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How do you disable the photon UI, it looks like shit.

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  • Last reply by knobhill

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One of the best parts about Firefox was the fact that the UI didn't look like shit. Just look at edge(or any new Microsoft UI) or Google's new Material Design, both look horrible. How do I disable the new crappy Photon UI(without losing any performance benefits from the update)?

One of the best parts about Firefox was the fact that the UI didn't look like shit. Just look at edge(or any new Microsoft UI) or Google's new Material Design, both look horrible. How do I disable the new crappy Photon UI(without losing any performance benefits from the update)?

All Replies (7)

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It isn't completely possible to use the Australis design with Firefox 57, but depending on what you want, you might be able to customize the UI to look more like the old one:

  • This project: https://github.com/wilfredwee/photon-australis lets you have the old tab bar appearance back in Firefox 57.
  • You can remove the space around the address bar by right-clicking on the spaces, and choosing "remove from toolbar".
  • Is there something else specific you're looking to change?
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user1929 said

It isn't completely possible to use the Australis design with Firefox 57, but depending on what you want, you might be able to customize the UI to look more like the old one:
  • This project: https://github.com/wilfredwee/photon-australis lets you have the old tab bar appearance back in Firefox 57.
  • You can remove the space around the address bar by right-clicking on the spaces, and choosing "remove from toolbar".
  • Is there something else specific you're looking to change?

Thank you for your quick response. I'm sorry for my less than polite phrasing in my original question, but I really dislike the Photon UI, it lacks the smooth look of Australis. However, I'm fairly certain that I have already found the project that you have directed me to, and out isn't enough. It only does the tabs (not complaining about the project, that's all it says it does), and even that isn't perfectly the same. However, the biggest problems in my opinion are A) the default UI is too dark (So are the link icons on my desktop) B) the transition from one color to another is much too sharp. In general the entire thing is to square and sharp. C) over all it looks less detailed, take the desktop icon for example. It clearly lacks some of the details that it used to have. As of right now I probably give Photon an hour or two tomorrow before rolling back to Australis and turning off auto-updates. Until it's possible to make Firefox look as good as it used to Firefox 56 is my latest version. Thank you for wasting your time reading my ridiculously long response. If anyone hears about something better than the project above please tell me. Thank you.

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Here's a more comprehensive project which affects not only tabs but brings back the old "grid-style" options menu.

https://github.com/axydavid/FirefoxUI/blob/master/README.md

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the default UI is too dark

Have you tried the light theme? Open the hamburger menu (button with three horizontal lines) in the top right, choose "customize", then "themes" in the bottom left, then "light".

As of right now I probably give Photon an hour or two tomorrow before rolling back to Australis and turning off auto-updates. Until it's possible to make Firefox look as good as it used to Firefox 56 is my latest version.

We don't recommend using an earlier version of Firefox, it will contain a lot of security vulnerabilities that have been fixed in 57: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2017-24/.

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user1929 said

the default UI is too dark

Have you tried the light theme? Open the hamburger menu (button with three horizontal lines) in the top right, choose "customize", then "themes" in the bottom left, then "light".

Thanks I'll try that after I get back on my PC. (Why is the mobile site so bad? Also is it really called a hamburger menu?)

user1929 said

As of right now I probably give Photon an hour or two tomorrow before rolling back to Australis and turning off auto-updates. Until it's possible to make Firefox look as good as it used to Firefox 56 is my latest version.

We don't recommend using an earlier version of Firefox, it will contain a lot of security vulnerabilities that have been fixed in 57: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2017-24/.

I figured as much, luckily I have nothing that can't stand to be at risk on my PC or in my browser. However, I may not have to because,

Moses said

Here's a more comprehensive project which affects not only tabs but brings back the old "grid-style" options menu. https://github.com/axydavid/FirefoxUI/blob/master/README.md

THANK YOU! This looks perfect. Remote desktoping into my PC now!

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Funtime60 said

Moses said
Here's a more comprehensive project which affects not only tabs but brings back the old "grid-style" options menu. https://github.com/axydavid/FirefoxUI/blob/master/README.md

THANK YOU! This looks perfect. Remote desktoping into my PC now!

Unfortunately, so far no project can do it perfectly. Of the ones I've tried none have addressed the issue that the tittle bar is an opaque white and not the same semi-transparent light grey as the menu bar. Wherefore art thou Austral... crud my Shakespearean quote, ruined by proper english, but in all joking seriousness, why Australis? Why did you leave? (typing a paragraph using ChromeRD from an Android is hard.)

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bring back the user control or be dumped.