1813788 - Split deleting site data from browsing history

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Fenix :: History, enhancement, P3)

Description

[Jeff Boek [:boek]]

From github: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/25818.

What is the user problem or growth opportunity you want to see solved?

On the privacy section of the settings, Delete browsing data, the only way to delete site data is to remove the entire browsing history. Spitting the two kind of data (history and site data) makes sense when the user wished is to cleanup any kind of tracking data from all sites, like when clearing cookies, but without losing the browsing history.

How do you know that this problem exists today? Why is this important?

Site data, like localStorage can be used to track user visits to a site much like cookies, It would be an advantage to do it without losing the browsing history.

Other implementations:

• Firefox desktop on Clear recent history has a separate data section from browsing history.
• Firefox desktop on Settings - Clear Data merge the cookies and site data options.
• Chrome Android merge the cookies and site data options too.

Who will benefit from it?

Privacy conscious users that like to clear data with some frequency or at application exit, can take advantage of removing potential identifying information without losing the browsing history.

Note: I searched for another issue and found a recent one locked and generated by a ghost user for obvious rules violations), so I decided to open a new one as a fresh start for discussion.

┆Issue is synchronized with this Jira Task

Change performed by the Move to Bugzilla add-on.

Comment 1

[mortymeh]

Please make this happen, i just want to use clear history, because of this dumb unified thing, i can't use firefox as my main browser on mobile.

Comment 2

[iTrooz]

Hi, I'd like to try myself at this bug, by merging the cookies and site data
Is there anything I should know ?

Comment 3

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

@ iTrooz: Hi! This bug still needs UI design. In the meantime, if you're looking for good bugs to work on, check out this list of bugs labeled "good-first-bug": https://mzl.la/3KGb6bu

@ UX: What are your thought on these UI options?

• Combine Site data and Cookies into one checkbox "Cookies and Site Data"? This is what Firefox Desktop does. This would require new strings for the new setting description.
• Add a new "Site data" checkbox to the "Delete browsing data" settings screen?
• A different approach?

Comment 4

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

We should verify whether clearing Fenix's cookies is already clearing site data, since desktop clears them together. Maybe Fenix's UI is not accurately describing what the code does!

Comment 5

[iTrooz]

@ cpeterson Thanks, I will take a look !

I should note that since my last message I already made a few commits to implement the second implementation discussed (Firefox desktop on Settings - Clear Data merge the cookies and site data options.) : https://github.com/iTrooz/firefox-android/tree/clear_site_data
And so I can confirm the code does indeed what the UI says

(I understand that by doing this without waiting for the UX discussion, my code may not be merged, I was mostly looking for a way to experiment with the Firefox codebase)

Comment 6

[iTrooz]

screenshot of my changes in the app: https://ibb.co/6n4WWLQ

Comment 7

[mortymeh]

(In reply to iTrooz from comment #6)

screenshot of my changes in the app: https://ibb.co/6n4WWLQ

that's great i hope they implement it.

this look idiotic. these aren't even similar things.
https://i.imgur.com/4gdNtAJ.png

Comment 8

[mortymeh]

Please make this happen. I'm sick of using edge because of this.

Comment 9

[mortymeh]

It has been nearly 3 years. I can't believe this. https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/10175

Comment 10

[Grumpus]

I agree it's incredible. Been opened many times (and still in 3 open tickets too I believe)

https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/10175 -> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1813099 (original)
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/14402 -> closed as duplicate
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/16798 -> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1807446
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/18104 -> closed as duplicate
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/25818 -> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1813788 (this)

Comment 11

[iTrooz]

Hey @cpeterson , is there anything I can do to help get this merged ? Should I directly propose this patch in phabricator ?

Comment 12

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

(In reply to Grumpus from comment #10)

I agree it's incredible. Been opened many times (and still in 3 open tickets too I believe)

Thanks for finding those duplicate tickets. I'll merge them into this ticket.

(In reply to iTrooz from comment #11)

Hey @cpeterson , is there anything I can do to help get this merged ? Should I directly propose this patch in phabricator ?

iTrooz, thank you for your patience. I will follow up with the UX design team again. I think your proposal to move site data from "Browsing history and site data" to "Cookies and site data" is a good approach, but I'm not the decision maker.

Comment 15

[mortymeh]

This shouldn't be hard. What a way to go Mozilla!

Comment 16

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

iTrooz, good news: the UX design team approved your proposed design to move site data from the "Browsing history and site data" menu item to a "Cookies and site data" menu item.

