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Firefox Facts

Love (or Disable) the New Tab Button in Firefox

Posted: July 3, 2009 | Filed Under Hacks, Tabbed Browsing

New Tab Button in Firefox

Love it, or hate it – Firefox got one more addition to it’s browser that seems to have gotten a mixed reaction from the fans. The open new tab button rests at the end of your tab bar in Firefox 3.5 giving you an easier user interface to open a new tab. 

Clicking on the little “+” icon at the end of your open tabs, opens a new tab.  Seems simple enough, and I do like the fact that it gives one more clean way for new users to instantly figure it out. 

How do I remove the new tab button?  Well, if you are handy with editing your userChrome.css file – this should be an easy customization to put in place.  Just add this line:

.tabs-newtab-button {display: none;}

To edit your userChrome.css file, you must first locate it inside of your profile folder.  Depending on your operating system of choice, that location might differ.  Check out "where is my Firefox profile folder?” for more information.

So how do you feel, love the new icon or is it in your way?

| More

Related Firefox Tips and Tricks

Remove the Clutter from Firefox
Remove the Toolbar Clutter
By design, Firefox is pretty easy to customize as far as the toolbars on the top go. You just have to right click on some empty space up there, then choose “Customize”. From there you can drag things

hide the new tab button icon, until clicked
8 Stylish Tweaks for the New Tab Button
Firefox 3.5’s new tab button has already been established as a feature some people like and some people could do without.  However, what if you could tweak it visually to meet your needs?  That is what some people have done,

Firefox Tabs on Bottom of Window
Move Firefox Tabs to the Bottom
Want to change up how you use Firefox? Some other browsers did the whole “tabs on the bottom” thing – and yes, Firefox can even pull off this trick with a little hacking around with the UserChrome.css file. Here is

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  • Zax
    absolutely hate it. so much so, that i'm spending half an hour learning how to do all this just to get rid of it!
  • Rich
    Objectively, it's a good addition...

    BUT it should be easily customizable. I would prefer to have it disabled on my systems. I will not use it so it is just wasted space. I have already reduced the minimum width of the tabs so that I can fit more in the space.
  • fullalove
    How do I add the new tab button? I've got it on another PC and find it really useful.
  • Try right-clicking on the upper interface, go to Customize, then drag the new tab button onto the Firefox interface. :) That will add a specific new button in. By default, Firefox 3.5 and up should also have a new tab button at the end of the tab toolbar.
  • fullalove
    Thanks - I have upgraded to 3.5 and now have it
  • David A
    Very useful information, Thank you!


    Folder location on Windows 7:
    %appdata%/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/ftz0ce5v.default/chrome

    Note that ‘ftz0ce5v’ is randomly generated by Firefox so you will see something slightly different.
  • Fauxbo
    The annoying purple tab bar makes me sorry I
    ever downloaded 3.5.
  • Transcontinental
    I've disabled it:
    .tabs-newtab-button { display: none !important; }

    I don't know, bothers me. I seldom call for a new tab anyway.
  • dj
    That is a great fix to unclutter the FF3.5 UI. I use the keyboard a lot, so that button was just taking up screen real estate. I googled and googled to find that one and more to make the FF3.5 UI simple and efficient again. It's time I do learn to do it myself using the DOM Inspector. I'd love to see a tutorial on FF3.5 using DOM or FireBug to find the ids and classes to modify FF. Perhaps a topic for a future entry here? Thank you.

    I use the tiny menu, more tools, and all-in-one sidebar addons. I'm happy they are compatible. Unfortunately my bookmark addons (I upgaded form 2.18) aren't compatible, like locate in bookmark folder, link checker, duplicate check (with real-time checking), etc. :-(

    Tks.
  • Long overdue (I never have empty space to double-click on my tab bar) but it should be on the left end of the bar like in Konqueror. (Open button on the left end, close on the right)

    I'll experiment with that when my webdev profile's extensions stop breaking FX 3.5's DNS resolution.
  • Transcontinental
    Double-click on the tab bar, providing available space, quite true. I know there is a 'Stylish' style that does that, forgot which one.
  • eknirb
    I found out why it disappeared- the theme I installed wiped it out.
  • robert drexler
    IT'S not like it get's in the way of anything. people on the internet alway's have to whine about something. Even if it makes no sense at all.
  • Winnorf
    Can't figure what it is used for. Why does anyone need a black page opened?
  • Transcontinental
    You meant 'blank'
  • eknirb
    that little botton disappeared. was there last nite- now it's not.
  • Quill
    Takes up far to much room. It's been gone on my system ever since it appeared. I just love userChrome :)
  • how to compete with IE? be like them.. lol

    FF is FF, IE is .... (put by urself)
  • alienkid
    It's to much like IE. I find it useless because you can just double click the tab bar.
  • Bill
    It sucks!!
  • j-nny
    yup agree with double click and also it looks little bit like other open tab in some themes
  • Basscelffan
    I agree this was something I immediately missed from IE--also did not know you could open a new tab by double-clicking.
  • Transcontinental
    I agree!
  • Sara
    I had no idea you could open a new tab just by double-clicking the tab bar! Thanks for the tip. :) I like the new tab button - it was one of the features that I missed from using IE.
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