Fenix: [Bug] Tab history still visible after clearing all history

[sv-ohorvath]

Steps to reproduce

1. Visit a few websites on a single tab.
2. Go to the History menu and delete all history. Or clear browsing data, leaving the Open tabs out.
3. Go back to the tab, long tap the back button.
   

   Expected behavior

No recent tab history should be displayed.

Actual behavior

The tab's history is still displayed as long as you don't close the tab, even after an app restart.

Device information

• Android device: any
• Fenix version: Beta 80.0.0-beta6, Nightly 8/11

[Mugurell]

Just to confirm with UX.
The expected behavior is the same as for Fennec, where clearing history also deletes all tab history.
Upon deleting all history, all tabs would still be available, but with no history. Pressing back while on a tab would bring the user back to Fenix's HomeFragment.
Is this what we should implement?

[apbitner]

Pinging @brampitoyo who worked on the back history

[brampitoyo]

@Mugurell wrote:

1. …clearing history also deletes all tab history.
2. Upon deleting all history, all tabs would still be available, but with no history.
3. Pressing back while on a tab would bring the user back to Fenix's HomeFragment.

Yes. I totally agree on items 1 and 2. It’s the correct behaviour!

As for item 3, I think it would be consistent if the Back button is disabled, making the Plus icon the only way to access HomeFragment. Technically “the first page in tab history” is not HomeFragment. It’s actually nothing, because deleting all history would also delete “the first page”. Does that make sense, or is it confusing and would introduce more complication?

[Mugurell]

Thank you!

In regards to
@brampitoyo wrote:

As for item 3, I think it would be consistent if the Back button is disabled, making the Plus icon the only way to access HomeFragment. Technically “the first page in tab history” is not HomeFragment. It’s actually nothing, because deleting all history would also delete “the first page”. Does that make sense, or is it confusing and would introduce more complication?

I was thinking that indeed HomeFragment is not part of tab history but if one is to access a website (so it will have 1 item in history - the current page ) and then presses back she would get to the HomeFragment.
Same as with deleting tab history, the user would remain with just one history entry.. and then would press back, would get to HomeFragment.

This ^^ is what would happen now if we delete tab history.
If we are to disable the back button based on the "tab had history cleared" condition it would mean a bit of complexity.

[mobd]

I think the suggested change would go against users' expectations. If I see "clear browsing history" I would interpret that as just the list you see if you view your history. I don't expect it to change any of my open tabs' state, otherwise I would have cleared open tabs as well.

I also don't think any other browser disables the back button for open tabs if the user clears his history. However, only disabling the tab history while still having the back button work would be inconsistent and possibly lead to confusion.

[liuche]

I think that getting 1 & 2 fixed would be the first priority, and let's do 3 as @Mugurell suggests, since the suggestion to disable back button will be very complicated, and the approach suggested here will be much better than the current state.

If we find it's still confusing to users why their tabs are open, then also deleting tabs would not be a big change.

[brampitoyo]

@liuche @Mugurell Agreed. If disabling the back button is complicated, then let’s not do it.

[mcarare]

@brampitoyo Just to clarify:

Expected behavior
No recent tab history should be displayed

A newly opened tab with just an address inserted, no other navigation within tab, still shows an entry in the list, the current one.
Should deleting all history make the list completely empty, or with just the one entry, the current one?

[brampitoyo]

@mcarare Deleting all history should make the list completely empty.

This means that, although the current tab may still show up on the screen, if you go to the History sub-page, the entry for that tab has been deleted and is no longer recorded.

If, from this tab, you tap on a link, then we will record the link you tap in the History. But the original link isn’t recorded anymore.

[mcarare]

@brampitoyo I was asking about the list that comes up when long pressing back button.

[brampitoyo]

@mcarare Yes. The tab history list (which appears when you long-press the Back icon) should also be erased together with the “main” history (which appears when you tap Main menu → History).

Because there’s no tab history, you can’t press the Back icon anymore. The list should be completely empty.

[mcarare]

Waiting on https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/issues/4571.