This article answers some frequently asked questions about Pocket recommendations in the Firefox New Tab page.

What is Pocket and how does it relate to Firefox?

Pocket is owned by Mozilla and is part of the Mozilla family of products. Pocket’s mission is to empower people to consume exceptional stories worthy of their time and attention.

Pocket is Mozilla’s content platform and is built into the Firefox browser. Together, Pocket and Firefox expand reach and access to high-quality content while staying true to the values that drive us all: protecting the openness of the web and creating a content platform built around trust, privacy, and quality.

That’s why we work together to deliver some of the best stories out there – recommended by Pocket – directly into your Firefox new tab.

Why am I seeing these stories, from these publishers, in the Firefox new tab?

Pocket’s recommendations elevate stories that are worthy of your time and attention – the kind that inform, inspire, entertain, and offer new and unique perspectives. The stories are sourced from a wide and diverse assortment of publications with a track record of trustworthy and accurate coverage.

Pocket’s 30+ million global users help guide our curation by pointing us to thought-provoking essays, hidden gems, and fascinating deep-dives from across the web. Editors at Pocket then sift through the most-recommended and most-read stories and handpick the best to share with the wider Pocket and Firefox communities.

Regarding stories that are behind a paywall, click here for information about paywalled content in the new tab page of Firefox.

Are these stories in the new tab personalized to me?

For the most part, no. Most recommendations on your new tab come from a general list of the best stories on the web. But Pocket is actively exploring ways to deliver personalized recommendations in a way that vigorously protects users’ privacy. Importantly, neither Mozilla nor Pocket ever receives a copy of your browser history. When personalization does occur, recommendations rely on a process of story sorting and filtering that happens locally in your personal copy of Firefox.

Is information collected when I interact with these new tab recommendations? What information is collected and what controls do I have?

By default, when recommendations from Pocket are displayed on your new tab, we collect information about how many times they appear and how many times they are clicked. However, this information is not associated with any of the technical and interaction information about you or your copy of Firefox. You can learn more about the data we collect and you can opt out of data collection.

How do I use the Pocket feature that’s already included in my Firefox browser?

In addition to serving up thought-provoking stories in your new tab, Pocket also lets you save those stories – and anything else you find online, from articles to videos to links – with one click, and come back to them when you’re ready.

Activate your Pocket account and each time you come across something you want to save for later, click the Pocket icon on your toolbar. Then, when you’re ready to read, visit Pocket on any device, and your stories will be there waiting for you in a quiet, distraction-free space. Get the app on your phone or tablet to read offline, listen to your saved stories, and try out other focus-boosting tools.

If you don’t see the Pocket icon in your Firefox toolbar, you may have disabled Pocket or you may have removed the button. See Disable or re-enable Pocket for Firefox for tips to help.

Why do some new tab recommendations have a “sponsored by” label?

Pocket occasionally partners with select publishers and brands to deliver high-quality sponsored stories to our users. These stories will always be clearly marked, and you have control over whether they’re shown on your new tab page.

If you prefer to not see a sponsored story in your new tab, you can easily dismiss it by selecting the three-dot button next to the recommendations and clicking Dismiss. You can also permanently opt-out of viewing sponsored stories by following the instructions shared here.

Do sponsors receive data about me when I look at these stories in the new tab?

Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. Except for an aggregated total count of impressions and clicks that a particular item receives, sponsors do not receive any additional data from Pocket or Mozilla. We do not collect personally identifying data through these interactions, nor do we share it with our sponsors.

Why do I see stories with publication dates that aren’t from today?

Many of the best stories weren’t published in the past 24 hours, and Pocket is committed to elevating the web’s greatest stories, not just the latest ones.

I don’t want to see recommended stories on my new tab page. How do I turn this off?

If you prefer to not see articles recommended by Pocket in the new tab, you can remove them. Here’s how:

1. Click the Personalize button in the upper right corner of the new tab page.
2. Click the toggle to turn off Recommended by Pocket.
3. Click Close to finish.

For more detailed instructions, including information for Firefox on mobile devices, see Hide Pocket recommendations in Firefox.

I don’t want to see a specific story in the Recommended by Pocket new tab section. How do I remove it?

If you don’t like an article that was recommended by Pocket, you can dismiss it from the menu that appears when you select the three-dot button at the top right corner of the tile.

How can I customize the features on the new tab page aside from Pocket?

To learn how to customize the rest of the new tab page, see these articles:

• Customize your New Tab page to hide or display content
• Customize items on your Firefox New Tab page

What if I want to opt out of data collection?

Pocket and Firefox collect technical and usage data by default, but you can turn this off at any time.

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button and select Settings.
2. Select the Privacy & Security panel.
3. Scroll down to the Firefox Data Collection and Use section.
4. Uncheck the box next to Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla.

To learn more about what data Mozilla receives and how it's used, see Mozilla's Firefox Privacy Notice. To learn more about what data Pocket receives and how it's used, see Pocket’s Privacy Policy.

I like these recommended stories. How can I see more?

Visit Pocket’s Discover page to find more of the best stories out there.