1910768 - Create an app-wide setting for desktop mode browsing

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox for Android :: Settings, task, P1)

Description

[Cathy Lu [:calu]]

Attachment: chrome-desktop-mode-pref.png

Besides the 3 dot menu setting for each tab, we should have a toggle in the settings menu for changing the desktop site preference app-wide.

Questions for UX: Where should this setting live, under site permissions?
On Chrome, it is under site settings, which contains site permissions and content preferences. Shown in the attachment screenshots.

Comment 1

[Cathy Lu [:calu]]

Attachment: chrome-site-settings.png

Comment 2

[Cathy Lu [:calu]]

Attachment: current-site-permissions.png

Comment 3

[Cathy Lu [:calu]]

Additionally, Chrome also has a site-wide preference for mobile vs desktop viewing, as well as a "When the window is narrow, request mobile view"

Comment 4

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: Bug 1910768 - Add an app-wide desktop mode browsing preference

Comment 5

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 2 - Remove `Settings.openNextTabInDesktopMode`

Comment 6

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 3 - Create a DataStore for user preferences and create a repository for accessing the desktop mode preference

Comment 7

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 4 - Create BrowserSettingsMiddleware and integrate it into BrowserStore

Comment 8

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 5 - Create preliminary desktop browsing preference UI and connect it to BrowserStore

Comment 9

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 6 - Sync the browser engine to `BrowserState.desktopMode`

Comment 10

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 8 - Provide a default value for desktop mode

Comment 11

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 8 - Integrate DesktopBrowsingFeature into HomeActivity

Comment 12

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 9 - Integrate DesktopBrowsingFeature into MenuDialogFragment

Comment 13

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 10 - Integrate `BrowserState.desktopMode` into `AddNewTabUseCase`

Comment 14

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 11 - Provide a default value for desktop mode

Comment 15

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 12 - Integrate the feature wrapper into the XML Home menu

Comment 16

[Noah Bond [:007]]

I received the OK from product to remove the desktop mode toggle from the Homepage menu with this patch, as that is going away with the redesign and it will greatly simplify desktop mode toggle logic.

Comment 17

[Mr Beedell, Roke Julian Lockhart [:B.RJL]]

#c16

[e-mail], doesn't that mean that smartphone users who don't usually use their phone with a desktop UA shan't be able to temporarily elevate without accessing about:preferences? If so, is that desirable? I ask because I find that I primarily utilize the "desktop mode" toggle temporarily.

Comment 18

[Noah Bond [:007]]

The desktop mode toggle within the browser's three-dot menu is still going to be there! The comment above is referring to the desktop mode toggle within the homepage's menu (before opening a tab, clicking on a top site, etc.).

Comment 19

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1910768 - Part 7 - Expose [Context.isLargeScreenSize]

Comment 20

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: Bug 1910768 - Part 2 - Ensure any pre-loaded tabs have the correct desktop mode preference

Comment 21

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: Bug 1910768 - Part 3 - Rename BrowserActions related to toggling Desktop Mode to better indicate their use case

Comment 23

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Attachment: Bug 1910768 - Part 4 - Rename "Site permissions" to "Site settings" and relocate desktop mode toggle

Comment 24

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/8e3eff9c7b2e
Add an app-wide desktop mode browsing preference r=android-reviewers,rsainani

Comment 25

[Sebastian Hengst [:aryx] (needinfo me if it's about an intermittent or backout)]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/8e3eff9c7b2e

Comment 26

[Noah Bond [:007]]

QE, could you please verify these changes?

This ticket/patch includes two additions:

• Desktop mode browsing by default for large devices.
  • When users boot up Fenix for the first time after this change, they will have desktop mode by default turned ON if they have a large screen size.
  • A screen is considered "large" when it has a screen width of at least 600 "dp" (typically, this means tablets and unfolded foldables).
• A preference for toggling-on/off desktop browsing by default.
  • This new preference is under Settings on the screen "Site settings", previously named "Site permissions"

Could you please verify that this functionality is working correctly, devices are getting their expected initial desktop mode value, and note any odd browsing or webcompat behavior?

Comment 27

[Noah Bond [:007]]

figma link

Comment 28

[Mira Lobontiu (Android QA)]

Attachment: 1910768.png

Verified as implemented on the Fenix Nightly 133.0a1, with the following devices:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (Android 14),
• Lenovo TB X606X (Android 10),
• Huawei MediaPad Youth M3 (Android 7),
• Google Pixel 6 (Android 15),
• Realme GT Master Edition (Android 13).

The following changes are available:

• the "Desktop site" option is no longer available in the homepage's main menu,
• the "desktop site" is available in Settings -> Site settings -> "Always request desktop site" toggle OFF by default for phones, ON for tablets,
• "Site permissions" is replaced by "Site settings".

On tablets, all the pages are opened in desktop mode, and on the three-dot menu the "Desktop site" toggle is ON. The toggle can be turned OFF, and the page reloads in mobile mode.
On phones, the pages load in mobile mode. Enabling the "Always request desktop site" toggle works as expected: the new opened pages load in desktop mode.
Tested in both normal and private browsing.

Comment 29

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

:007 could you add a release note nomination? (Process info)

Comment 30

[Noah Bond [:007]]

[Tracking Requested - why for this release]:
This patch introduces desktop browsing by default for tablets and other large devices. It is live in Nightly and is intended to ride the trains to Release.

• Desktop mode browsing by default for large devices.
  • When users boot up Fenix for the first time after this change, they will have desktop mode by default turned ON if they have a large screen size.
  • Users of Fenix on tablets or Chromebooks will now have desktop browsing defaulted to ON for all newly-opened tabs.
• We have also added an app-wide preference for toggling-on/off desktop browsing by default.
  • This new preference is under Settings on the screen "Site settings", previously named "Site permissions"

Comment 31

[Noah Bond [:007]]

Release Note Request (optional, but appreciated)
[Why is this notable]:
This ticket introduces desktop browsing by default for tablets and other large devices. It is live in Nightly and is intended to ride the trains to Release.

• Desktop mode browsing by default for large devices.
  • When users boot up Fenix for the first time after this change, they will have desktop mode by default turned ON if they have a large screen size.
  • Users of Fenix on tablets or Chromebooks will now have desktop browsing defaulted to ON for all newly-opened tabs.
• We have also added an app-wide preference for toggling-on/off desktop browsing by default.
  • This new preference is under Settings on the screen "Site settings", previously named "Site permissions"
    [Affects Firefox for Android]: Yes
    [Suggested wording]:
    [Links (documentation, blog post, etc)]:

Comment 32

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

Thanks, added to the Fx133 nightly release notes, please allow 30 minutes for the site to update.
Keeping the relnote-firefox flag as ? to keep it on the radar for inclusion in the final Fx133 release notes.

Comment 33

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

Added to the Fx133 release notes.
Available to preview on staging, please allow 30 minutes for the site to update.