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How to open web links in Firefox while Thunderbird retains focus?

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

woolwit
woolwit
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Thunderbird sends me to Firefox any time I click a link. But where there are multiple links in an email I'm forced to interrupt the reading experience in order to get the links loaded into my browser. Preferred behavior, at least as an option, would be to maintain focus in Thunderbird/email while opening multiple links externally. Finish reading email >> switch to browser to read linked information.

Thunderbird sends me to Firefox any time I click a link. But where there are multiple links in an email I'm forced to interrupt the reading experience in order to get the links loaded into my browser. Preferred behavior, at least as an option, would be to maintain focus in Thunderbird/email while opening multiple links externally. Finish reading email >> switch to browser to read linked information.

All Replies (3)

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 25 Contributor
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When you click on a link to open the link in a browser, the computer uses the default information to select what to do. How your browser opens eg: having focus in your case, is down to the settings you have in your browser.

So this is really a browser issue not a Thunderbird issue.

Suggest you try this: open Firefox

  • In top address bar type: about:config
  • It will say 'Here be dragons' :) click on 'Accept the risk'
  • In top search type: Divert
  • look for this line: ‘browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground'
  • double click on that line to change value from false to true.
  • Restart browser.

In Thunderbird click on a link and test to see if link opens in browser, but Thunderbird still has focus.

woolwit
woolwit Question owner
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Thanks for your suggestion. Unfortunately, clicking a link in TB immediately changes focus to FF.

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 25 Contributor
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I re-tested the information. I've used it in the past succesfully, but no longer use it.

With Firefox closed and TB open. If Firefox was closed then the first time I click on link in TB, it opened a new Firefox window in focus, but all subsequent clicks on links in Thunderbird opened a new tab in Firefox, but retained focus in TB.

Unfortunately, it also meant that clicking on links in Firefox also opened a new tab, but not in focus which is usually not desired when using the browser. I belive that was the reason I swapped back.

Located a couple of Firefox forum questions as this is really a Firefox issue. Try this info: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1066419

Firefox Quantum.New tab gets focused no matter what setting: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1177157