Navigation buttons like back, home, bookmarks and reload are missing

Revision Information
  • Revision id: 11248
  • Created:
  • Creator: scoobidiver
  • Comment: updated for fx4, added keywords
  • Reviewed: No
  • Ready for localization: No
Revision Source
Revision Content

The Navigation Bar contains the Location Bar and the buttons used to navigate websites. If the Back button, Forward button, Location bar, or other toolbar items are missing, this article will show you how to restore them.

Showing the Navigation Toolbar

You may have the Navigation Toolbar hidden.

If the Menu bar is not visible, press Alt to make it appear.
  1. Right-clickHold down the Control key while you click on an empty section of the Tab StripAt the top of the Firefox windowOn the menu bar, click on the View menu, select the Toolbars menu.
  2. If Navigation Toolbar is not checked, click on it to put a check mark by it.
    Toolbar items missing - Win1

    e85e05e3169b2a4329eca5d032f0621a-1259987618-13-2.png

If showing the Navigation Toolbar does not restore your missing buttons, continue to the next section.


Restore the default toolbar set

If the Menu bar is not visible, press Alt to make it appear.
  1. Right-clickHold down the Control key while you click on an empty section of the Tab StripAt the top of the Firefox windowOn the menu bar, click on the View menu, select the Toolbars menu, and then select the Customize... item. The Customize Toolbar window will open.
  2. Click Restore Default Set

    e85e05e3169b2a4329eca5d032f0621a-1259987618-13-1.png
  3. Click Done to dismiss the Customize Toolbars window.

The default toolbar buttons should now appear in their default locations. If you would like to rearrange your toolbar items, see Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars. If your toolbar buttons are still missing, continue to the next section.


Check for interfering add-ons

An extension or theme may be preventing toolbar items from being displayed. To determine if this is the cause, see Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems.


Reset toolbars and controls

If the above methods fail to restore your toolbar buttons: First, start Firefox's Use Troubleshoot Mode in Firefox:

  1. Click the menu button Fx89menuButton, click Help, select Troubleshoot Mode… and click Restart in the Restart Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode? dialog.

    Note: You can also start Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode by holding down the Shift key while starting Firefox.holding down the option key while starting Firefox.quitting Firefox and then going to your Terminal and running: firefox -safe-mode
    You may need to specify the Firefox installation path (for example /usr/lib/firefox).
  2. Check mark Reset toolbars and controls.
  3. Click Make Changes and Restart to restart Firefox

    e85e05e3169b2a4329eca5d032f0621a-1259976510-647-1.png

The default toolbar buttons should now appear in their default locations.