1097149 - Add option to warn on closing Private Window with multiple tabs

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: Private Browsing, enhancement)

Description

[Ben]

The warning that the user is about to close a window with multiple tabs has been suppressed for Private Windows.  As discussed in Bug 854926 (see in particular Bug 854926 Comment 16) and elsewhere this is a data loss issue because the contents of a Private Window cannot be restored and the window could be closed by a single off-target click (or screen tap).

However this behaviour has existed for some time and is preferred by some.

I’m suggesting an additional checkbox under ‘Warn me when closing multiple tabs’ – a nested (indented) checkbox called something like ‘Warn me when closing multiple tabs (Private Window)’*.  Being nested prevents the user being overwhelmed by lots of options.  (It could also be grayed out and unchecked if the parent checkbox is unchecked.)  It would default to false.

A slight complication: the warning dialog contains the checkbox “Warn me when I attempt to close multiple tabs”.  Suggest adding “(Private Window)” to the end and having this checkbox control the new pref rather than the old one.

NB. ‘Warn me when opening multiple tabs might slow down Firefox’ has, as far as I’m aware, not worked for years, and could be removed to reduce clutter.

* This has the advantage of not requiring translation, being made up of existing text strings, ie ‘[Warn me when closing multiple tabs] + [(] + [Private Window] + [)].

Comment 1

[YF (Yang)]

Private Browsing or Preferences component?

Comment 2

[Josh Matthews [:jdm]]

Gavin, I've always been of the opinion that closing private windows as fast as possible overrides other concerns. Not everybody agrees. Who's the right person to make a call on this? Is it worth adding another preference to make this behaviour optional?

Comment 3

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

I don't think adding a preference is the right choice here.

I don't think we need to optimize for "ability to close window as fast as possible" here. I think it likely that accidental data loss is a bigger problem than "accidental couldn't close window fast enough".

Comment 4

[Nicolas Barbulesco]

(In reply to :Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]] from comment #3)

> I don't think we need to optimize for "ability to close window as fast as
> possible" here. I think it likely that accidental data loss is a bigger
> problem than "accidental couldn't close window fast enough".

I agree. Anyway, even the removal of the dialog when closing a private window with multiple tabs makes no guarantee of safeguarding privacy in 1 click when someone is passing by. There can be 2 other private windows behind and so 3 clicks might be needed anyway.

Comment 5

[(no longer active)]

(In reply to :Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]] from comment #3)
> I don't think we need to optimize for "ability to close window as fast as
> possible" here. I think it likely that accidental data loss is a bigger
> problem than "accidental couldn't close window fast enough".

I disagree.  We typically choose the privacy side when there is a privacy vs data loss trade-off in the design of PB mode.

Comment 6

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

(In reply to :Ehsan Akhgari (not reading bugmail, needinfo? me!) from comment #5)
> I disagree.  We typically choose the privacy side when there is a privacy vs
> data loss trade-off in the design of PB mode.

This is a UX call, not a fundamental PB data privacy call - we can't treat this as black and white as you seem to be.

Comment 7

[Kestrel]

Closing a private window with multiple tabs can lose a lot of data with no possibility of recovery so it shouldn't be treated lightly. Currently it is too easy to accidentally all your data.

Comment 8

[Catalin Varga [QA][:VarCat]]

This issue is reproducible on:

FF 40 
Build id:  20150423030204

Comment 9

[timothy_holt123]

I have installed Firefox 57 beta and there's no workaround for this. The workaround used to be to use the Tab Mix Plus add-on. This doesn't work in Firefox 57 so I need this option to warn.

Comment 11

[spodermenpls]

Any progress on this topic?

Comment 12

[Dan Mehic]

Feel free to share this bug and bring more visibility to it. Voting on this would help as well.
Since this behavior is currently by design, I'm setting this bug as an enhancement.