How does Facebook Messenger for Firefox work?

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Facebook Messenger for Firefox lets you use Facebook in a special sidbebar so there's no need to switch between tabs.

Note: This applies to the latest Firefox Beta version which can be downloaded from mozilla.org/beta.

Turn on Facebook Messenger for Firefox

In order to use Messenger for Firefox you'll need the latest Firefox Beta (download it here) and a Facebook account. Then follow these steps to turn the feature on:

  1. Visit facebook.com and log into your account.
  2. Facebook will display a message asking if you want to enable Messenger for Firefox.
  3. Click OK and the Facebook Messenger sidebar will appear on the right side of the Firefox window.

If you have the latest Firefox Beta and are logged into your Facebook account and don't get an offer to turn Messenger for Firefox on or if you declined the invitation, follow these steps to turn it on at any time:

  1. Log into your Facebook account at facebook.com
  2. Visit facebook.com/about/messenger-for-firefox
  3. Click the green Turn On button. The messenger sidebar will open and confirmation message will be shown.
  4. Click OK in the confirmation message to turn the feature on.

How to use Facebook Messenger for Firefox

Facebook Messenger for Firefox allows you to do many things without actually going to Facebook.

View your notifications, friend requests and messages

When you enable Facebook Messenger for Firefox you'll get four buttons added to the right side of the navigation toolbar:

  • Facebook button: Click to access your Facebook profile, show or hide the sidebar and show or hide desktop notifications.
  • The Messages, Friends and Notifications buttons work just like the ones on Facebook. Click them to see your recent friend requests, messages and notifications.

View and reply to posts

If the ticker is active on your Facebook account it will show up in the sidebar. Just mouse over the entries to see details, play videos, like, comment and share.

Don't see the ticker? See the Facebook help article, Why don't I see ticker on my account?

Chat with friends

  • Just click on a friend's name in the chat section of the sidebar to send them a message. Messages you send will become part of your ongoing conversation on Facebook.
    • If you don't see the person you want in the list, you can use the search field at the bottom to find them.

You can log out of chat by clicking the gear menu in the bottom right-hand corner and selecting Turn Off Chat.

Learn more about Facebook Chat: See the Facebook help article, Chat Basics.

Like websites from the address bar

  • Facebook Messenger for Firefox includes a Like button in your address bar. Just click it to like the website you're on.

Websites that you've liked may appear in your timeline. You can review items in your Facebook activity log.

Facebook Messenger for Firefox and your privacy

The same preferences you’ve set in your privacy settings on facebook.com apply when you’re using Messenger for Firefox. Enabling this feature doesn't change what Facebook can see about your online behavior. When you use the Like button in the address bar, for example, Facebook only sees that website - they don't get to track you. For more on this subject, see the Mozilla blog post Being social with privacy in mind.

Turn off Facebook Messenger for Firefox

Got to get some work done? Here's how to temporarily turn things off.

Show or hide the sidebar

  • Click the Facebook button in the toolbar and select Show sidebar to toggle the sidebar on and off.

With the sidebar off, you will still see friend requests, messages and notifications.

Log in or out of Messenger for Firefox

  • With the sidebar open, click the gear menu in the botton right-hand corner and select Log Out to log out of Facebook. The Friends, Messages and Notifications buttons will be removed from the toolbar.
  • To log back in, open the sidebar if it's not already open and click the Log In button. A tab with the Facebook login screen will open. Once you log in there the sidebar will fill in with the ticker and chat sections.

Completely disable Messenger for Firefox

If you'd rather not use Messenger for Firefox you can completely disable it with these steps:

  • At the top of the Firefox window, click the Tools menu and select Facebook Messenger for Firefox. The sidebar will close and the buttons will be removed from your toolbar.
  1. Press the Alt key to temporarily display the menu bar.
  2. At the top of the Firefox window, click the Tools menu and select Facebook Messenger for Firefox. The sidebar will close and the buttons will be removed from your toolbar.
  • On the menu bar, click the Tools menu and select Facebook Messenger for Firefox. The sidebar will close and the buttons will be removed from your toolbar.