can't open new tabs #5109
Comments
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That's the new default behaviour in Zen, as per release notes. |
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Can this “feature” be disabled? I really liked the new-tab pages because they included useful information like weather, news, recently visited websites etc. |
put zen.urlbar.replace-newtab to false in about:config |
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Thanks @AlexandruJR, it works |
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What an absurd design choice !! i have a speed dial set to new page (which i paid for) which now doesn't come up. The URL bar is there all the time, if i want to use it, i clicked new tab as thats what i want! .. Im not changing the config file to remove it, i'll change browsers before i do that. Also, above it says press new tab then enter and it doesn't do anything. |
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I feel like a thing like this should be a toggle in the settings as opposed to having to hunt for the exact flag in config. I understand the design decision, but I doubt this will be a very popular change. |
you have to search for something and it will open up in a new tab. i agree it is a bad choice. if you know any other firefox basted browsers with vertical tabs please tell us. |
Isnt that what the URL already does?! but now my speed dial doesn't work. couldn't name one benefit of adding this "feature". updates should add functionality, not remove it. There is one i just found called floorp, and it does appear to have vert tabs, haven't fully investigated yet though. hopefully they change this back |
Firefox Nightly https://blog.nightly.mozilla.org/2024/08/07/firefox-sidebar-and-vertical-tabs-try-them-out-in-nightly-firefox-labs-131/ |
If you hit your keyboard-shortcut that was previously opening a new-tab page, it now focuses the address-bar, empties it and whatever you search for or select gets opened in a new tab when you hit This is NOT the same as simply typing something in the URL bar. The only people losing something with this are this are those having content on their new-tab page they want to see or interact with or toolbars only visible on their new-tab page. Everyone else gets a faster, more efficient and smoother experience. Yes, ideally it should be a normal setting and not change behavior for existing users, but changing a single toggle in |
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Why do they change a lot of default behaviors with every single release? It would be better to keep the current behavior as it is and let everyone choose whether they want to try the new feature. |
I don't disagree that it can be annoying, but on my update it gave me a little notice with a disable button, and tbf you did install a beta. |
true, the default should be what everyone is used to |
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Video_2025-02-08_13-30-47.mp4 |
whatever you search for or select gets opened in a new tab when you hit enter. Your current tab and it's address-bar remain untouched. |
That's not what I show in the above video. I'm just wondering if this should be something I should open an issue on since I've only seen it on this version... although now that I'm thinking about it it might have existed earlier? |
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The workaround that @AlexandruJR posted works flawlessly. Thank you, this is a live saver. A new tab page is part of my workflow and it's one of the things that's important to me. That being said, just I have to explain (or vent) how bad this feature has been implemented/rolled out in my opinion. It going to be ramble-y but I hope that the well intentioned feedback leads to positive change. First, why would you have:
and then set it up so that none of these distinct things can even open a new tab? Second, you also give users the ability to install addons that change the behaviour and look of new tabs and none of them work with "zen.urlbar.replace-newtab" being enabled, which is the default. Third, we give Microsoft a hard time whenever Windows updates change settings that the user had previously configured. I - and I suspect others too - will give you a hard time too if you change my settings without asking. I consider this hostile behaviour though others may be more forgiving. Forth, if you want to change the default look and feel and the default behaviour of Firefox you can do that; Just because you're Firefox based does not mean that you are Firefox. But at the very least - after asking the user if they want their settings changed - make it so that the change doesn't make the UI misleading (or outright lying): Why does neither the new tab button nor the new tab shortcut open a new tab? If I wanted to focus the address bar, I could just do that instead of clicking the button or shortcut labelled "new tab". You should also make it so that UI behaviour stays consistent. With the new "zen.urlbar.replace-newtab" feature enabled, the address bar sometimes opens addresses in the current tab and other times in a new tab. No indicator anywhere for which behaviour the user is going to get. You just need to know exactly how the address bar came to be focused. You can't tell at a glance. As far as I'm concerned, this is a clear UX issue that needs to be resolved. It's neither calmer nor does it feel like my experience is being considered. Fifth, why would you label the update "another stability update while we are figuring big changes out" when in fact this is not a stability update but one of the big changes you're claiming to still be figuring out? That was the first sentence in the release notes. I did not expect a new feature and thought I broke something with an extension or a setting I changed in about:config. While I'm on the release notes: They state that new tabs have been removed yet I can, with the "zen.urlbar.replace-newtab" feature enabled, open as many new tabs as I want. It's rather easy: Click the new tab button (or ctrl + t) and type any address: a new tab opens. Do I really have to read every release notes page in full for every single update going forward just in case you decide to make a huge paradigm shift? With all this being said:
And whatever you do, don't go changing any of my preferences without asking me first! I don't intend for any of this to be read as hostile. Granted, I am irritated because I've just spent an hour trying to fix my browser because I thought that I somehow broke the new tab button and maybe I didn't hide that irritation very well in my text - but this irritation is temporary. EDIT: |
Don't disagree but tbf that's just Firefox extensions
I did get a popup when first opening the browser though... Maybe cause I was updating from an older to a newer version or something?
