Re Firefox browser: anybody else who uses it as default browser notice a change in browser home page?

[Attilatheblond]

Just opened it after being offline for a few hours. All the 'tiles' of sites I use most often are gone. Stuff like news sites I check regularly, social media sites I use, and a few retail sites I use. POOF, vanished. Can't get that browser opening page back

Did Firefox do this to comply with Trump Administration wishes/command to slow people down from getting onto trusted sites quickly? Anybody else have this blank page staring at them when they open firefox tabs?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. To your 3 questions: No, no, and no. . . nt

[walkingman]

2. I'm using firefox now - when you say "tiles" of most used site. Can you elaborate?

Is it an "extension" providing the "tiles"?

[Attilatheblond]

4. Not an extension, it was just the Firefox page when I opened browser or a new tab on browser

the "tiles" were little graphics that identified sites. Clicking on a tile opened that particular site. And I could re-arrange them, add, delete, as I preferred. Made it fast to hit the sites I use to check news and the few sites I use for shopping.

Infuriating as I cannot find how to restore this on firefox browser. Thinking somebody bent a knew to slow people down finding news. As we see the Trump mob moving fast to impose their dictatorial wishes, I wonder if this is a monkey wrench thrown into the public's ability to check things in a hurry. Been using this browser for years and suddenly this feature is nowhere I can find it to restore.

Thanks for any guidance/help

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Oh, I think you mean when you open a new page or tab ! Open Preferences and click on the "Home" icon.

Also, if you have "clear cache when quitting Firefox" selected, the browser won't find those until you visit those sites again. Keep your most used sites bookmarked, and organize your Bookmark menu/toolbar carefully, after thinking through what you really want. I make heavy use of folders in my Bookmark Menu, never use the toolbar, but lots of other choices are possible.

There's also lots of things you can do with those tiles -- make some permanent, delete or block others -- hover on one of those tiles and look for the controls that pop up under the ellipsis (...). Pin and delete history are the two opposite extremes among your options.

[OutNow]

3. I use Firefox - no problem

I use Firefox as my browser. I am on Windows 11 and my browser version is 143.0.4

I've had no problems.

[Attilatheblond]

5. I didn't have problems either.... until I shut my browser for a while. Now, POOF all those navigation buttons gone

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Perhaps you had not restarted the browser since you got the last update ?? See my other message below. nt

[walkingman]

11. Try this....go to settings, select home, go down to recent activity, and select "visited pages"

[Attilatheblond]

15. Thank you for tip. Done...

just blank now, but we'll see if that improves. Fingers crossed

[eppur_se_muova]

6. Each time you get a browser update, it is a good idea to check your settings.

I was keeping a history of my usage for as long as possible, which is a powerful and useful way to relocate pages for which you can't remember the details. A firefox update changed my preferences to "delete history after one month" and I lost a LOT of useful information. A DEEPLY annoying misfeature of the update. Recovering open tabs from Firefox files deep in the System folder is vaguely possible in principle, but apparently only for real experts.

Have you checked out *ALL* the options under the History menu ? People tend to forget that some of those are there.

There are several "tab managers" out there that will help you keep track of open tabs. etc. They will slow down the new launch of your browser if you opt for maximum protection, but you do have options. I use Tab Session Manager: https://tab-session-manager.sienori.com/ and have had no issues but as always YMMV. Oh, and it may take a little while to try out and understand all the options. Currently I keep only one or two windows open, one with *hundreds* of tabs, and Tab Manager handles it all. Relaunching the browser does get slow, however, and you use lots of RAM (mine is maxed out for this machine).

If anyone has a "browser history BACKUP" extension, I would like to hear about it.


ETA: Under the General settings, there is one for "reload windows and tabs from previous session", or similar wording. I kept that turned off in earlier versions, but it seems to be working fine for several years now.

[True Dough]

8. I went from Firefox to Chrome

and then Chrome to Brave. I find Brave to be the best of the bunch so far.

Firefox was constantly updating to new versions while I was using it. It's good that they're constantly tweaking it, but I found it was causing glitches, similar to the one you're outlining here.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. You can choose "downloard but don't install" or other options, such as no auto download at all (not really recommended).

[Attilatheblond]

14. Thanks for recommendation, will give Brave a look

Yeah, the firefox updates are getting tedious and counterproductive.

[ForgedCrank]

12. If I

got to the point where I thought Trump was controlling my browser software, I might sign off and maybe stick to funny dog videos or something for a while.

[Attilatheblond]

13. I'm not paranoid, but I am a realist and it is pretty obvious the executive branch is at war with the people

At this point, it is foolish to ignore that reality

[ForgedCrank]

16. I guess

I should have finished my thought.
There is a metric sh** ton of misinformation flying around, and much of it outright blatant lies. I don't think I've ever seen it so bad. It's affecting people who trust certain sources just a little bit too much. Let me put it this way, we are being lied to a lot, and it's not all coming from the Trump press, not by a long shot.