Q: Why did you change the address bar?

A: We continuously drive to improve our features and user experience, learning about how people use browsers and connect to the internet. While we don’t run our own search engine, it is a core function and primary use cases of the browser and we believe that the Firefox search experience delivers value to our users above and beyond what our search partners provide by integrating all information seeking tools into the address bar.  

We believe the address bar is the single best place we can provide ways for people to easily connect to the services and information they seek. To that end, we researched a number of ways to improve how search can be improved, talking directly to our existing and potential users and diving deep into existing industry research. The changes that were released with Firefox v75 highlights ways that users can search faster from any tab, and the results display to highlight potential related searches, open tabs, history and bookmarks making it easier to find new and past search results.

Q: I like the new awesome bar, but would it have been possible to have an option to turn it on or off, evaluate the usage of that control, then remove or keep the feature?

A: At this current time, there is not an option to disable the changes to the address bar. We also do not have plans for an option to run this off. The visual elements are part of the Firefox Photon theme. [note: Some users may have found a pref under about:config but that will be removed come Fx 77 given that our feature testing is complete.]

On a related note, we have received feedback that the animation may potentially cause issues for those sensitive to motion on displays.  To reduce motion on your Mac display, go to Settings → Accessibility → Display to check off Reduce motion. To reduce motion on your Windows display, go to Settings → Ease of Access → Display → Simplify and personalise Windows to set "Show animation in Windows" to off. At this current time, there is not an option to disable the changes to the address bar.

Q: Is the overall goal of Fx UX to create a unique identity for Firefox from other browsers or to be similar (to help people move across from other browsers)?

A:  Our unique contribution to the browser marketplace is our ongoing focus on helping people connect to the internet in the most privacy forward way possible and to achieve what they set out to do when they go online. The goal of UX is to help people get to the action they seek to achieve in the simplest and quickest way possible in a way that is uniquely Firefox.  We’re focused on building products that solve real problems in ways that people love and find valuable. In the case of the new address bar, the visual design helps to highlight that the address bar is a clear starting point, saving multiple clicks for people. Because that change is a bit different than the address bars in other browsers, it becomes one piece of the Firefox identity.

Q: Are there plans for improvements in this area to make the megabar & bookmarks toolbar coexist better or if there are even ideas for integrating them.

A: We are learning from user behavior and feedback on how to continue to refine the search experience in Firefox to drive maximum value for our users. With inputs like this, we are able to integrate user feedback into future research and development. The top sites feature was designed to be a way to access your most visited sites and bookmarks in a way that’s discoverable (and doesn’t permanently take up screen real estate).

The recent changes to the search results make it easier to surface potential results that users may have already saved in their bookmarks and we are already taking into account how the bookmarks toolbar and the address bar will coexist even more harmoniously in the upcoming releases, with an update as soon as in Firefox 76.

Q: Will the function of the "solution buttons" (search interventions) in search results always remain limited to Firefox installations in English language only or are there plans to deliver this function to other locales in the future?

A: Yes, there is a plan to expand into other languages. We are currently exploring which language locales to expand into first.