I think it's just cause some very vocal users wanted Arc's system. Yes, it should be an obvious setting. But again, it is still 'beta' software, not that that excuses everything, but does very much explain it. |
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Throwing in my 2c: this is a bad design decision. Even after having read the release notes and seeing there was mention of a change like this, I was very confused by the behavior at first. I don't understand what users gain by not having a new tab page. You should make it opt-in, offer it to users in the first-run wizard and add a checkbox for it to settings. Forcing something which seems like a developer's personal preference then giving them an opt-out that involves modifying |
github-project-automation
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moved this from Triage
to Done
in Zen Browser - public roadmap
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This breaks functionality for anyone who has a custom new tab homepage (using an extension like New Tab Override). There should at the very least be an easily accessible setting for this in the settings menu, and better visibility of breaking changes like this that change core browser functionality. Currently it's not clear unless you go digging for it as the keyboard shortcut to "open a new tab" has not changed name, and it does in fact not open a new tab when pressed (Ctrl+T default). Feels awkward. |
After I turned on my computer and launched Zen, I also got that popup – but it disappeared after less than 3 seconds because Zen immediately opened the release-notes website. |
ok, maybe i missed it |
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This is bad. If it hadn't been for the workaround, I'd have uninstalled it. |
This would be great if the popup stayed on my screen for longer than 0.2 seconds before navigating elsewhere PLEASE stop changing defaults, make a popup that informs about new behaviour and asks us to OPT IN if we're migrating from old versions. |
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I dont think a regression is the solution either though. Maybe once I finish redesigning the settings modal I can add better visibility to this preference |
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TBH, I think this is actually a nice feature. Zen already has BTW, just realized IMO, ideal state for this would be to let users choose to replace the New Tab flow with |
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I like the feature, but I would need some of these things to be added for it to be usable for me: |
Screencast.from.2025-02-09.15-05-29.webmwhy not just have them up here? |
With a little experimenting, I figured out that you can already do this now by just doing So. If you want this fast-launch tab behavior but you don't want it to replace |
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Couldn't find the setting to turn this off in the main settings... The notification to disable the feature only flashes for a second because sites load too fast for me to even interact with it. So I used a VPN and picked the worse ping I could find just so I could interact with the box... and the "disable" button doesn't even work... With a project name like "zen", I sure do wish the namesake design philosophy was used. Constant changes that are not fully thought through and visual bugs on almost every release causes more frustration than productivity. |
Same thing as with ctrl+b, it will still require you to right-click -> "open in new tab". |
It should be named |
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Feedback of my own experience : I was very confused by the fact that my "New Tab" button don't work anymore. Like some people on this thread, I had no warning popup so I first searched in the settings to see if something has changed but saw nothing. Then I thought my installation of the browser had a problem and I uninstalled/reinstalled it. Then I created a workaround with a "about:newtab" bookmark which is a "New tab button" with a middle click. I just found this issue page after googling what I thought was a bug. Opening new tabs is a central part of a browser, changing it so suddenly should be an opt-in option or at least have a very easy way for opting-out. Even as a beta software, it's still a very brutal move. |
It's nonsensical and I provided reasons why.
