Disable or Remove “Extensions” Button from Firefox Toolbar [UPDATED]
UPDATE: A how-to video about removing the Extensions button from Firefox toolbar has been added to help our readers in following the instructions easily.
Mozilla Firefox 109 and later versions come with a new “Extensions” button on toolbar which helps users in managing the installed extensions. If you want to remove the “Extensions” button from Firefox toolbar, this article will help you.
Mozilla team has added a dedicated “Extensions” menu button to Firefox toolbar similar to Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge web browsers.
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Firefox now displays a Jigsaw Puzzle piece icon in its toolbar to provide a new unified or dedicated Extensions menu which helps users in accessing and managing all installed extensions quickly and easily using a single button.
The puzzle piece toolbar icon shows a drop-down list of all installed extensions or add-ons in Firefox so that the user can easily use an extension or manage installed extensions. Users can uninstall or remove any extension directly using this new Extensions menu button present in the toolbar.
Following screenshot shows the new Extensions menu button (puzzle icon) added in Firefox toolbar:
If you remember, we already told you about this new Extensions toolbar button adding to Firefox last year when the feature was under development and testing phase. You can check out this article to learn more about it.
Some Firefox users may not like this new button addition to the toolbar and want to get rid of the additional toolbar button.
If you also want to remove “Extensions” button from Firefox toolbar, following methods will help you:
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Table of Contents
This method works in all versions of Firefox.
Important Note Before Starting: Pin Extension Icons
The method given in this article will hide the Extensions button from Firefox toolbar. If you want to use any extension regularly from the toolbar, make sure to pin the extension icon first using following steps:
Click on the Extensions button, then click on the cog wheel (tools) icon given next to the extension name and select “Pin to Toolbar” option.
Do the same thing for all extensions which you want to access directly from the toolbar.
Now you are ready to hide the Extensions (puzzle piece) button from Firefox toolbar using following steps:
STEP 1: Enable CSS Stylesheet Code Support in Firefox
We are going to use a CSS style code to remove the Extensions button from Firefox toolbar, so we’ll need to first enable support for CSS code in Firefox by modifying a preference/flag using about:config page. If you are already using some custom CSS code tweaks in Firefox, you might already have enabled CSS code support in your browser.
If you are new, just set toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets preference to true on about:config page to enable support for CSS code.
Following article contains step-by-step guide for you:
[Fix] userChrome.css and userContent.css Codes Stopped Working After Firefox Upgrade
STEP 2: Open Firefox Profile Folder
Now we’ll need to put the required CSS code in a file called userChrome.css present inside Firefox profile folder.
You can directly open your Firefox profile folder using following steps:
- Type about:support in address bar and press Enter. It’ll open Troubleshooting Information page.
- Now look for “Profile Folder” option. Click on “Open Folder” button.
It’ll open your current Firefox profile folder.
Now create a new folder with the name chrome inside the profile folder. Right-click on empty area and select New-> Folder option. Or you can press Ctrl+Shift+N keys together to directly create a new folder.
Set the new folder name as chrome and press Enter key.
PS: Some users may already have chrome folder in their profile folder.
STEP 3: Put CSS Code in userChrome.css File
Now we’ll apply the required CSS code. We’ll take help of a built-in file userChrome.css to implement our custom-made CSS code. This file doesn’t exist by default and we’ll need to manually create the file using Notepad and add following code:
#unified-extensions-button, #unified-extensions-button > .toolbarbutton-icon{
width: 0px !important;
padding: 0px !important;
}
PS: If you don’t want to create the CSS file manually, we have created a ready-made userChrome.css file for your convenience. Download following ZIP file, extract it using 7-Zip or other file archive software and you’ll get userChrome.css file with the above mentioned code:
PS: If you already have userChrome.css file in chrome folder, you’ll need to copy the text given in downloaded userChrome.css file and paste it at the top of existing userChrome.css file and save the file.
