We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

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

Why have you ruined the search toolbar?

more options

I liked just clicking and selecting a a different search in the right hand toolbar! Now it is like a act of congress to change it and to add one! How do you call a inconvenience improvement? Now I have to use a old version of Firefox until it gets so obsolete I can no longer use it, And then I will have to switch browsers! You could have at'least left users the option to change it back. This is the very reason why you are loosing users! Because you have gotten big and no longer want to listen to your users! Just like a forum that becomes big, and then eventually ends up being nothing but moderators moderating moderators!

I liked just clicking and selecting a a different search in the right hand toolbar! Now it is like a act of congress to change it and to add one! How do you call a inconvenience improvement? Now I have to use a old version of Firefox until it gets so obsolete I can no longer use it, And then I will have to switch browsers! You could have at'least left users the option to change it back. This is the very reason why you are loosing users! Because you have gotten big and no longer want to listen to your users! Just like a forum that becomes big, and then eventually ends up being nothing but moderators moderating moderators!

All Replies (4)

more options

hello Boswell, the goal for the new search bar behaviour in firefox 34 and above was to make it easier than before to use search providers different from your default engine on a one off basis . if you type in a search term you can just hit enter in order to use the default search engine or choose any different engine just for this particular search by clicking on the corresponding icons. the workings of the search bar are described in more detail at Search bar - add, change and manage search engines on Firefox

more options

WHAT? I have news for you! It is not easier! It was easier the way it was! And no matter how much trained PR quotes you come up with, Still will not change the fact that you destroyed a great feature. And I am tired of PR remarks. If you no longer care about your users that's fine! I already un-installed Firefox and I am no longer using it. I went to Opea browser that has a speed dial that works in the similar fashion as the old style search bar, And I will use it for now on. Thanks for nothing. (thread closed)

more options

regardless of your feelings in regard to this change, it is now considerably quicker to use different search providers than your default one in the new interface. if you wanted to do this in the old search bar you'd have to first set a different engine in the search-bar, search & then switch back again - since the default is also used in the address-bar/homepage/new tab. now that's just one click and (to answer your original question) this is why the search bar has been changed this way!

more options

You can revert to the previous Search Bar scheme quite easily!

Open up about:config (typed in the Location Bar) Right-click and toggle this preference to false

browser.search.showOneOffButtons

Then restart Firefox.