The fix will need to update the menu items in both the "Settings > Delete browsing data" and "Settings > Delete browsing data on quit" screens.

Comment 17

[mortymeh]

Can you fire the person who thought these are similar things and decided to put them together? :)

Comment 18

[iTrooz]

Sorry for the long response delay.

My fix already applied to both of these screens, so I think I am ready to submit it

Since the developement of firefox-android seems to be done on github, I have opened a pull request there: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-android/pull/2688

Comment 19

[iTrooz]

@cpeterson I have opened a PR on github, but I am unsure if I did the right thing.

So, a few questions:

• According to https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/shared-docs/blob/main/android/CONTRIBUTING_code.md#beginners-guides, I am supposed to use "micro commits", but I received this comment on the PR (https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-android/pull/2688#issuecomment-1616112365) which says I should Prefix my commit message with "Bug 1813788 - ". The problem is that I use multiple micro commits, not one. What should I do ?
• Should the conversation about the pull request (review for example) move to github now, or stay here ?
• Do I have anything else to do, or should I just wait for review/merge ?

Thanks a lot for your help

Comment 20

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

(In reply to iTrooz from comment #19)

• According to https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/shared-docs/blob/main/android/CONTRIBUTING_code.md#beginners-guides, I am supposed to use "micro commits", but I received this comment on the PR (https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-android/pull/2688#issuecomment-1616112365) which says I should Prefix my commit message with "Bug 1813788 - ". The problem is that I use multiple micro commits, not one. What should I do ?

You can add the "Bug 1813788 - " prefix to all of your micro commits, since they're all related to this same bug. I see how that might look misleading, but it's the convention. Some people also add "Part" numbers like "Bug 1813788 - Part 1:" and "Bug 1813788 - Part 2:" but that's optional. Each commit in the series should be buildable.

• Should the conversation about the pull request (review for example) move to github now, or stay here ?

The code reviewer might not be CC'd on this Bugzilla bug, so conversation about the code changes can stay in the GitHub PR.

• Do I have anything else to do, or should I just wait for review/merge ?

You don't need to do anything else. An Android engineer will see the new PR and then review and merge it.

Comment 21

[Grumpus]

I see iTrooz is working on pushing this through in github. Just wanted to say thanks for your efforts!

Comment 22

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Attachment: pr 2688: Bug 1813788 - Split deleting site data from browsing history (and merge with cookies)

Comment 23

[BMO Github Automation]

Authored by https://github.com/iTrooz
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-android/commit/d1069d001fac26ef3666025dff31c1ad068713ff
[main] Bug 1813788 - Split deleting site data from browsing history

Comment 24

[Adina Petridean]

Verified as implemented on the latest Fenix Nightly 118.0a1 from 8/23 with the following devices:

Google Pixel 7 Pro ( Android 14)
Motorola Moto G9 plus (Android 11)

Comment 25

[Adina Petridean]

Attachment: Screenshot 2023-08-23 at 08.53.08.png

Comment 26

[BMO Github Automation]

Attachment: [mozilla-mobile/firefox-android] Bug 1813788 - Part 2: Add UnusedResources specifiers to strings needing it + Remove unused testing functions (#3389)

Comment 27

[BMO Github Automation]

Authored by https://github.com/iTrooz
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-android/commit/8cc7f573ce8c4cc915f67c7daa35cb5591da6c7e
[main] Bug 1813788 - Part 2: Add UnusedResources specifiers to strings needing it + Remove unused testing functions

Comment 28

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

iTrooz, thanks for your patience and thoroughness fixing this bug! It will ship in Firefox 118.

Release Note Request (optional, but appreciated)
[Why is this notable]: Users have requested this change many times.
[Affects Firefox for Android]: Yes.
[Suggested wording]: Move clearing of site data from "Browsing history and site data" to "Cookies and site data" menu item.
[Links (documentation, blog post, etc)]: SUMO article: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-search-history-firefox-android

I will update the menu item strings in the SUMO article: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-search-history-firefox-android/history

Comment 29

[iTrooz]

[Suggested wording]: Move clearing of site data from "Browsing history and site data" to "Cookies and site data" menu item.

If you are asking me, yes, I think the wording of this release note is good !

Release Note Request

Do I need to do anything else for this to have a release note ?

Comment 30

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

Added a slightly reworded note to the Nightly release notes. Keeping the relnote? flag open to keep it on the radar for inclusion in our final release notes.

Comment 31

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

(In reply to iTrooz from comment #29)

Release Note Request

Do I need to do anything else for this to have a release note ?

Nope. You don't need to do anything since my first draft of a release note looks good to you.