Firefox 98.0 changes to downloading files options

Firefox 98 changes how to download files. Now it’s done automatically. I would like to go back to the old method (it’s me who decides where I recover my files). According to the release notes, the old method can be restored. Do you have information about this?

Thanks.

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@maycne.sonahoz: Thanks.

I don’t like the new method.

Mine is done the old way, not automatic I have to click. I want it automatic.

Firefox 98 release notes has a link to more information about changes to download options
Changes to how file downloads are handled in Firefox version 98 | Firefox Help

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I cannot promise anyone working for them will read anything you write, but Mozilla does provide a couple of places where you can comment on their Firefox design decisions:

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@AlanP Here’s the relevant place to vote: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/please-revert-the-downloads-system/idi-p/1220

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The discussion you linked to has a suggestion for how to change Firefox back to old behaviour

Ujudkma     03-13-2022 11:10 AM

you are able to revert by opening Firefox and typing “about:config”. Then click on “Accept the Risk and Continue” button.

  1. Type improvements in Search filter box and look for following preference in the window:
    browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel

The preference value is set to true by default, which means the new automatic download behavior is activated and enabled in Firefox.

  1. Deactivate and disable the new behavior and restore classic download prompt feature by double-clicking on the browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel preference and set it to false.
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Think I’ll give them a suggestion myself. Like telling them not to name the section improvements cause that’s a matter of opinion if it’s actually a improvement. The setting should of stayed under preferences where it belongs. What’s next making users have to go to about:config to allow multiple startup pages and be able to change the default home page? Luckily I use a third party download manager.

It’s an improvement to me, as for me it just saves me a click. :wink:

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Hence why I explicitly said a matter of opinion.

You can define any change in any software as a matter of opinion. Someone is always gonna like the old way better.

I want to approve each download before it happens, is there still a way to do this?
Firefox no longer shows the dialog because downloads are usually intentional. Having to click a second time for a download to start is usually unnecessary.

So they’re telling you you don’t need such controls? :clown_face:

This was a setting buried in preference that unless one went to edit preferences one never saw the setting. So there was actually no legitimate reason to hide it in about:config. The IDIOT dev or devs that decided to waste time hiding something that didn’t need to be hidden further should of been laughed off the design team. I can just see this being a step towards making the home page where you can only have one and not be able to change it from whatever Mozilla decides it should be.

@Jaypee YEP taking a page straight from Microsoft and Apple. You will do it our way period.

To be blunt it past time Manjaro stop including FireFloCKEDat all and do as they did witrh the one version and include a stable and privacy centric browser like Vivaldi.

I totally agree with them:
maycne.sonahoz
nikgnomic
also add “to always see the download button again”.
https://www.askvg.com/tip-restore-missing-downloads-button-on-firefox-toolbar/

thanks to both of you

Restore old behavior
Unfortunately, Mozilla has decided not to leave it up to the classic user to decide how downloads should take place, as a preference option for the behavior (i.e., whether new or old) is missing. Fortunately, there is (still) the possibility for savvy users to restore the old behavior via about:config. The key for this is browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel, whose value is true by default. If you change it to false, the download dialog will be displayed again. Regardless of the name choice, which unfortunately summarizes many changes under the term “improvements”, one must of course know that this change (and thus the old behavior) is no longer supported and could thus also be removed in the future.

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I see we have a bunch of children that don’t like the truth. Mozilla has almost as bad a history as Microsoft at making changes either just to make them or to force the enduser to do things only their way.

They are considering listening.

In bureaucratic/corporate terms, this is the closest we get to progress. They want to hear more noise before they will commit actually to reading the comments.

“Your idea is one step closer to reaching our internal teams for review” – Mozilla community admin

That it was their idea and should have been reviewed more closely to begin with is conveniently left out here but we have their attention.
Almost.
More noise, please.

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On another topic, i made a new idea about the View Image change from version 88.

The link is dead.