Yes, we all know it is in beta, we get that. It seems that what you aren't getting is that big changes like this should be optional and disabled by default! Your production might have "increased insanely" and that's great, I'm happy for you but mine hasn't - it's quite the opposite for me and that's why I'm here - to give feedback. I'm not here to push a FOSS to it's fucking limits... (your words) Here's an idea: Rename "Firefox Labs" to "Zen Labs" and add options to new/experimental Zen features (with feedback options). Then notify users that new experimental features are available and that they can try them out and give feedback. That way you have users trying them out without crippling the browser for others. Speaking of notifications, that popup you boast about displayed for a split second before disappearing. |
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This has to be silliest hill to die on. Why are we arguing about the supposed productivity boosts and benefits of the new approach, when no one is actually mad about the feature being added, just how it was added. I'm sure some people will love the new way of managing new tabs, but you can't just upset decades of expected behavior (in a PATCH release) for what is essentially personal preference and then be surprised that people are mad. Does this project not follow semver? does the I like using zen and I will continue to use it, but I will no longer update the browser with confidence. I will never again blindly agree to automatic updates, nor will I recommend it to others while its in beta. |
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This issue is you changed a very standard behaviour to something that's also not intuitive. If I click "new tab" I want a new tab. Not the address bar. Having it as an option is great but this is going to confuse anyone trying out the browser just like it clearly did with people already using it. And if you do that consistently that will ensure this browser never becomes popular. This could easily have been an option in the already existing dropdown which selects behaviour for new tabs. It was luck I came across this thread because I honestly thought it was either a bug or unfixable. The latter would have made me leave |
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There's a few things I want to say: 1st of all, there's nothing on the Zen website describing the browser's aim being productivity-focused. It's about a calmer, less cluttered experience, with the emphasis on the browser's look. 2nd, yes, it's a beta. A publicly available beta. Which means, to me, new features will be added in a more complete state than this was in order to garner feedback and bug notices. This feels like something barely out of the conceptual stage. Being a beta does not make the project immune from criticism. Quite the opposite. We're speaking up now because, presumably, it's easier to adjust things now than after actual release. 3rd yes, people have given it a chance. If we didn't, we wouldn't be complaining about it. 4th how is it even supposed to work? On 1.7.6b on MacOS, if I type in a URL into the address bar, it doesn't open a new tab at that address. It just navigates that tab to the new address. Is that intentional? Is it only with search that it creates a new tab? If so, why? 5th, because of that kind of confusion, you really needed to communicate specifically how the new status quo is supposed to work. Something more substantial than "use the address bar." 6th, again, accessibility. Yes, Ctrl/Command T opens a new tab. However, for someone like me with actual physical deformities in my hands because of Muscular Dystrophy, using a mouse or trackpad to open a new tab was always much easier for me. The browser is now much less accessible, and there should be a real option in settings to change it back rather than an about:config flag (which also speaks to point 2). 7th, all of this makes me wonder if you're actually designing with more than you and your developer cohort in mind. Again, this change speaks far more to the "never have your hands leave the keyboard, I use Hyprland and Neovim" programmer crowd than those merely looking for a more generalized browser experience aimed at being aesthetically appealing. Have you done any actual research? Do you know how many people use/prefer a specific new page tab over those who don't (again, not counting yourself or fellow devs who represent a niche population)? Did you ever even consider the accessibility ramifications? Did you test the change with other people before releasing it? 8th, the website speaks of the browser being customizable down to the last pixel. If you're going to be making changes to a browser's workflow that we've all grown accustomed to over the last 20 or so years, then there needs to be options available to bring it back to a more universally recognized state (reiterating most of the above). You mentioned Apple and innovation. Apple has had some of the best UX designers and engineers in the business work for them. The key to their innovation is that they base their designs around intuitive interaction. Tapping, swiping, etc are all natural, universal gestures. And when that doesn't suffice, they have a plethora of settings that can be tweaked in order to give the user the experience that's most comfortable and natural to them. What Apple tries to avoid is invalidating the ways in which people interact with similar devices/systems in the past. And they do a lot of research and iteration. 9th my suggestions are to slow down. Release new features only after they've been well-tested behind the scenes. Use actual semantic versioning. Have option toggles in settings (maybe a dedicated beta options section). Communicate changes clearly, with better instruction on how to use the new thing and what expectations are. Do real UX research beyond a programmer's workflow. Keep accessibility in mind. Figure out what you really want Zen to be, because this change doesn't neatly fit the project's stated goals. Good luck. Despite my criticism, I do want this browser to succeed. More non-chromium browsers available, the better IMO. P.S. RE: point 6 - this comment took me over an hour to type, but I felt it was worth doing. |
