I-Firefox Community Forum

Why is the address bar now a search? This is annoying. How can I change this? I have already change about:config settings to false and nothing changes.

Thank you Rafal

I've been using 2 search bars for quite some time.

I use the top bar for URLs and the bar mid screen for ad-hoc searches.

(I know I can use the top bar for both but I'm long since retired, quite set in my ways and would rather not have to change unless absolutely necessary😉)

I was able to restore the mid screen search bar functionality using an about:config setting from memory when I first noticed the search bar consolidation a few years back.

It's been working fine until the latest update.

Latest update lets me activate the mid screen bar with a mouse click but any attempt to then enter anything causes focus to move to the top bar so text input on the mid screen bar is no longer possible.

I've tested this on 2 Win 11 desktops and 1 Win 10 desktop and see the same 'issue' arising after the update.

Has that functionality been removed entirely with the latest update or is there an about:config setting that can restore it?

There is a search bar in the middle of my screen (Firefox/DuckDuckGo) It does not work. If I type in it, the cursor moves to address bar. This is very annoying as I am looking at the search bar and watching what I type. Then the search bar fades out so I can't even try to type in it anymore. From what I have read on the forum, Firefox has disabled the "fix" for this problem. So essentially they have made the visible search bar useless and have fixed it so that those of us who prefer to use it are completely out of luck. What does Firefox get out of this? I'm feeling really manipulated and will probably just switch back to Chrome. From reading other questions, I get the feeling they are planning an ever better search bar (can't image what that could mean, all I want to do is search). But why destroy the old one before the new one is ready?

It's so invasive, and I'm sick of having to dig through pages to get accurate information when I used to be able to find it at the top of a search result. Poor performance all around. Are they really adding more BUILT-IN AI features to the browser? Does anyone know of good alternative browsers that don't have this issue? I want to be able to switch over quickly in case Firefox updates with features that would impede my experience.

Hey all!

I was just wondering why when you were platforming as one of the only browsers that didn't use AI, a CEO change-over was enough to completely backtrack on the values of the company to instead push for a use of AI. As a concerned adult I'm no longer able to verify accurate information in my searches because the first things to come up are AI inventions of information, not the actual websites that people put time and effort into running to ensure we get as close to human information as possible.

I have done every step I can find to change this setting, nothing works, why did this change all of a sudden and how do I fix it, this is ridiculous, why would you change my settings without asking me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My apologies - I don't know a lot of the correct terminology for much of these things! Parts of the web address in the address bar, such as www and https disappear, but re-appear if I want to change the address by typing an addition or correction in the current address. Is there a way to make sure that the entire address shows all the time? Thanks!

2026-02-17

for about 8 years now, on and off, on hundreds of OS-es, clean installs of firefox etc. sometimes - not always - typing into the firefox search bar and pressing enter does nothing

i have bit-warden, u-block-origin and stylus installed (but they shouldn't be running on the 'new-tab-page' - is my firefox sync-profile containing some firefox-breaking-errors? (latest Win-11)

quick find, aka shift-7 sucks, not to be mean but when i try to type in my game im making it comes up as quick find, im using scratch and im making a calculator, please help me find out how to de-activate it.

It appears thousands of others have the same issue with NOTHING affecting the search bar handoff to the address bar (changing true/false in about:config does NOTHING, v148.xx). Why not just do away with any search bar and do everything from the address bar? That way enough will be annoyed they'll find an operational browser. Like too many "upgrades," this one went seriously backwards.