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Recommended stories on the Firefox New Tab page - FAQ
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Find answers to some of the frequently asked questions about Pocket recommended stories in the Firefox New Tab page.
Find answers to some of the frequently asked questions about Pocket recommended stories in the Firefox New Tab page.
Content:
[[Template:PocketShutdown]]
This article answers some frequently asked questions about Pocket recommendations in the [[New Tab page in Firefox|Firefox New Tab page]].
[[Template:pocketlocales]]
__TOC__
=What is Pocket and how does it relate to Firefox?=
Pocket is owned by [https://www.mozilla.org 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 [https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/new/ 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, see [[About paywalled articles in Pocket's recommendations]] 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 stories recommended by Pocket are displayed on your [[New Tab page in Firefox|New Tab page]], 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 [https://github.com/mozilla/activity-stream/blob/master/docs/v2-system-addon/data_events.md the data we collect] and you can [[Manage Firefox data collection and privacy settings|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 [https://getpocket.com/firefox_learnmore 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 {menu Dismiss}. You can also permanently opt-out of viewing sponsored stories by following the instructions shared [[Pocket sponsored stories on new tabs|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:
#Click the ''Personalize'' button in the upper right corner of the new tab page.
#Click the toggle to turn off {for not fx124}{menu Recommended by Pocket}{/for}{for fx124}{menu Recommended stories}{/for}
#Click {button 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 Pocket-recommended story in the 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.
[[Image:Pocket_recommendations_dismiss]]
=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.
#[[Template:optionspreferences]]
#Select the {menu Privacy & Security} panel.
#Scroll down to the ''Firefox Data Collection and Use'' section.
#Uncheck the box next to '''{for fx136}Send technical and interaction data to Mozilla{/for}{for not fx136}Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla{/for}'''.
To learn more about what data Mozilla receives and how it's used, see [https://www.mozilla.org/privacy/firefox/#telemetry Mozilla's Firefox Privacy Notice]. To learn more about what data Pocket receives and how it's used, see [https://getpocket.com/privacy Pocket’s Privacy Policy].
=I like these recommended stories. How can I see more?=
[https://getpocket.com/explore Visit Pocket’s Discover page] to find more of the best stories out there.
=Related content=
*[[Pocket for Firefox FAQ]]
[[Template:PocketShutdown]]
This article answers some frequently asked questions about Recommended stories in the [[New Tab page in Firefox|Firefox New Tab page]] on both computers and mobile devices.
Recommended stories on the Firefox new tab page is a feature currently available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, and India. We’re working to bring it to other countries.
__TOC__
=Why am I seeing these stories, from these publishers, in the Firefox new tab?=
Firefox’s recommendations elevate content that is worthy of your time and attention – that informs, inspires, entertains, and offers new and unique perspectives. Firefox’s recommendations team works with custom machine learning algorithms to surface the most compelling content from around the web, drawing on a wide array of sources with a track record of trustworthy and accurate coverage.
=Are these stories on 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 Firefox is actively working on ways to deliver personalized recommendations in a way that vigorously protects users’ privacy. Importantly, '''Mozilla never 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.
=What information is collected when I interact with Recommended stories?=
By default, when stories recommended by Pocket are displayed on your [[New Tab page in Firefox|New Tab page]], we collect information about how many times they appear and how many times they are clicked. You can learn more about [https://github.com/mozilla/activity-stream/blob/master/docs/v2-system-addon/data_events.md the data we collect] and you can [[Manage Firefox data collection and privacy settings|opt out of data collection]].
=Why do some new Recommended stories have a “sponsored by” label?=
Firefox partners with select publishers and brands to deliver high-quality sponsored content and advertisements to our users. This content will always be clearly marked, and you have control over whether it is 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 {menu Dismiss}. You can also permanently opt-out of viewing sponsored stories by following the instructions shared [[Pocket sponsored stories on new tabs|here]].
=Do sponsors receive data about me when I look at these stories?=
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 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 stories remain relevant beyond 24 hours. Firefox elevates content that’s interesting and relevant regardless of publication date.
=I don’t want to see recommended stories on my new tab page. How do I turn this off?=
To hide recommended stories in Firefox on your computer or mobile device, follow these instructions:
'''Firefox on your computer'''
To hide recommended stories in the [[New Tab page in Firefox]] on your computer:
#Click the cogwheel [[Image:Fx88NewTabCogwheel]] icon in the upper right corner of the new tab page.
#In the menu that appears, click the Recommended stories toggle [[Image:Fx115 blue toggle]] to switch it off [[Image:Toggle off]].[[Image:recommendedstoriestoggle]]
#If you’re enjoying these recommendations but simply do not want to see sponsored stories, just uncheck the Sponsored stories checkbox.
#Click {button Close} to finish.
'''Firefox for Android'''
#Open the Firefox for Android app.
#Tap the menu button to open the menu [[Image:chromemenu]] panel.
#Tap {menu Settings}.
#In the '''General''' section, tap Homepage.
#In the '''Shortcuts''' section, tap the Thought-provoking stories toggle to turn it off.
[[Image:thought-provoking stories]]
'''Firefox for iOS'''
#Open the Firefox for iOS app.
#Tap the menu button to open the menu panel.
#Tap {menu Settings}.
#Under the '''GENERAL''' section, tap Homepage.
#Under the '''INCLUDE ON HOMEPAGE''', tap the Thought-Provoking Stories toggle [[Image:Toggle off]] to turn it off.
=I don’t want to see a specific recommended story on new tab. How do I remove it?=
If you don’t like a piece of content that was recommended, you can dismiss it from the menu that appears when you select the three-dot button at the top right corner of the tile.
[[Image:New tab dismiss]]
=Why does an article recommended to me have a paywall?=
'''What is a paywall?'''
A paywall is a way to restrict access to certain online content. Some publishers use it to encourage readers to log in or subscribe to be able to view their articles.
Websites can implement two kinds of paywalls:
*'''A soft paywall''' that lets readers view a limited number of articles before prompting them to log in or subscribe.
*'''A hard paywall''' that blocks viewing any content without subscribing first.
'''Why might I see an article with a Paywall in Recommended stories?'''
From time to time, you may encounter a Recommended story that is from a site that utilizes paywalls. Our policy is to not recommend content that’s behind hard paywalls, but we will include recommendations from sites that use soft paywalls.
Our aim is to recommend the best of the web by connecting readers with stories that are worthy of their time and attention, and this policy means that we can connect these stories with the widest possible audience.
If you hit a paywall when trying to view a story, it’s likely you have already hit your maximum number of stories allotted by that publisher. At that point, you can choose to subscribe to the publisher if you’d like or move on to the next article.
=What if I want to opt out of data collection?=
Firefox collects technical and usage data by default, but you can turn this off at any time.
#In the Menu bar at the to of the screen, click {menu Firefox} and then select {menu Preferences} or {menu Settings}, depending on your operating system.
#Select the {menu Privacy & Security} panel.
#Scroll down to the ''Firefox Data Collection and Use'' section.
#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 [https://www.mozilla.org/privacy/firefox/#telemetry Mozilla's Firefox Privacy Notice].
=Related content=
*[[Customize items on your Firefox New Tab page]]