Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Firefox search appears after screenshot

more options

Ever since updating to Firefox 35, when I take a screenshot by holding the home and power buttons together, Firefox search pops up with a list of my Firefox search history and a search prompt. How can I disable this? Android 4.4

Ever since updating to Firefox 35, when I take a screenshot by holding the home and power buttons together, Firefox search pops up with a list of my Firefox search history and a search prompt. How can I disable this? Android 4.4

Chosen solution

I think I know your issue.

In later android versions, in settings, when long pressing the home button, you can make it to do a search, shown in the screenshot below. Try changing this in settings--buttons--and under home button, tap "long press action" to change what it will do when long pressed. I hope this helps so that you can take a screenshot however way!

If this doesn't work, then I'm stumped too. Sorry for the trouble, but at least you have found another way to take a screenshot!

wow I had lots of misspellings

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (14)

more options

Hi cc543

What model of phone are you using?

I have tried my Samsung Galaxy S5 running Android 4.4.2 and screenshots don't invoke the Firefox for Android 35 search widget.

Please let us know so we can help you best:

  1. What model of phone you are using?
  2. What steps do you follow exactly? What happened? What did you expect? (I think you already gave this but just in case you missed out on details.

Cheers!

...Roland

Modified by Roland Tanglao

more options

I'm using an HTC One running android 4.4.3. I'm taking a screenshot by pressing down power and home, which has never invoked the Firefox search widget until the most recent update.

more options

Hi cc543:

I just upgraded my HTC One M7 running Android 4.4.3 from Firefox 34 to Firefox 35 and took a screenshot: i) of Firefox on the twitter website ii) the home scrren using power and home and the search widget was not invoked.

  1. Are you using the HTC One M7 from 2013 or the HTC One M8 from 2014? If you are using the M8, I'll see if I can find somebody to test the M8 on Monday.
  2. Regardless of whether you are using the M7 or M8, there may be other things causing this problem e.g. Are you using any special Android custom mods, firmware or hacks ? If so try uninstalling them. Are you using any Firefox Add-ons? (Firefox Settings | Tools | Addons) ? If so please try uninstalling them.

Happy 2nd to last weekend of January!

...Roland

more options

It's the T-Mobile M7. It's not rooted, I am running the carrier stock Android. I have one add on that uninstalling did not change. Google Now (which previously was invoked by screenshoting with home and power) has been disabled. Not sure what else to try...

more options

Hi cc543

How exactly did you disable Google Now? I disabled it via the Google Settings App and I still can't reproduce your problem.

Thanks for clarifying that it's the T-Mobile HTC One M7. I have the plain jane HTC One M7 (not the google play edition). Surprised that I don't see the problem! Hard to believe that T-Mobile could add software that would make Firefox Search widget appear when doing a screen shot but stranger things have happened :-(

I'll ask around and see if anybody has a T-Mobile M7 and can reproduce it and then I will look for and file a bug if necessary.

Cheers!

...Roland

more options

I disabled the entire Google app in Settings > Apps > Google > Disable, which disabled Google Now. I uninstalled and reinstalled FF, re-enabled the Google app, and now when I screenshot, I get a prompt asking if I want Google or Firefox Search to handle the invocation!

more options

happy monday cc43

I am stumped. I can't reproduce your problem but I wasn't able to follow your steps. Here's what you wrote (and what I did in italics)

  1. I disabled the entire Google app in Settings > Apps > Google > Disable, which disabled Google Now. (to be precise: I disabled Google App not Google)
  2. I uninstalled and reinstalled FF - I couldn't reinstall FF without re-enabling Google App so I re-enabled it first, how did you do this?
  3. re-enabled the Google app, and now when I screenshot, I get a prompt asking if I want Google or Firefox Search to handle the invocation - For me, I don't get a Google or Firefox Search when I hold Power and Volume down; I just get a screenshot

Any more insight on what you did exactly would be helpful. I could file a bug but disabling the Google App is not something people normally do and Android does warn you that this can cause problems so unfortunately I doubt the development team will fix it.

cheers!

....Roland

more options

The Google app really has nothing to do with the problem. Many moons ago, Google Now started appearing when I did a screenshot using the power + home method, so I researched and found a solution online to disable the Google app. That fixed the problem. I was screenshotting away happily until, it seems, the latest Firefox update, which caused the Firefox Search widget to be invoked when I did a screenshot with power + home, just like the Google app used to (even though it was still disabled.)

Just for fun, I re-enabled the Google app to see what would happen now that two apps would want to be invoked when I did power + home, and that's what happened - a popup asking if I wanted Firefox Search or Google to handle the action.

As a side note, I've discovered I can also screenshot by pressing power + volume down, and that seems to work fine, so I may just do that from now on...

more options

Chosen Solution

I think I know your issue.

In later android versions, in settings, when long pressing the home button, you can make it to do a search, shown in the screenshot below. Try changing this in settings--buttons--and under home button, tap "long press action" to change what it will do when long pressed. I hope this helps so that you can take a screenshot however way!

If this doesn't work, then I'm stumped too. Sorry for the trouble, but at least you have found another way to take a screenshot!

wow I had lots of misspellings

Modified by Ererer

more options

Hi cc543:

"As a side note, I've discovered I can also screenshot by pressing power + volume down, and that seems to work fine, so I may just do that from now on..."

I'm glad power + volume down works for you. YES! (should have suggested this sooner!)

I know it doesn't help but neither power + home NOR power + volume down on my S5 cause the problem. Strange. All's well that ends well. I might file a bug just to document this in case others find the same problem!

Thanks for your patience and glad a workaround was found!

Cheers!

....Roland

Modified by Roland Tanglao

more options

Hi Ererer

"In layer android versions, in settings, when long a pressing the home button, you can !make it to do a search, shown in the screenshot below. Try changing this in settings--buttons--and under home button, yap "long press action" to change what it will do when long pressed. I hope this helps so that you can take a screenshot however way!"

This sounds like a great solution, only one problem I don't see a Buttons setting on my S5 running 4.4.2

So the question is:

Which Android OS and version are you using? Which phone or tablet? I don't see "Buttons" on my S5 4.4.2 and my Nexus 5 running 5.0.1

more options

Hi Roland Tanglao,

If it isn't there, it might be under "interface" or "display". I am sorry if this didn't work...I use CyanogenMod 11 Kitkat 4.4.2, so it might be different or not even there...

Sorry about that!

Modified by Ererer

more options

Ererer, thanks! Found what you were talking about. For mine with HTC Sense, it's under Settings > Display, Gestures & Buttons > Home (under the "buttons" heading). There are two options for configuring what the home button does, "swipe up or press and hold for Google Now" or "swipe up for Google Now, press and hold for menu." I had it selected to the first option, but I changed it to the second, and voila, the problem is gone. I can now screenshot with power + home and power + volume down without invoking Google Now or Firefox Search. Huzzah! Thanks for the help, everyone.

more options

Got it!

Settings > Display, Gestures & Buttons > Home (under the "buttons" heading). There are two options for configuring what the home button does, "swipe up or press and hold for Google Now" or "swipe up for Google Now, press and hold for menu.

works on my HTC One M7 too I don't know why I tested on the S5!