Firefox's Drag Space Customize Option will be removed for most users

[harlan4096]

Mozilla is working on a visual refresh for the organization's Firefox web browser. Called Proton internally, it is an attempt to modernize the user interface of the web browser. Tabs, the address bar, menus, modals and other areas are changed visually. The organization plans to release the visual refresh in Firefox 89, out in June 2021, to the stable population.

Besides adding a different kind of paint to Firefox, Mozilla engineers are also removing features from Firefox, mainly the customize menu, that they believe are not popular and not used by many users of the browser.

We covered the removal of the compact mode density already. Mozilla wanted to remove the option completely from Firefox initially, but changed plans after a massive user backlash. The decision was made to keep compact density for Firefox installations that use it, but hide the option in the customize menu for others. Firefox users who want to use the mode need to flip a preference switch to do so or enable it right away, also in the preferences.

A new bug on Mozilla's bug tracking site Bugzilla@Mozilla suggests that another customize option will be hidden if it is not enabled. It is the Drag Space option that users may check to add a small horizontal line on top of the tab interface; this line improves the dragging ability, e.g. using the mouse to drag the Firefox window.

Without it, Firefox users need to use areas with blank space in the browser's main toolbar to move it around. The title bar customization options remains an option, however, and it could be used for improved drag & drop operations.

The latest Nightly version of Firefox comes without the Drag Space option in the browser's customize interface.

The preference that Firefox users need to configure is browser.tabs.extraDragSpace. It is not available yet in the latest Nightly, and it is possible that it will change before it lands. Setting the preference to TRUE manually does not add the Drag Space option back to the browser.

It is unclear how widely Drag Space is used in Firefox, it is probably one of the lesser used customization options.

Now You: Do you use Drag Space?
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