Set the Integer pref browser.sessionhistory.max_entries to 0 on the about:config page.

To open the about:config page, type about:config in the location (address) bar and press the "Enter" key, just like you type the url of a website to open a website.
If you see a warning then you can confirm that you want to access that page.

• Use the Filter bar at to top of the about:config page to locate a preference more easily.
• Preferences that have been modified show as bold (user set).
• Preferences can be reset to the default via the right-click context menu if they are user set
• Preferences can be changed via the right-click context menu: Modify (String or Integer) or Toggle (Boolean)

Thanks very much. I have now tried this, but it seems to disable the back button altogether (it remains greyed out all the time, even after visiting several pages). I also tried setting the value to 1, with the same result I'm afraid.

I'm guessing that there must be a setting somewhere to either remove this drop down menu, or increase the time delay before it appears. Although my finger cannot move off the button within the approximate 1 second that the current trigger detects, I could manage if the delay was 2 or 3 seconds I think. I've searched in vain for such a setting, to no avail (although I am far from being competent!).

I can see this being a serious accessibility problem for anyone with limited mobility, so am sure that a fix would help a lot of people. After many years of using Firefox I'm stealing myself to try another browser, as it really is painfully difficult to use for those like myself now.

Yes, sorry about that,I realized later that that is most likely not what you want, but decided to leave it.

The list only opens if you tap that button for a longer period.
So try a short tap on either button to avoid opening the list.

Thanks again. I would love to be physically able to give the left button a short tap! My problem is that I have limited dexterity in my fingers. They take a while to move, longer than the delay before the drop down menu appears. I guess I will just have to switch to another browser if there's no work around, not something I'm looking forward to.

You can use that list and open the previous tab just above the one that appears bold and has a bullet.

The current active entry has a bullet in front of it.
If you hover an entry in the tab session history list with the mouse then you see an arrow at the left side pointing left (Back) or right (Forward) to show the direction.
You can left click an item to open it in the current tab or middle-click or Ctrl left-click an entry in that list to open that link in new tab, just like you can with other links.

Thanks very much, that's a help over what I was trying to do before, but it still means I have to now take extra time to do something that was simpler before the change. As you might imagine, it takes me a long time to type or press buttons to get somewhere, so anything that adds extra movement or means moving my hands more is a nuisance.

If I could go back to the old version of Firefox that didn't seem to do this that would be great, but that doesn't seem to be an option once you have upgraded. I wish I had known of this issue before the upgrade, it would have saved a lot of frustration!

There are two other ways to go back one page.

• Right-click a blank area of the page you're viewing and use the Back menu item
• From the keyboard, hit { Alt + Left-arrow }