1976279 - Private tabs less discoverable and harder to access with removal of private toggle button from homepage

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Firefox for Android :: Homepage, defect, P3)

Description

[Kestrel]

STR:

1. Open Android Nightly 142.0a1.
2. Switch to private homepage.

Expected:
Single tap on private toggle button on homepage.

Actual:
Method 1:

1. Tap tabs tray button.
2. Tap private tabs.
3. Tap "+PRIVATE" button.

Method 2:

1. Press and hold tabs tray button.
2. Tap "New private tab".

The second method is faster but less discoverable and long-press can be cumbersome for some users. Both methods involve significantly more steps and make private tabs less convenient to access. Some users may not bother and start using more non-private tabs.

This change along with the homepage defaulting to non-private on cold startup (Bug 1968048) and lack of permanent private mode (Bug 1973769) presents a growing friction for users wishing to use private tabs on a regular basis. Users who have Firefox as a private alternative to their main browser increasingly need to jump through hoops to get to private tabs.

Regression window:
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/pushloghtml?fromchange=e9b77924bb503e2f75515954e550ff7cbb6a3837&tochange=63afd49b4482b259840e6e6af45e156d449872dd

Regressed by Bug 1974066.

Comment 1

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

:gl, since you are the author of the regressor, bug 1974066, could you take a look?

For more information, please visit BugBot documentation.

Comment 2

[Kestrel]

Title typo.

Comment 3

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

Set release status flags based on info from the regressing bug 1974066

Comment 4

[Gabriel Luong [:gl] (ΦωΦ)]

Discussed the ongoing feedback around PBM in https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gbPHRhaX0v7KVnoOkAHatq1BPEIhwlH9e1RPol0XBh4/edit?usp=sharing.

The decision made is to revert the changes on hiding the Homepage Header which contains Logo and PBM toggle button and persist the browsing mode state in between application restart.

Comment 5

[Gabriel Luong [:gl] (ΦωΦ)]

Attachment: Bug 1976279 - Revert hiding the homepage header and show the header by default

Comment 6

[Gabriel Luong [:gl] (ΦωΦ)]

Attachment: Bug 1976279 - Revert hiding the homepage header and show the header by default

Original Revision: https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D260350

Comment 7

[Gabriel Luong [:gl] (ΦωΦ)]

Attachment: Bug 1976279 - Revert hiding the homepage header and show the header by default

Original Revision: https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D260350

Comment 8

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/47af9b666f4e
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/3c074750dc7e
Revert hiding the homepage header and show the header by default r=android-reviewers,devota

Comment 9

[Dianna Smith [:diannaS]]

:gl fyi this is missing an uplift request form

Comment 10

[Phabricator Automation]

firefox-beta Uplift Approval Request

• User impact if declined: Users will not be able to see the Private Browsing Mode toggle button on the homepage
• Code covered by automated testing: no
• Fix verified in Nightly: no
• Needs manual QE test: yes
• Steps to reproduce for manual QE testing: Observe whether or not the Homepage Header + Private Browsing Mode Toggle Button are visible
• Risk associated with taking this patch: Low Risk
• Explanation of risk level: Low
• String changes made/needed: Toggling a Boolean value in a Nimbus configuration that was added to show/hide the homepage header with the Private Browsing Mode toggle button
• Is Android affected?: yes

Comment 11

[Cristian Tuns]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/3c074750dc7e

Comment 12

[Pulsebot]

https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/d7a9013d3645
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-beta/rev/042e0ce9d78d

Comment 13

[Mira Lobontiu (Android QA)]

Verified as fixed on Firefox for Android Nightly 143.0a1 from 8/10, and on Firefox for Android 142.0 build 1, with the following devices:

• Oppo Find X3 Lite (Android 11),
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Android 14),
• Samsung Galaxy A32 (Android 13), and
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (Android 15).