2057201 - [Tab Strip] The search cannot be performed when opening a private mode tab from the tabs tray context menu

Status: NEW

(Firefox for Android :: Search, defect)

Description

[Vasilica Tamas (Android QA) [:vtamas]]

Attachment: Recording_20260723_154722.mp4

Steps to reproduce

1. Go to Settings > Customize and turn ON the "Show tab bar" option.
2. Open a webpage in normal browsing mode.
3. Long tap the tabs tray button from the Navigation bar.
4. Tap the "New private tab" option.

Expected behavior

The user can perform a new search in private browsing mode:

• The address bar is focused;
• The cursor blinks in the address bar;
• The keyboard is invoked.

Actual behavior

The search cannot be performed in private browsing because the address bar is not in focus and the keyboard is not active.
Nothing happens when tapping on the search bar.

Device information

• Firefox version: Firefox for Android Nightly 154 (2026-07-22), Firefox 143 beta 1 build 2
• Android device model: Lenovo tab P11 Pro (Android 14), Samsung S24 Ultra (Android 16)

Additional information

• This issue is not reproducible when accessing the tabs tray context menu from homepage.
• A regression window will be provided asap.

Comment 1

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

This looks similar to Bug 2057142. There was an intentional change made by Bug 2054518, but looks like it had some fallout.
Setting this as the regressor for discussion/investigation

Comment 2

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

:gl, since you are the author of the regressor, bug 2054518, could you take a look?

For more information, please visit BugBot documentation.

Comment 3

[Vasilica Tamas (Android QA) [:vtamas]]

I'm not sure Bug 2054518 is the regressor, given that this issue has been occurring since 2026-07-07.
Regression window:

• Last good: 154.0a1 (Build #2016171194), 843b141a4b58816c5c86c8925b021defb969ded4, GV: 154.0a1-20260706214124, AS: 154.20260703050225, 2026-07-06T21:41:24
• First bad: 154.0a1 (Build #2016171290), e12f64e1ead27536880ff1acd03d9f82240ac5f7, GV: 154.0a1-20260707092153, AS: 154.20260703050225, 2026-07-07T09:21:53

Comment 4

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

Thanks for a pushlog.
Bug 2050753 is the only related bug in that range.
I asked Claude to take a look (AI so might be incorrect) at why Bug 2050753 would have caused this regression

Modifies mobile/android/fenix/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/BrowserToolbarSearchMiddleware.kt — the middleware
that reacts to EnterEditMode / SearchQueryUpdated and composes the address-bar edit-mode UI.

Why it fits:

• The right middleware. When the user picks "New private tab" from the tab-counter long-press menu,
  BrowserToolbarMiddleware.openNewTab(store, Private) runs, which does browsingModeManager.mode = Private and then
  store.dispatch(SearchQueryUpdated(BrowserToolbarQuery(""), true)). BrowserToolbarSearchMiddleware is the middleware that
  processes that SearchQueryUpdated in edit mode.
• Private-mode gating. The patch adds !browsingModeManager.mode.isPrivate to the toolbar-edit-mode composition path. If the
  mode-flip and the middleware's read of browsingModeManager.mode race (or if a follow-on state transition assumes the Lens
  button was registered), the toolbar can end up in a partial edit-mode state — no focus delivered, no keyboard invoked.

Comment 5

[[:harrisono]]

I'll take a look, this is a strange side effect.

Comment 6

[Dianna Smith [:diannaS]]

:hoglesby any update on this?

Comment 7

[[:harrisono]]

I did some looking into this, I think the actual regression is this one: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2054518

it sets focusOnAddressBar = false whenever enableHomepageTrendingRecentSearch is on (default true on Nightly).

Comment 8

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

Switching the regressor back to Bug 2054518 per comment 7
Bug 2054518 is behind a pref settings.enableHomepageTrendingRecentSearch

Comment 9

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

Set release status flags based on info from the regressing bug 2054518