Firefox 127: Controversial Changes and Dissatisfied Users
Firefox remains a favorite browser for many users, but the latest update has led to lost tabs and made private browsing mode more noticeable, raising privacy concerns.
What’s New in Firefox 127?
The latest update, Firefox 127, was released on June 11 with a short list of changes: automatic restart when the OS restarts, closing duplicate tabs, and requiring additional authentication to access saved passwords. However, one change not mentioned in the release notes has sparked user dissatisfaction.
Removal of Private Window Icon Separation
Previously, there was an option called browser.privateWindowSeparation.enabled, which, since Firefox 106 in October 2022, allowed users to separate icons for regular and private windows on the taskbar. In version 127, this option was removed, leading to numerous complaints on Mozilla forums and Reddit. Previously, this setting could be changed via about:config, but that is no longer possible.
Users have voiced their frustration, but in an official response to a complaint, Mozilla stated that the option will return as a customizable feature in Firefox 128.
Issues with Master Password and Session Loss
If a master password is set, the browser now prompts for it upon restart. The dialog window may not appear in the foreground, and if the user misses it, the session can be lost. This has caused user dissatisfaction, and while there is a workaround, it is fairly complicated.
Private Mode Changes on iOS
Another change in private mode, which has received negative feedback, affects Firefox users on iOS. According to one discussion, if both a main and a private session are open, closing the main session will also close all tabs in the private session. Additionally, the ability to open the browser by default in private mode has disappeared.
Background and User Sentiment
Mozilla browsers have been used since the mid-1990s. To prevent loss of saved sessions, users previously relied on the Xmarks extension to sync between browsers, but it was discontinued in 2018.
Despite these issues, Firefox remains popular among advanced users. However, it seems that Mozilla’s leadership may not fully realize this, as evidenced by recent changes and company actions.