2001191 - Private Window options still available when private browsing is disabled

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Firefox :: Enterprise Policies, defect)

Description

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

If you turn off private browsing, you still get an option to "search in private tab" in Firefox View.

You also get "Open in New Private Window" in the history sidebar and tabs from other devices.

It look like the old sidebar might have some places too.

Comment 1

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

Attachment: Bug 2001191 - Hide private window menutems when private browsing is disabled. r?kcochrane

Comment 2

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/421856fd8c0a
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/59560d249df1
Hide private window menutems when private browsing is disabled. r=kcochrane

Comment 3

[Serban Stanca [:SerbanS]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/59560d249df1

Comment 4

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

Attachment: Bug 2001191 - Hide private window menutems when private browsing is disabled.

Original Revision: https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D273332

Comment 5

[Phabricator Automation]

firefox-beta Uplift Approval Request

• User impact if declined: Users can still access private browsing when it's turned off.
• Code covered by automated testing: no
• Fix verified in Nightly: yes
• Needs manual QE test: yes
• Steps to reproduce for manual QE testing: Turn on private browsing.

Verify that there are no private browsing options in the new sidebar and that when you select text in the Firefox window and right click, you don't see a "search in private window" option.

• Risk associated with taking this patch: low
• Explanation of risk level: Very low touch
• String changes made/needed: None
• Is Android affected?: no

Comment 6

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

Attachment: Bug 2001191 - Hide private window menutems when private browsing is disabled.

Comment 7

[Phabricator Automation]

firefox-esr140 Uplift Approval Request

• User impact if declined: Users can still access private browsing when it's turned off.
• Code covered by automated testing: no
• Fix verified in Nightly: yes
• Needs manual QE test: yes
• Steps to reproduce for manual QE testing: Turn on private browsing.

Verify that there are no private browsing options in the new sidebar and that when you select text in the Firefox window and right click, you don't see a "search in private window" option.

• Risk associated with taking this patch: low
• Explanation of risk level: Very low touch
• String changes made/needed: None
• Is Android affected?: no

Comment 8

[Pulsebot]

https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/cbe182cd7ea7
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-beta/rev/501461a3723a

Comment 9

[Pulsebot]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-esr140/rev/c43ef3809722

Comment 10

[Daniel Bodea [:danibodea]]

I can not reproduce this issue in Nightly v147.0a1 (2025-11-21) in Windows 10 with policy DisablePrivateBrowsing = true enabled by using policy.json method (https://mozilla.github.io/policy-templates/#disableprivatebrowsing).

Context menu of "History" entries or "Tabs from other devices entries" from FirefoxView (sidebar) do not contain the option "Open in a Private Window" when Private Browsing is disabled.
Entries from the History section of the OLD Sidebar also do not contain the context-menu option to "Open in a Private Window" when Private Browsing is disabled.

Can you help up clear up this fix?

1. On which operating system was this issue reproduced?
2. What method did you use to turn off the Private Browsing?
3. Did this reproduce in Nightly channel?
4. What exactly do you mean by "search in private tab" in Firefox View?
5. In the steps from the uplift request, you mentioned turning ON the private browsing, but in the title and description you mentioned turning it off. Which one is a typo?
   Thank you!

Comment 11

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

I reproduced this on Windows, on Nightly.

I turned off private browsing using the DisablePrivateBrowsing GPO.

For search in private tab, I meant the new option that when you select any text in Firefox you can "Search in private window"

Sorry, I meant turning private browsing off.

Comment 12

[Simona Badau, Desktop QA]

Attachment: Screenshot with PB disabled on latest Nightly

Hi Mike,

I turned off private browsing using DisablePrivateBrowsing GPO and I still see "Open in new private window" in Firefox View on the latest Nightly 147.0a1 Build ID: 20251203092053 . - please see the screenshot

I could not find any "Search in private window" - tried with Private Browsing enabled and disabled, if this is a new feature, are there any prefs that enables it?

Comment 13

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

Argh. I missed that dropdown menu. Thank you! I was focused on right click on the items, I didn't look at those dropdowns.

As far as the search in private, it appears I had something flipped for that, so you can ignore that. (It's not on by default yet)

Comment 14

[Simona Badau, Desktop QA]

(In reply to Mike Kaply [:mkaply] from comment #13)

Argh. I missed that dropdown menu. Thank you! I was focused on right click on the items, I didn't look at those dropdowns.

Mike, should I file a new bug for the “Open in New Private Window” option that is still displayed in the Dropdown with the DisablePrivateBrowsing GPO enabled, or should this issue be reopened?

Comment 15

[Simona Badau, Desktop QA]

I've logged Bug 2004669 to track the issue with the private browsing option still appearing in the dropdown.
Mike, please let me know if there's anything else I can help with on this bug.

Comment 16

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

Thanks for finding and reporting!

Comment 17

[Simona Badau, Desktop QA]

As no Private Window options are available in the context menu from Firefox View when Private Browsing is disabled in Firefox 140.6.0 ESR, Firefox 146, and Firefox 147.0b4, and the remaining issue is tracked in Bug 2004669, I’m going to mark this as Verified Fixed.