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How to put the Bookmarks toolbar on top, above the tabs

  • 17 replies
  • 28 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by Jimeana

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I want to place the Bookmarks toolbar above the tabs as I have had for many years. It is more logical/intuitive for me to select the bookmark and have the tab open below the Bookmarks toolbar as my eyes are moving down the page.

I want to place the Bookmarks toolbar above the tabs as I have had for many years. It is more logical/intuitive for me to select the bookmark and have the tab open below the Bookmarks toolbar as my eyes are moving down the page.

All Replies (17)

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Apologies, I have not found a userstyle.org option for this request. However, you can see the Bookmarks from the top menu. Bookmarks > show all bookmarks in the meantime.

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Add code to the userChrome.css file below the default @namespace line.


@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* only needed once */

/* tabs on bottom */
#navigator-toolbox toolbar:not(#nav-bar):not(#toolbar-menubar) {-moz-box-ordinal-group:10}
#TabsToolbar {-moz-box-ordinal-group:1000!important}

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

  • create the chrome folder (lowercase) in the <xxxxxxxx>.default profile folder if this folder doesn't exist
  • use a plain text editor like Notepad to create a (new) userChrome.css file in the chrome folder (file name is case sensitive)
  • paste the code in the userChrome.css file in the editor window
  • make sure that the userChrome.css file starts with the default @namespace line
  • save the file via "Save File As" in the text editor as userChrome.css
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cor-el Thank you! This is better.

Now, if it be possible, how do I get the Tabs line below the Bookmarks toolbar?

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I do not understand all these posts. This new update to FF 57 and the tossing aside of Classic Changer my Tabs are now above my Toolbar which is VERY confusing to me.

How can I move my TABS below the Toolbar as before. Why was a good changed anyway?

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Hi ... Got an update to Quantum this morning ... The look is jaring ... Why are the open tabs below the menu bar instead of the bookmarks tool bar? Is there any way to change this? The icons are really tiny up there ... some of us old folks have trouble seeing little type ...

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couldn't agree more with everyone on this thread. The ability to move the tabs below the taskbars should be an easy to find option. I have spent an hour now trying to find a way to do it, and all I have found is all the people complaining about it. How is it - that with all the talk about "customizable" that this very common request is STILL not available?

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Oh, and by the way, most of us don't know how to "add new code to a file." The answer above from cor-el is simply incomprehensible to me. I have no idea what to do after reading it.

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For years I've used Firefox, and while it may be habit as much as functional, I've come to rely on seeing my active window title on top, followed by the Menu Bar, the Navigation Bar, the Bookmarks Bar, and the webpage index tabs. Seems a logical layout to me.

A while back an update moved some of these around and I was lost until I found the "Classic Theme Restorer" add-on. Yea, problem (temporarily) solved. More and more Microsoft is deciding what's best for the users (Like removing ability do decide whether to receive or even to decide WHEN to receive updates) ... et tu Firefox? Many add-ons died with this upgrade, and I guess that's Progress? But what may seem like a small matter to some is a big deal to others ... This is a time waster

The truth remains, however, adding user options = good ... removing user options = bad ...

It would be good to find a way for order of the display of these bars to be changeable by the user.

Thanks!

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Anaya said

couldn't agree more with everyone on this thread. The ability to move the tabs below the taskbars should be an easy to find option. I have spent an hour now trying to find a way to do it, and all I have found is all the people complaining about it. How is it - that with all the talk about "customizable" that this very common request is STILL not available?

The Taskbar is part of Windows - at the bottom of the screen. What is being discussed in this thread is the Toolbars in Firefox at the top of the browser window.

The default location for the Tab Bar (or Tabstrip) has been at the bottom of the Toolbar area since Firefox 29; about that time the Preference to have the Tab on Top was removed from Firefox. But there been a number of extensions that provided a Tabs on Top preference; might you have one of those extensions installed?


The Classic Theme Restorer extension didn't 'translate' well to becoming a WebExtension. The author of CTR - Aris - has a GitHub page - https://github.com/Aris-t2/CustomCSSforFx - that explains in great detail how to get many of the features that were in his CTR extension.

For user who are interested in using CSS to modify Firefox 57 - above, here is a resource for applicable CSS code. https://www.reddit.com/r/FirefoxCSS/

Additional CSS resources from jscher2000 who is very active in this Firefox Support forum: https://www.userchrome.org/ https://www.userchrome.org/help-with-userchrome-css.html

But, if you have no experience working with CSS code or don't have an open mind for learning something new, don't waste your time or frustrate yourself. Get used to the new default Firefox configuration or use a different web browser.

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I was so glad to finally see these posts and know that others are ticked off with the new layout. Driving me nuts. I used Classic Theme Restorer a lot.

Is there another add-on that will do the same thing. Why was Classic Theme Restorer pulled?