Ehhh!! Wrong! having to go into about:config is not trivial, it is dumb. New changes should not be implemented unless there is a toggle for you to opt-in for it. Or at least to make it easier to opt-out. NO ONE IN 2025, SHOULD HAVE TO GO INTO about:config. |
Yeah, a popup that lasts less than a second. |
I came here to figure out how to turn this off, and make it work the way it makes sense to work. I was onboard with sticking with Zen. But this response you put out, made me change my mind. I get so sick of this idea of "we know whats best so do it our way" holier than thou attitude. Good luck in your endeavor, I sure hope you make new users to compensate for those you pissed off and pushed away today. You are going to need all the luck you can get if you keep going this route. |
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All I'm going to say is that the big button that literally says "+ New Tab" doesn't open a new tab anymore. I mean, it does, but with an extra step... which is weird to me because before IIRC it opened a new tab and focused the URL bar anyway. So all you've really done is reverse the order of the new tab behavior, making it something unfamiliar. Which, fine, whatever. Trying new things is neat. I remember when CTRL-Click made a sorta preview pop up instead of a new tab, and I liked that, so trying out new stuff can be good. But this one makes custom new tabs really hard to use. The number of custom new tab addons available alone is an indicator that people use new empty tabs. I don't really, but I liked the weather widget, and I set my bookmarks toolbar to only appear on the new tab page. So even though I don't use a custom new tab page, this has affected my workflow. I think the issue is that this is a BIG workflow change that comes kind of out of left field. I could adapt to it, I suppose, but I don't find it to be particularly intuitive. It's not bad, it's just unnecessary and makes customization harder. I do wish people would be a bit kinder in their responses on both sides, though. We're all in this together, and if it's made you made enough to curse or get sarcastic with developers who are doing all this work for free, maybe try out the vertical tabs in Firefox Nightly, or Floorp, or Firedragon. |
The problem with the supposed big button that keeps getting mentioned is that it only flashes for less than half a second for most people. so we end up missing that. Plus, a new feature that disrupts 99% of peoples workflow should have an easier method for disabling instead of having to search google and find out that it can only be done in about:config. Which was fine 20+ years ago but is unacceptable in 2025. |
I do get the frustration but getting angry and personal isn't the right way to go. This is a free, open source project that we are able to use or choose not too. It's good to give feedback but we should try and remember to keep it friendly and constructive |
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New tab looks great with a bit of css. I don't care if you change the default, but please keep the option in the settings rather than hiding it in about:config. I would have uninstalled it if it weren't for the workaround, because I love having the chill wallpaper between tabs with my most used pages just one click away. It's like a game savepoint between pages, I'd go crazy without it.
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god bless you my saver of the day <3 |
glad i could help <3 |
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Im honestly just tired of them constantly changing behavior of the browser in large ways without an obvious way back its so stupid that I need to go into about;config so much. I love the browser but this is the only one I've needed to go to a github for because they want to change entire workflows with no way back |
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I am getting pretty close to dropping Zen over stuff like this. This seems like a very poorly received change that was forced on people with no straightforward way to disable it (going to github issues to find what about:config flag to change is not straightforward). And all I seem to see is people doubling down on the decision like it is the same thing, but it isn't. Aside from not being able to easily access the new tab page that most people are used to. The "new tab address bar" doesn't even behave like a normal address bar. For instance when using the address bar of an actual tab (new or otherwise) I can type "google" and press ctrl+enter and it gets automatically changed to "google.com" when loading (I have been using this behavior with every major browser for the last 20 years). With this new address bar, instead it opens a new tab that is a duplicate of my current tab and has nothing to do with what I typed. Almost any other behavior would be more intuitive. |
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Zen is one of the most ridiculous projects ever. I like the browser itself, but every single release changing default behaviour to some stupidity no one really wants is tiresome. Adding new options is good, but instantly making them default is just plain stupid. I almost believe that the sole purpose of Zen is to troll users. |
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Yeah I just assumed this was a bug! I glanced at the release notes and could not have imagined that note meant that something as commonly used as Ctrl+T would not work as expected. I think Zen trying new things is a feature not necessarily an issue - but maybe it would be helpful to come up with a more in your face way to warn people about something like this after an update and how to revert it. Or since this is configured with a feature flag, let people opt into it on their own! |
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Alr well, looks like im locking this thread. For newcomers: 1 - Open the 'about:config' Github isn't a place to discuss about things, something people in this thread didn't seem to understand. Please keep issues for only bug related problems so they can be properly organized and assigned. Thanks |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle#Beta |
and others
Captchas
What happened?
can not open new tabs. Both new tab button and ctrl+t bring up the url bar.
Reproducible?
Version
1.7.6b
What platform are you seeing the problem on?
Windows
Relevant log output if applicable
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