No one has seen this before? I don't want to click on it for fear of releasing something.

That is the Hello button to start a conversation via WebRTC (Real-Time Communications).

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/where-firefox-hello-button
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/firefox-hello-make-receive-calls-without-account

You can right-click that button and use "Remove from Toolbar" to move the button to the Customize palette.

Thanks for the reply.

Hello,

I am glad to hear that your problem has been resolved. If you haven't already, please select the answer that solves the problem. This will help other users with similar problems find the solution more easily.

Thank you for contacting Mozilla Support.

Yes, the right-click and remove from toolbar option works -- but only for the current FF session. When I close and re-open FF, the button reappears.

How do I remove it permanently? I cannot locate it in the User.js file (which I edited to remove the equally annoying 'share this page' button).

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-fix-preferences-wont-save

Thanks. This was how I learned how to edit the User.js file. And it is the specific text in this file for the 'start a conversation' button that I am trying to identify/locate (so that I can delete it to permanently remove the button).

I'm not sure I can state my quesion any more clearly than I have in my two posts here.

The toolbar customization is stored in the browser.uiCustomization.state pref that you should find in the prefs.js file. You shouldn't set this pref via a user.js file because that will prevent making any changes to the toolbar customization.

Try to rename (or delete) the xulstore.json file in the Firefox profile folder in case there is a problem with this file.

You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

Thanks, but I can't find any reference to the 'start a conversation' button here. Does it have a different description?

user_pref("browser.uiCustomization.state", "{\"placements\":{\"PanelUI-contents\":[\"edit-controls\",\"zoom-controls\",\"new-window-button\",\"privatebrowsing-button\",\"save-page-button\",\"print-button\",\"history-panelmenu\",\"fullscreen-button\",\"find-button\",\"preferences-button\",\"add-ons-button\",\"developer-button\",\"abp-toolbarbutton\",\"https-everywhere-button\"],\"addon-bar\":[\"addonbar-closebutton\",\"customizableui-special-spring1\",\"status-bar\"],\"PersonalToolbar\":[\"personal-bookmarks\"],\"nav-bar\":[\"unified-back-forward-button\",\"urlbar-container\",\"reload-button\",\"stop-button\",\"search-container\",\"webrtc-status-button\",\"bookmarks-menu-button\",\"home-button\",\"window-controls\",\"downloads-button\",\"loop-button-throttled\",\"ghostery-button-container\"],\"TabsToolbar\":[\"tabbrowser-tabs\",\"new-tab-button\",\"alltabs-button\",\"tabs-closebutton\"],\"toolbar-menubar\":[\"menubar-items\"]},\"seen\":[\"abp-toolbarbutton\",\"toggle-button--jid1-zadieub7xozojwjetpack-ddg-toolbar-button\"],\"dirtyAreaCache\":[\"addon-bar\",\"PersonalToolbar\",\"nav-bar\",\"TabsToolbar\",\"toolbar-menubar\",\"PanelUI-contents\"],\"currentVersion\":3,\"newElementCount\":1}");

OK... The prefs.js file refers to about:config. A search here for "conversation" locates this:

loop.support_url https://support.mozilla.org/kb/group-conversations-firefox-hello-webrtc status = default

This matches the \"loop-button-throttled\" content of the prefs.js "browser.uiCustomization.state". So if I delete this will the button disappear?

You can set the loop.enabled pref to false on the about:config page by double-clicking that line to disable Hello and remove the button.

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I'll be careful" to continue.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

Got it! Thanks very much!

The selected solution only removes the button from toolbar, however the code, ports and connection to loop is still open and firefox can be connected using that port, which is a very good backdoor for spying!

To remove it completely one have to open omni.ja file and remove all the scripts related to loop ("start a conversation" and "share this page") which is impossible to open because its format is not a standard zip and tools to open it does not exists anymore (outdated, removed or not working anymore).

if there was a good intention of making this stuff, firefox developers could put it as an extension which was possible to enable/disable. I want it removed from my browser and don't want to see this kind of stuff on it again. If a checkbox to enable javascript makes firefox complicated, this one for sure does a hell worst job in complicating problems. JUST REMOVE IT

stuie said

Out of the blue, there's a new icon that has appeared on my control panel. When I place my cursor over it, it says "Start a conversation". What is it, and how do I get rid of it? Richard Stewart

Telling some opf us that :"That is the Hello button to start a conversation via WebRTC (Real-Time Communications)." is typical of answers that we get. What is WebRTC? HOW ABOUT AN EXPLANATION FOR PEOPLE THAT REALLY DON'T KNOW COMPUTERS?

You can find two links to knowledge base articles in the reply that is marked as the solution.

Did you read those articles?

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/where-firefox-hello-button
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/firefox-hello-make-receive-calls-without-account