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

Forcing Cmd/Ctrl+click to ALWAYS open the link in a background tab - even in Google Docs?

  • 1 reply
  • 0 have this problem
  • 83 views
  • Last reply by hmijail

more options

My preferences are set so that "When you open a link, image or media in a new tab, switch to it immediately" is OFF. Therefore most of the time when I Cmd+click on a link, it opens on a new tab that loads in the background. This is what I want.

However, some websites break that behavior. 2 high-profile examples:

  • In Google Docs, if a piece of text links to an URL, clicking on the text shows a small window with the URL. Cmd+click on that URL opens it in a new tab, and takes me to that tab.
  • In Facebook Messenger, if I Cmd+click on a chat, again the chat opens in a new tab and I'm taken there. Additionally, the original tab activates that chat.

Interestingly, in both these cases, I get the right behavior if I right-click on the URL or in the chat and in the contextual menu choose "Open link in new window/tab/container tab": the new tab stays in the background.

So my question is: does anyone know of a way to always make cmd+click behave just like "Open link in new tab", no matter the website?

I'm on Firefox 115b4 on macOS, but this has been like this for years at least.

My preferences are set so that "When you open a link, image or media in a new tab, switch to it immediately" is OFF. Therefore ''most of the time'' when I Cmd+click on a link, it opens on a new tab that loads in the background. This is what I want. However, some websites break that behavior. 2 high-profile examples: * In '''Google Docs''', if a piece of text links to an URL, clicking on the text shows a small window with the URL. Cmd+click on that URL opens it in a new tab, '''and takes me to that tab'''. * In '''Facebook Messenger''', if I Cmd+click on a chat, again the chat opens in a new tab and '''I'm taken there'''. '''Additionally''', the original tab activates that chat. Interestingly, in both these cases, I get the right behavior if I right-click on the URL or in the chat and in the contextual menu choose "Open link in new window/tab/container tab": the new tab stays in the background. So my question is: does anyone know of a way to always make cmd+click behave just like "Open link in new tab", no matter the website? I'm on Firefox 115b4 on macOS, but this has been like this for years at least.

Chosen solution

I found older posts addressing this!

Confirmed solution: in about:config, ensure that browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground is true.

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (1)

more options

Chosen Solution

I found older posts addressing this!

Confirmed solution: in about:config, ensure that browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground is true.