Have you tried about:config > browser.urlbar.update. Not sure what exactly either one of them does, but i've turned all 4 to false.

Well I would rather look dumb (which is accurate) than be a jerk so I have zero idea what you are telling me and where to look to do as you suggest. I do how ever appreciate your attempt to help me.

Oh, just type about:config into the address bar, hit enter and confirm it asking you are you sure.

Then type browser.urlbar.update. It will show you a few results. Double-click them or hit the icon on the right side.

Yinmin, thank you that did not work. I think it is something new with version 75.

Hmm, maybe we're talking about a different things, then. This feature is new, so that would line up.

Just to be sure, it might be required to restart the browser for those changes to take effect.

Yes sir I did restart Firefox, made no difference.

Strange. I guess we're talking about a different matter somehow.

In any case, there is a good chance this BS will be permanent anyway according to what i've just found out

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1628390

quote: This was evaluated already during the design phase and we decided we still want it to expand in compact mode.

PS. forgot, you could try using a userchrome.css file. Enable it via about:config using

• toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets

Then create a new text file called userchrome.css and put it in C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxxxx\chrome

or type about:support and click on the profile folder link

Copy/paste the text from this link into the userchrome file

https://www.reddit.com/r/FirefoxCSS/comments/fxez4e/remove_new_megabar_grow_shrink_effect/

if there is no way around it I will delete Firefox from all my machines. It's my machine and when any company decides they are going to force me into something I do not like I step off.

I appreciate your time and attention. I mean no disrespect but as you said this is BS and I do not do BS any more.

C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxxxx\chrome Do I use all the X's or does that stand for something else?

Just added another thing which should work until they decide this is no more as well, but that would truly be the death of FF, imo. After all customizabiliy and user preference is the selling point of it

The xxxx stands for whatever your profile is name which would be different from mine. If you have several there, see which has the newest modifed files or copy the userchrome into all folders

I am using a mac so the c: reference does not apply.

Would you do this please :

Type in the address bar about:config and press Enter. (ignore the warning)

Type in the search bar and look for the preference :

browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus

and set its value to false

Do the same with these preferences :

browser.urlbar.update1

browser.urlbar.update1.interventions

browser.urlbar.update1.searchTips

Then close and restart Firefox.

(edit : I had removed this post earlier, as I felt that I was merely repeating what already had been suggested by Yinmin )

Yinmin thank you for your efforts.

McCoy, you nailed it and thank you so much!!!!!

This did the trick and stopped the new pop out address bar search junk

I don't know which preferences you have been looking for, but :

Would you do this please :

Type in the address bar about:config and press Enter. (ignore the warning)

Type in the search bar and look for the preference :

browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus

and set its value to false

Do the same with these preferences :

browser.urlbar.update1

browser.urlbar.update1.interventions

browser.urlbar.update1.searchTips

Then close and restart Firefox.

My pleasure, mrbeta !

But would you please take a look at what I wrote at the bottom of my post ?

In all honesty : I think that Yinmin deserves the credits .....

You can rectify the Chosen Solution mark by clicking on the "Undo" button to the right of my post and then mark Yinmin's first post.

Ok McCoy I did as you requested and tagged Yinmin.

Thank you both. I am most grateful that anyone heard my problem and helped me solve it. It makes it easier as I go into my 6th week of isolation. Yeah I started before my governor said to. I could see where we were headed and being over 65 I did not wish to take any chances.

Every one stay safe. wear your mask, Wash your hands, don't touch ya face.

Thanks, but remember, this is something that seems to be set in stone for version 77. Going the userchrome route, might be a way around (until they change those elements).

Here's a guide to the feature which includes Mac references:

https://www.userchrome.org/how-create-userchrome-css.html

This page also offers convenient way to create a custom file to fix this megabar:

https://www.userchrome.org/megabar-styling-firefox-address-bar.html

And here you can paste the code to download a correctly named ready-to-go file:

https://www.userchrome.org/download-userchrome-css.html

@ mrbeta :

We'll just have to make the best of this home imprisonment; for our own sake and that of others. A weird situation we're in right now; feels unreal .....

@ Yinmin :

Many users will add code to their userChrome.css file (which probably will change with every update); I am not going to create a userChrome.css file just because somebody thought it was a good idea to change the address bar's behavior ("change for the sake of change") !

McCoy said

@ Yinmin : Many users will add code to their userChrome.css file (which probably will change with every update); I am not going to create a userChrome.css file just because somebody thought it was a good idea to change the address bar's behavior ("change for the sake of change") !

Not sure i follow. As it stands right now, the option to disable it, will be gone. I didn't make that decision nor do i agree with it, for that matter. I'm just a messenger trying to help, so why are you coming onto me?