this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2024
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Firefox

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Once upon a time, we could click an arrow in the address bar and see a list of our most visited sites.

How do we restore that functionality? Unlike the average modern internet user, I actually use more than just 5 sites pretty frequently.

Before "designers" were unleashed onto the world, we had the ability to scroll the list in the address bar so we rarely if ever have to type when it's a site we frequently visit.

Fast-forward to 10 years ago, and the hip/cool thing was apparently to remove as much functionality as possible if a certain competing browser did not support it.

I would like to move away from this "trend" of having to remember and type things out when in the past we had computers to do it for us.

In that effort, how can I restore the "old" (but better!) functionality of the firefox address bar? I don't need to see "recent searches," as I've legitimately never clicked on any of them. I just want the plain, simple, straightforward, functional dropdown menu back that our ancestors were able to use.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago

The bookmark bar has the "Most Visited" sites: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/bookmarks-toolbar-display-favorite-websites Looks like there is no option to restore this functionality in the address bar since it was removed 4 years ago: https://www.ghacks.net/2020/06/08/how-to-display-most-visited-pages-in-firefoxs-address-bar/

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I use the new tab screen as my homepage, I've set it to show 3 rows in the grid and it's populated by the most visited sites. Make sure to turn off sponsored links and pocket.

I pin my personal favourites so they stop moving around in order.

It's not the functionality you use. I agree I find the default list from the address bar pointless - I don't need my search history, and when I do type to search I want to see my bookmarks but instead I get a confused list of history and bookmarks mixed up.

I don't like how Firefox has taken so many design cues from Chrome. Chrome is not the epitome of browsers or good design - it dominates because of Google shoving it down everyone's throats. Some of what it did to streamline and speed up browser made sense but mostly what it does is push Googles products, so of course it pushes search and your search history in the address bar - Google wants you back on its site where it cna sell you to advertisers.