Pinned Tabs - keep favorite websites open and just a click away

Revision Information
  • Revision id: 11543
  • Created:
  • Creator: David Tenser
  • Comment: Changing "Panorama" reference to "Tab Groups" and decapitalizing "Right-click"
  • Reviewed: Yes
  • Reviewed:
  • Reviewed by: djst
  • Is approved? Yes
  • Is current revision? No
  • Ready for localization: No
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Revision Content

App Tabs allow you to always keep your favorite web apps like Facebook, Gmail and Twitter open and just a click away. App Tabs are small, can't be closed accidentally and open automatically when you start Firefox. This article goes over the features of App Tabs and will show you how use them.

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Why should I use App Tabs?

The internet is now full of websites that we use more like programs than just static pages. Popular sites like Facebook and Gmail are like this – they're used to accomplish tasks (or to avoid accomplishing tasks), they update themselves and notify you when they've changed. App Tabs allow you to pin any website to the left side of the tab bar so that it's always available. App Tab example

How do I make an App Tab?

The easiest way to see how useful App Tabs are is to make one.

  1. Right-clickControl-click on the tab you want to turn into an App Tab and select Pin as App Tab from the menu.


Try it out: Try turning one of your favorite websites (email, internet radio, social networks) into an App Tab. They're easy to create and super handy.

How do I remove an App Tab?

Turning an App Tab back into a regular tab is simple.

  1. Right-clickControl-click on the App Tab and select Unpin Tab from the menu.

How are App Tabs different than normal tabs?

  • App Tabs are small – only showing the site's icon, not it's title – and they live on the left side of the tab bar.
  • App Tabs don't have a close button so you can't accidentally close them.
    • You can still close them by right-clickingControl-clicking on them and selecting Close Tab from the menu or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + WCommand + W.
  • App Tabs notify you with a blue highlight when they change.
    • If you have Gmail set as an App Tab, for example, and you are using a different tab when a new email is received, your Gmail tab will glow.
  • All of the App Tabs you have set when you close Firefox will open as App Tabs when you start Firefox again.
  • Links to new websites open in a new tab so that your App Tab doesn't change.
    • Many web apps, like Facebook, already do this but an App Tab will make this happen even when the website isn't set to do it.

App Tabs in Tab Groups

Tab Groups (also known as Panorama) are a great way to organize and group your tabs. In the Tab Groups window your App Tabs are represented by their site's icon on the right side of each tab group.