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Firefox 39 Tile Problems?

  • 6 replies
  • 53 have this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by Ed8r

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So I just now updated firefox, and when I opened a new tab, Instead of having 12 tiles for my top sites, it only had 8. I use those 12 sites quite often, so going back down to 8 after a long while is really annoying. Are there any add-ons, or ways I can undo my last update so I go back to the 12 tiles on my new tab, or will Firefox go back to 12 tiles in later updates? It sounds odd to be griping about this, but it feel like there's a lot of space wasted when there are only 8 top site tiles as opposed to 12.

So I just now updated firefox, and when I opened a new tab, Instead of having 12 tiles for my top sites, it only had 8. I use those 12 sites quite often, so going back down to 8 after a long while is really annoying. Are there any add-ons, or ways I can undo my last update so I go back to the 12 tiles on my new tab, or will Firefox go back to 12 tiles in later updates? It sounds odd to be griping about this, but it feel like there's a lot of space wasted when there are only 8 top site tiles as opposed to 12.

Chosen solution

Hi, you can change the number of tiles on the New Tab Page by zooming in or out (Cmd and + key, or Cmd and - key).

You may also want to keep the same zoom setting when clicking on a new tab: Type about:config into the address bar, press Enter, accept the warning, scroll down to browser.newtab.preload and double click on it to change 'Value' from True to False.

It is also possible in about:config to change the maximum number of tiles, by scrolling down to browser.newtabpage.columns (or .rows), then right click > Modify, to set a new number in 'Value.'

As an alternative, you may like to try the add-on New Tab Tools.

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

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All Replies (6)

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Chosen Solution

Hi, you can change the number of tiles on the New Tab Page by zooming in or out (Cmd and + key, or Cmd and - key).

You may also want to keep the same zoom setting when clicking on a new tab: Type about:config into the address bar, press Enter, accept the warning, scroll down to browser.newtab.preload and double click on it to change 'Value' from True to False.

It is also possible in about:config to change the maximum number of tiles, by scrolling down to browser.newtabpage.columns (or .rows), then right click > Modify, to set a new number in 'Value.'

As an alternative, you may like to try the add-on New Tab Tools.

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

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@Scribe,

Ah, thanks a lot! I really like how I've got the search bar above the new page tiles, so I think I'll just stick with editing the # of tiles via about:config, though I have played around with New Tab Tools, and If there's a way to emulate that on my new tab, it'd be nice. Until then, I think I'll just stick with New Tab Tools, since I have much more flexibility, as well as an easy to see and restore previous tabs.

Thank you so much for your help! ~Angsty

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Same problem for me. The only working thing was to install the suggested extension.

BTW, really bad implementation. Why did you change the default dimensions for the new tab's tiles? What was the reason for this? Just changing something here and there?

Of course the extension works really fine, but why do we have to use extensions to bring back settings that were unnecessary to change? And, as you know, the higher is the number of extensions in use, the slower and heavier Firefox will become.

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My problem is a little different in that within one size of window sometimes I see 6 tiles and the next new tab I open shows only 3. And then the next 2-3 new tabs show 3, but I go click back to one of the open ones and it suddenly jumps to 6. Something is wacky here.

Chosen solution . . . oh, really? There are several ideas there, but no one solution IN Firefox. Like Ro84, I wonder why I have to go outside to get an extension to do for me what Firefox itself used to provide?

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Ed8r said

My problem is a little different in that within one size of window sometimes I see 6 tiles and the next new tab I open shows only 3. And then the next 2-3 new tabs show 3, but I go click back to one of the open ones and it suddenly jumps to 6. Something is wacky here. Chosen solution . . . oh, really? There are several ideas there, but no one solution IN Firefox. Like Ro84, I wonder why I have to go outside to get an extension to do for me what Firefox itself used to provide?

I use New Tab Tools (and am using FF 39), but have just disabled it temporarily to test again, and can confirm that as I originally posted, if you go to browser.newtab.preload, and change from True to False, each new tab that is opened is at the same zoom level, therefore the number of tiles does not change.

If that is not happening for you, maybe an extension is changing the behaviour. Perhaps you could try in Safe Mode.

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Yay! You are absolutely right Scribe. I must have done something wrong the first time, because it worked great after I went back in ! Thank you!

(Sorry it took so long to come back and confirm)