Fenix: FNX2-13692 ⁃ As a user I would like to be able to open a new tab from the tab tray overflow menu

[ekager]

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

Users want a quick way to be able to open a new tab from the tab tray without going to the homescreen > click toolbar > search

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

Broken out of #11833

Who will benefit from it?

Users who use the tabs tray and open new tabs frequently

[yoasif]

@ekager I'm not sure how this is different from using the FAB? Or is it literally the same result but using a different UI?

[ekager]

Right. I suppose having to click into the menu and then select the new tab option is still 2 clicks versus clicking the fab then clicking the toolbar. Not my suggestion just breaking it out of the list of suggestions in #11833.

[christophgrander]

The tab tray makes things so much more complicated. It feels like it duplicates the site that is shown when I open a new tab. Having to click on the (numer of tabs) button (dont know how to call it), then again on the plus button and a third time on the url bar just to open a new tab is way to complicated. (Also, I use private browsing mode a lot and it became more complicated to switch between private and non-private mode.)

[ekager]

You can long press the tab icon to open a new tab now also - #11569

[hollmmax]

You can long press the tab icon to open a new tab now also - #11569

Congratz to the UX team, we went from 2 clicks, to 3 clicks, and now we're at a long-press + 2 clicks! That's what I call real progress.

[yoasif]

You can long press the tab icon to open a new tab now also - #11569

Congratz to the UX team, we went from 2 clicks, to 3 clicks, and now we're at a long-press + 2 clicks! That's what I call real progress.

Do you think it helps to be rude to people? Please try to be less hostile - I would hate these issues to get closed as being too heated.

[ItsiAdam]

The new tab tray makes no sense.
The old one fit fenix's design perfectly and was a delight to use. This is the main thing I don't understand, the new tray does not fit into the browser at all. It feels like it wasn't even meant to be included.
Also discussions regarding the change were extremely limited before it was added, with most discussions boiling down to "well other browsers do it, so we should too."

• Promoted the use of collections.
• Less clicks to get to the home screen, less clicks to open new tabs.
• Easier to manage tabs. (Less finicky, the new tray is a pain in the ass to move to the top of without closing accidentally. Swiping to remove tabs also either doesn't work or has a massive delay.)
• Able to pick which tab to resume browsing to, instead of being dropped into your last open page.
• Users didn't complain before the change. I can only find very few people praising this decision on reddit, with many more left confused.

The benefits of the old drawer are endless. Not to say that the new one doesn't have it's advantages too, just that the old one is fundamentally better in ways the new one could never be.

Also, the browser has 2 customization options. Adding "Tab Drawer Style" as one would not make the code any harder to maintain.

[ItsiAdam]

Oh and I think I should also point out how dumb it is that you have to click new tab to get to the HOME PAGE.

[Dunexus]

The main issue raised with the old one was that over time there was too many things on a single screen making each section hard to access (top sites, tabs and collections). This is why the idea of moving tabs to their own screen came out.

[ItsiAdam]

I'd hardly say that screen was cluttered, especially when you consider the fact that collections collapse out of the way and top sites has a limited size.

[AmyYLee]

@topotropic @brampitoyo for review

[ItsiAdam]

https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/hlfjmc/return_to_old_tab_layout_fenix
Just one of very many

[brampitoyo]

On Firefox for iOS, we are A/B testing popping the keyboard up by default every time a new tab is opened.

This saves one tap (no need to tap the address bar – just open a new tab and you can start typing straight away), but also introduces another problem: the keyboard would cover up part of the New Tab Page.

In this scenario, what if you need to access everything else on the New Tab Page? You need to minimise the keyboard, of course. It’s not hard, but takes an extra button press – versus if the keyboard was never opened on the New Tab Page

So:

• Do we prioritise for quick search, at the expense of partially covering up part of the New Tab Page?
• Or, do we prioritise frequently used actions on the New Tab Page, at the expense of quick search?

I hope this helps us realise that this is an issue that we need to balance and tread carefully on, and that there’s not necessarily one right way to proceed. Instead, there are priorities, compromises and saying ‘no’ to stuff. The principle to remember is: we can’t prioritise everything, all the time, on every screen. When everything is equally important, then nothing is.

So, please keep your ideas coming. If you managed found a way through the Gordian knot, we would love to know!

Paging @topotropic for further comments.

[Oymate]

@brampitoyo where can I vote in this A/B test? Also I do prefer keyboard popping up as if I am opening new tab I am probably searching something. :)

[ItsiAdam]

public confusion: https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/homkot/is_there_a_way_to_display_open_tabs_by_default/

[topotropic]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! And thanks Bram for the helpful background information.

We're actively working on this. And, it looks like it's covered here as well: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/11513 I'll go ahead and close it. Thanks!