1287095 - Android firefox (v47.0 & later) doesn't work correctly with google image searches when using "Desktop view".

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox for Android Graveyard :: General, defect)

Description

[wakanasakai]

Android firefox (v47.0 & later) doesn't work correctly with google image searches when using "Desktop view".

Product
Tech evangelism

Component
Mobile

Version
47.0 & later

Platform
All android

Importance
Normal

Android firefox v46.0.1 was working fine (regarding this bug). However, v47.0 (& probably later versions) has the following problem. If you use desktop view (to do a google reverse image search) & you click on an image in the results, almost NOTHING happens.



EXPECTED RESULTS.
In any google image search, in android firefox v47.0+, if you use desktop view & you click on an image in the results, it should create a pop-up window that shows you a few similar images, the selected image's dimensions, & a few options, like "Visit page" & "View image". This IS what happens in v37.0 (earliest android firefox that I can remember using) up to v46.0.1, but it broke starting in v47.0.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS.
In any google image search, in android firefox v47.0+, if you use desktop view & you click on an image in the results, almost NOTHING happens.


[START RANT] I am worried that desktop view in android firefox is considered by the developers to be a very low priority, & that they'd prefer that we android firefox users never actually used it. In defense of using desktop view, if you want to do a google REVERSE image search, you HAVE to use desktop view to do so (see "How to reproduce the problem" below), so don't hate us for using the only thing in android firefox (read = desktop view) that helps us to do a google reverse image search.[END RANT]



Another bug report (Bug 1200652 = https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1200652) is somewhat related to my bug report, but my bug report shows that android firefox from v37.0 (earliest android firefox that I can remember using) up to v46.0.1 (but NOT v47.0 or later) CAN handle google reverse image searches (although you DO have to use "Request desktop site"), whereas with bug 1200652, it seems that nobody who was involved with bug 1200652 ever tried to use "Request desktop site".



HOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM.
In the steps listed, I used the example image given below.

EXAMPLE IMAGE
http://www.cityguideny.com/uploads2/87798/Megan-MacDonald-Throwing-Ball-With-Girl.jpg

A PAGE THAT HOSTS THAT IMAGE.
http://m.nymetroparents.com/article/Researchers-Find-Improving-Motors-Skills-Helps-Children-With-Autism-Connect-Socially

I took 12 screenshots too. You can find them here.
http://imgur.com/a/DFxqa
In the steps below, with each image's name, I have also listed each image as either "both versions" (of firefox) or "v46.0.1" or "v47.0+", & also as "mobile view" or "desktop view". Finally, for some of the images, I zoomed in (for the sake of detail & sharpness), so it's not firefox cutting off some of the pages.

1) Start with android firefox in mobile view. (This step isn't genuinely necessary, but since android firefox opens all new tabs in mobile view by default, it's easier to do it this way).

2) Copy any online image's URL. (This bug also occurs if you use an image that is stored on your smartphone/tablet. Just go to google's images' home page, use android firefox's option "Request desktop site" to switch from mobile view to desktop view, click on the "camera" button in google's search box, & upload an image from your smartphone/tablet. Then skip ahead to either step 5 or 6 (I forget which.))

3) Paste that image's URL into android firefox's address bar & choose to "search" for it using google (image 1, both versions, mobile view).

4) Use android firefox's option "Request desktop site" to switch from mobile view (image 2, both versions, mobil view) to desktop view (image 3, both versions, desktop view).

5) Near the top of the page will be the choice "For matching images, search by image" (image 3, both versions, desktop view). Click it.

6) This will take you to the "Images" page, with a few images, some pages that are hosting the image, & 2 options, "All sizes" & "View similar images" (image 4, both versions, desktop view). First, we'll click "All sizes".

7) The "All sizes" screen has one or more results for the image that you searched with, listed in order of big to small (image 5, both versions, desktop view).

8) In android firefox v46.0.1, clicking on one those images creates a pop-up window that shows you a few similar images, the selected image's dimensions, & a few options, like "Visit page" & "View image" (image 6, 46.0.1, desktop view, & image 7, 46.0.1, desktop view).

9) In android firefox v47.0+, clicking on one those images does almost NOTHING (compare images 5 & 8 to see the very small difference), with NO pop-up window AT ALL (image 8, 47.0+, desktop view).

10) Go back to the "Images" page again (see step 6 if necessary). From the "Images" page, this time we'll click "View similar images".

11) The "View similar images" screen has one or more results for the image that you searched with (image 9, both versions, desktop view).

12) In android firefox v46.0.1, clicking on one those images creates a pop-up window that shows you a few similar images, the selected image's dimensions, & a few options, like "Visit page" & "View image" (image 10, 46.0.1, desktop view, & image 11, 46.0.1, desktop view).

13) In android firefox v47.0+, clicking on one those images does almost NOTHING (compare images 9 & 12 to see the very small difference), with NO pop-up window AT ALL (image 12, 47.0+, desktop view).

To clarify (because that is a bit much to read through), the bug shows up in steps 9 & 13.



P.S. I would've submitted this bug report as soon as v47.0 was released, but I had to go back to v46.0.1 first because it doesn't have this bug (& for some of this bug report's screenshots), & salvaging a zillion bookmarks when your device CANNOT be rooted takes forever.

Comment 1

[Simon Basca [:SimonB]]

Thank you for taking the time to provided all the information regarding this issue. 

It will be very useful if you can please provide some valid and exact steps to reproduce the issue?

Comment 2

[wakanasakai]

There are already 13 steps & 12 screenshots in my bug report.

It will be very useful if you can tell ME which of those 13 steps you are having trouble following.

Comment 3

[Simon Basca [:SimonB]]

Wakanasakai are the below STR accurate?

Tested on:
Build: 47.0
Device: Nexus 7 (Android 5.1.1)

Steps to reproduce:
1. Search for an image and copy the URL address
2. Open a new tab with google.com and go to the images header 
3. Open the menu and request Desktop site
4. Tap the 'Search by image' icon in the google search bar
5. Check the 'Paste the image URL' option and paste the image URL 
6. Tap 'Search by image' 
7. From the search results tap on 'View similar' images
8. Tap on an image

Actual results:
- No action is performed.

Expected results:
- The image details should be displayed (Visit page / View page).

Comment 4

[wakanasakai]

"Actual results: - No action is performed".

Sadly, that is correct. The same thing also happens on google's "All sizes" screen (only in desktop view). It's important to know (to help with finding & fixing the CAUSE of this problem) that this problem started in android firefox v47.0+. Android firefox v46.0.1 (& earlier) performs exactly as expected (if you use desktop view).

Comment 5

[BMO Automation]

We have completed our launch of our new Firefox on Android. The development of the new versions use GitHub for issue tracking. If the bug report still reproduces in a current version of [Firefox on Android nightly](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.fenix) an issue can be reported at the [Fenix GitHub project](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/). If you want to discuss your report please use [Mozilla's chat](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Matrix#Connect_to_Matrix) server https://chat.mozilla.org and join the [#fenix](https://chat.mozilla.org/#/room/#fenix:mozilla.org) channel.