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I think they got tired of having everyone tell them that their original design from 20 years ago was more attractive than the current. Just kidding! Who knows?

Anyway, I did get this fixed -- I followed a video that I found on youtube. (below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xo-OeVjnjs

This is exactly what I did that worked for me:

I found my mozilla profile under the dropdown menu in the far upper right hand corner of FF, click Help, and then Troubleshooting, and then you see a gray box with a blue strip on the left. about halfway down there is a white box that says "open folder" - click that.

That brings you to a normal looking page of folders. Go up to the top and create a new folder named "chrome" all little letters.

THEN, and this is the very confusing part because on his video he somehow does this right away, but I had to do it like this

Find notepad (under accessories if you are using windows), open a new page of notepad, and copy and paste his text into that page.

NOW you have to get that notepad page into your chrome file that you created above.

To do that you hit "save as" in the notepad page, and in the list on the left you should see "recent places." If you are lucky, the file you just created (chrome) will be in there and you click on it.

[if not, research online how to navigate to your Mozilla profile from your C drive]

Once you click on it you should have a blank area with a place to name your notepad file at the bottom. NAME IT just like this: userChrome.css all littel letters except the C in Chrome.

Then close FF and restart your computer and hopefully it will work.

I tried really hard to explain it in layman's language - which is the way I think because I know nothing about computers - so I hope it works for you.

Modified by CatsinQ

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OK, I have tried for nearly 6 months to get used to the Tabs bar above all the other toolbars, and apparently unmovable. The result is, growing frustration as I often click a Bookmark with same same name as the Tab I intended to click. PLEASE, give us the option to move the Tabs bar below the Bookmarks toolbar, or anywhere else which suits the user. I have been getting a lot of Firefox updates lately, and each time I am hoping this issue has been remedied, but NO. Have I missed an option to move the Tabs bar down? If so, please enlighten me ! ! ! ! !

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Hi Jimeana, if I understand your plea for help:

Standard order:

  • Title bar (optional)
  • Menu bar (optional)
  • Tabs
  • Main toolbar
  • Bookmarks (optional)

You want:

  • Title bar (optional)
  • Menu bar (optional)
  • Main toolbar
  • Bookmarks (optional)
  • Tabs

You are not alone. As noted above, to change the order of toolbars in Firefox 57+, you need to use custom style rules in a userChrome.css file. Here's how; take your time because the folder and file names need to be just right for this to work.

(A) You need to create a new chrome folder in your profile folder. This article has the steps for that (#1, #2, and optionally #3)

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

I also recorded a demo video with a boring voiceover if you are more of a visual person.

(B) Download the following file and move it into that chrome folder:

https://www.userchrome.org/samples/userChrome-tabs_on_bottom.css

(C) Rename the file to just userChrome.css

This assumes you do not have a file named userChrome.css already. You can right-click file, then click Rename, and delete -tabs_on_bottom from the name, then click away to complete the edit.

The next time you quit Firefox and start it up again, it should discover that file and apply the rules.

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Thank you! I did as you suggested, and indeed, the Tabs bar is at last at the bottom. Hooray! However, the Booksmarks Toolbar is now at the top. Bummer! Any further instructions?

In the end, it is just programming. Why does Mozilla put us through this? (Rhetorical) The location of the URL Location bar, the Bookmarks toolbar, and the Tabs bar should be at the discretion of the user. Those preferences should be recorded, and then replicated automatically after Firefox updates have been installed. I am looking forward to a more user-friendly Firefox in the future.

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Jimeana said

Thank you! I did as you suggested, and indeed, the Tabs bar is at last at the bottom. Hooray! However, the Booksmarks Toolbar is now at the top. Bummer! Any further instructions?

You should have this order, with the main toolbar above bookmarks. No?

  • Title bar (optional)
  • Menu bar (optional)
  • Main toolbar
  • Bookmarks (optional)
  • Tabs

Possibly the control that displays the bookmarks got moved from the Bookmarks Toolbar to some other bar. You can call up the Customize feature and make sure "Bookmarks Toolbar Items" is in the dotted box area. See: Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars.

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Try to rename/remove xulstore.json and if present delete localstore.rdf in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

Note that with the code I posted above I never had an issue with the Bookmarks Toolbar appearing above the Navigation Toolbar. With other code that sometimes happened (e.g. after using customize mode) and toolbar reordered and I had to restart Firefox.

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Dear jscher2000 and cor-el, Thank you so much for your diligence in helping me resolve my issue. I think I have it sorted now. Having the Tab bar at the bottom has made my life on the computer much brighter.

I still highly recommend that Mozilla make the order of ALL the bars (Title, Menu, Tabs, Main, and Bookmarks) optional. This would go a long way toward improving Mozilla's reputation as being helpful, and not a dictator.

Again, thanks and have a wonderful year.