When you allow a website to send notifications, Firefox can receive and show supported notifications even when Firefox is closed. This helps you receive notifications that you might otherwise miss before they expire.

Not every website supports notifications while Firefox is closed. Some websites only generate notifications while they're open in a Firefox tab. This article explains which notifications you can receive while Firefox is closed, how the feature works and how to turn it off.

How notifications work while Firefox is closed

After you allow at least one website to send notifications, Firefox can continue listening for supported website notifications when you close Firefox. If you haven't allowed any websites to send notifications, nothing changes.

• When you open Firefox, it starts a small companion program called Firefox Web Notifications (notification-helper.exe). It's installed with Firefox and signed by Mozilla. You may see it in Windows Task Manager.
• While Firefox is closed, this program keeps a connection to Mozilla's push service so it knows when a website you've allowed has sent a notification. It only handles notifications from sites you have already clicked Allow for, it doesn't grant any new permissions.
• When a notification arrives, the program starts Firefox in the background, without opening a window, so Firefox can display the notification as a standard Windows notification, the same way it does when Firefox is open.
• Click the notification to open the website in Firefox. If you ignore or dismiss it, no Firefox window opens and Firefox closes again in the background.
• While Firefox is open, Firefox handles notifications itself and the companion program is idle.

Understand which notifications you can receive

Websites can send notifications in two ways, and only one of them works while Firefox is closed. The website decides which one it uses, not Firefox:

Push notifications

A website can send push notifications from its server through Mozilla's push service. The website doesn't need to be open in a tab for Firefox to receive these notifications.

Firefox can show these notifications while Firefox is closed.

Tab notifications

Some websites create notifications directly from a webpage while it's open. For example, a website might notify you when a timer finishes.

These notifications come from the tab itself, not from a server, so they can only appear while that tab is open. Many websites only send this kind, including some you might expect to use push notifications. Closing Firefox stops them, and this feature doesn't change that.

The notification prompt looks the same either way, so clicking Allow doesn't tell you which kind a website uses, and Firefox usually can't tell either.

If a site you've allowed doesn't notify you when Firefox is closed, it's most likely using tab notifications. To get those, keep the site open in a tab. Some websites also have their own notification settings on the site itself, separate from Firefox's permission, so check those too.

Protect your privacy

The companion program can't read your notifications. Notification content is encrypted end to end and is only decrypted inside Firefox, with keys stored in your Firefox profile.

The program only reads the two pieces of information it needs to connect to the push service (the profile's push ID and the server address). It does not read your browsing history, bookmarks, passwords, site permissions, or any other profile data.

No new data is sent from your computer beyond the push connection Firefox already makes today.

Turn notifications while Firefox is closed on or off

1. In the menu bar, click the menu button ☰ and select Settings.
2. Select the Privacy & Security panel.
3. Under Permissions, click on Notifications.
4. Uncheck Allow website notifications when Firefox is closed to turn the feature off. The companion program stops right away, and Firefox goes back to showing notifications only while it's open.

Stop notifications from a website

Turning off notifications while Firefox is closed doesn't remove notification permissions you've already given to websites. Those websites can still notify you while Firefox is open.

To stop a specific site's notifications or block all notification requests, see Web Push notifications in Firefox.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I see Firefox Web Notifications in Task Manager?

It's part of Firefox and is signed by Mozilla (check the Publisher column).

You can end it from Task Manager, but Firefox will start it again the next time you open that profile. To stop it permanently, turn the feature off in Settings as described above.

Does Firefox Web Notifications use a lot of resources?

It's a very small program that waits for notifications. It doesn't load web pages.

What happens when Firefox updates?

Firefox stops the companion program before applying an update, and it starts again afterward. Updates work the same as before.

What happens if I uninstall Firefox?

Uninstalling Firefox stops and removes the companion program.

Why did notifications stop after I restarted my computer?

The companion program doesn't start with Windows, it starts when you open Firefox.

Open Firefox once after a restart and it will pick up where it left off (and any notifications that were waiting will be delivered).

Why don't I receive notifications from a website while Firefox is closed?

Whether a site's notifications arrive while Firefox is closed is up to the site, and many sites only send notifications while they're open in a tab (see "Which notifications you'll get while Firefox is closed" above).

Keep the site open in a tab to get those, and check whether the site has its own notification settings.

Why do I still receive notifications after turning this feature off?

You can still receive website notifications while Firefox is open. You may also receive notifications from another Firefox profile where the feature is still turned on.

Can websites still notify me after I turn this feature off?

Yes, while Firefox is open. Turning this off only stops delivery while Firefox is closed.

To stop a site's notifications entirely, change its notification permission. See Web Push notifications in Firefox.

Related articles

• Web Push notifications in Firefox
• Firefox settings, preferences and other options
• Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data