rule to show the missing X when you hover the tab with your mouse. That way, you can avoid unnecessary clutter AND have the convenience of a close button.

/* Show Tab Close buttons on inactive tabs only when hovered */
#tabbrowser-tabs > .tabbrowser-tab:not([pinned="true"]) > .tab-stack > .tab-content > .tab-close-button:not([selected="true"]) {
  display: none;
}
#tabbrowser-tabs > .tabbrowser-tab:not([pinned="true"]):hover > .tab-stack > .tab-content > .tab-close-button:not([selected="true"]) {
  display: -moz-box !important;
  border: 1px solid #aaa !important;
  border-radius: 3px !important;
}

You can apply custom style rules to Firefox's user interface by creating a userChrome.css file. That's a 5-10 minute project to set up the first time, so when you get a few minutes, check out: https://www.userchrome.org/how-create-userchrome-css.html