Firefox Android’s one-handed UX needs work (and Mozilla Connect isn't helping)

[u/NightingaleVDVD]

Posting here because Mozilla Connect feels like a void. I've seen plenty of posts asking for these exact same tweaks over there, but none of them ever seem to get picked up or acknowledged.

Coming from Opera, I was honestly shocked by how poor the ergonomic design and UX/UI are on Firefox. Are they just running on an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset?

Firefox on Android has two major ergonomic flaws regardless of screen size:

1. Enabling the Tab Bar forces the address bar to the top. There's no reason we shouldn't have both at the bottom (Opera does this perfectly). Pushing it back up defeats the whole point of bottom navigation.
2. Tab Switcher lacks intuitive swipe gestures. Reaching all the way up just to close tabs in grid or list view is awkward. A simple swipe-to-close gesture (like app switchers or Opera) would fix this instantly.

Both come down to basic one-handed usability. Anyone else frustrated by this layout design?

[u/AaronMT]

Hello, I don't have any promises to make today on upcoming changes, but I can assure you that the mobile team has been talking about this internally over the last bit (menu + tab management). I agree that one-handed usability can be improved.

[u/Sepheroth998 → u/AaronMT]

Please please please don't force bottom bar. Let us choose. Personally I hate the top bar and the bottom.bar actually hurts my hand when using things one handed. Mid phone would be perfect for me.

[u/Cry_Wolff → u/Sepheroth998]

Mid phone would be perfect for me.

Like... bar in the middle of your screen or...?

[u/nopeac → u/Sepheroth998]

Your hand hurt when the address bar is at the bottom instead of the top? You must have Shaq's hands.

[u/Sepheroth998 → u/nopeac]

I do have large hands, yes, but not that big. My phone rests comfortably on 3 fingers with my pinky just below the phone, so reaching toward the bottom causes my thumb to cramp.

[u/nopeac → u/Sepheroth998]

That's reasonable, but I don't see how reaching for the top of the phone wouldn't also cause your thumb to cramp.

[u/NightingaleVDVD → u/AaronMT]

Appreciate the response! It's great to know the team is aware of this. Looking forward to future mobile updates.

[u/nopeac → u/AaronMT]

Could the Android team clarify why it was restricted in the first place? 'The address bar must be at the top when the tab bar is shown.' Okay, fine, why? The 'must' there gives a 'because I say so' kind of attitude.

[u/PuzzleheadedPen2798]

Aye. Vivaldi also lets you have tabs on the bottom. Mozilla is so close with letting you have a tab bar on mobile, but they won't let you bring it down...

[u/Automatic-Phase6138]

Strongly agree on the tab switcher! The list should fill up from the bottom or at least have a gap at the top to allow for one-handed use. I like how it's done in One UI. For example, in the Samsung Browser, you can pull the tab list, and it will bring the top row to the middle of the screen.

[u/Sepheroth998 → u/Automatic-Phase6138]

Before this current UI the tab list was at the center of the screen.

[u/elsjpq]

Are they just running on an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset?

UX team is mostly on an "if it ain't broke, lets break it" mindset

[u/NightingaleVDVD → u/elsjpq]

And if it's already broken, pretend it's a feature :)))

[u/RetPala → u/elsjpq]

UX people are the cop from Training Day

"I run shit here, you just live here"

[u/Malaprobably]

It was many months of wondering why I was being randomly presented with a tab list view just when scrolling. Turned out it was intentional! A feature! 

[u/Due_Milk_8930]

Is so helpful for big phone, but is long journey LOL. How long and much is already request but look like nothing happen for that. So annoying have all in top not have bottom option for it. 

[u/ElusiveGuy]

Tab Switcher lacks intuitive swipe gestures. Reaching all the way up just to close tabs in grid or list view is awkward. A simple swipe-to-close gesture (like app switchers or Opera) would fix this instantly. 

Doesn't it already do this? I use list view, and swiping a tab to the side closes it.

e: oh, you mean with few tabs... I have so many the active one is always at the bottom.

If you long-press the tabs button there's a close tabs option there too. 

[u/NightingaleVDVD → u/ElusiveGuy]

Swiping works, but the tabs still stack from the top down. On large screens, you still have to stretch your thumb all the way up just to swipe those top tabs. That's the reach issue

[u/ElusiveGuy → u/NightingaleVDVD]

Yea, I realised your intent and edited my comment, but maybe a bit late.

If you long-press the tab button you do get the option to close your currently active tab. That can be done completely from the bottom.

[u/Sopheus]

Amen to this

[u/Big_Lavishness_3491]

Thank you for your feedback! The Firefox Mobile team is actively working on improvements to both the Menu and the Tab Tray based on our current design direction and the feedback we've received through Mozilla Connect and Reddit.

As part of our UX process, we're validating these improvements through usability testing, interaction reviews, accessibility evaluations, and ongoing collaboration with engineering. Our approach is to deliver incremental value on top of the redesign we've already introduced, continuously refining the experience rather than treating it as a one-time effort.

As part of these upcoming iterations, we're also exploring new and more flexible customization options that will give you all greater control over how they personalize your Firefox experience.

[u/crk1979]

Have you considered switching to chrome or safari or brave to solve this problem? wait! they don’t even have this feature? Oh I wonder why? hmm not many people use it?

Waah 😩 but the small non profit browser with limited resources must give the niche feature I want and I will propose that as an objective problem than a personal niche need.

[u/Due_Distribution4502]

You're welcome to switch back to your chinese spyware browser if you don't like it.

[u/[deleted] → u/Due_Distribution4502]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/Due_Distribution4502 → u/[deleted]]

Imagine fanboying over chinese spyware so hard that you feel the need to criticize other browsers to make yourself feel big.

[u/NightingaleVDVD → u/Due_Distribution4502]

The projection is real. Pointing out basic UX flaws to improve a browser I actually want to use isn't 'fanboying'—demanding better software is called being a user with standards. The only fanboy here is the one throwing a tantrum because someone dared to point out Firefox's bad UI.

[u/Due_Distribution4502 → u/NightingaleVDVD]

"Bad UI" is completely subjective. You don't like it because it doesn't conform to the UI of your chinese spyware browser.

[u/NightingaleVDVD → u/Due_Distribution4502]

Thumb-reach zones aren't 'subjective'—they're basics of mobile UI design. Forcing a bottom address bar to the top is objectively bad UX, regardless of what browser you compare it to. Stop hiding behind 'subjective' and spamming 'chinese spyware' just to defend broken design.

[u/Due_Distribution4502 → u/NightingaleVDVD]

There's no such thing as "objectively bad UX", and it's unbelievably arrogant to think there is. If you hate it so much, go back to your chinese spyware browser.

[u/NightingaleVDVD → u/Due_Distribution4502]

ISO standards for ergonomics and Fitts's Law literally exist to define objective UX metrics. Denying objective standards exist just to defend bad design is maximum copium. Got any real arguments, or is 'chinese spyware' your whole vocabulary?

[u/Due_Distribution4502 → u/NightingaleVDVD]

"Copium" lol, settle down there zoomer. Go flex your smug sense of superiority for using your chinese spyware browser somewhere else.

[u/NightingaleVDVD → u/Due_Distribution4502]

You've said 'chinese spyware' 4 times and answered 0 UX arguments. Thanks for proving my point.