STEP 4: Restart Firefox to Apply Changes
You’ll need to restart Firefox to take effects. If you have opened multiple tabs and you don’t want to lose them, you can restart Firefox without losing tabs using methods given in following tutorial:
[Tip] How to Restart Mozilla Firefox Without Losing Tabs
That’s it. Restart Firefox browser and the Extensions button will be gone from Firefox toolbar.
UPDATE: Following video shows all the required steps live in action for your convenience:
This method works perfectly in Firefox 110 or older versions.
Mozilla team has provided a hidden secret preference/flag to deactivate and disable the new “Extensions” toolbar button in Firefox. Once you modify this secret preference, Firefox will stop showing the new “Extensions” button on its toolbar.
1. Open Firefox and type about:config in the addressbar and press Enter. It’ll show you a warning message, click on “Accept the Risk and Continue” button. It’ll open Firefox’s hidden secret advanced configuration page i.e. about:config page.
2. Now type unified in Search filter box and you’ll see following preference in the window:
extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled
3. This preference is set to true by default which means the new Extensions menu button is enabled in Firefox.
To disable and remove the new Extensions menu button from Firefox toolbar, double-click on the preference extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled and set its value to false. Alternatively, you can click on the Toggle icon given next to the preference name.
4. You’ll need to restart Firefox to take effects. Restart Firefox browser and the “Extensions” button will be removed from the toolbar and you’ll no longer see the button in Firefox toolbar.
NOTE: If you notice a new Arrow icon showing in place of Extensions button, it’s the default Overflow icon of Firefox which is shown when there are some hidden icons on the toolbar. You can also remove the Arrow icon using following steps:
- Click on the Arrow icon and you’ll see separate icons of installed extensions/add-ons.
- Click on the cog wheel icon given next to each extension icon and select “Remove from Toolbar” option.
Once you remove all extensions icons, the Arrow icon will automatically disappear from the toolbar.
PS: In future, if you decide to restore the new Extensions menu button on Firefox toolbar, set the above mentioned preference/flag extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled to true again using about:config page. Restart Firefox and it’ll add the new Extensions menu button again.
Also Check:
[Tip] Disable or Remove “Extensions” Menu Button from Microsoft Edge Toolbar
[New Working Method] Remove “Extensions” Menu Button from Google Chrome Toolbar
Firefox 111 bring the button back, disable “extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled” doesn’t remove the button anymore.
Article updated with a new working method for Firefox 111 and later versions. 🙂
Yep, the extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled doesn’t work anymore in version 111, the damn jigsaw piece just returned to my bar and won’t go away. Thanks Mozilla for knowing what’s best for your users.
Thanks! Method 1 is fine for me (now they trashed method 2. Mozilla is going parties with bad guys).
I have ZERO extensions, and I want this useless icon gone. I had disabled it in about:config before, but now that is not possible. Surely, this is deliberate by Firefox. Why so anti-consumer, Mozilla? Reminds me of Apple nonsense.
Method 1 isn’t working for me. The jigsaw piece stays.
I have added a ready-made userChrome.css file for users who were having difficulties in creating the file manually. 🙂
Just download the CSS file and put it to the above mentioned folder and restart Firefox.
The CSS works, thank you VG. But I have nothing in my overflow menu. Only core toolbar buttons can be dragged in there. Thanks a lot Mozilla.
Thanks!
update after update, I have to multiply the modifications so that firefox stays the same.
This is the second time I have to remove this button. (and the second time you help me to do it!)
What is wrong with Mozilla?!
I hate to ask this but could you make a video on how to use method 1 because I feel like I’m doing something wrong and I think seeing it would make it easier for me.
Thanks for this. But I already have a CSS file move the hamburger button, the Firefox Quantum userChrome.css tweaks version. When I added this, it took off the extension button, but also removed my hamburger button tweaks. Any thoughts about what I can do?
^^ Share the existing code here to examine.
@Any
Here are the required steps:
STEP 1: Set “toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets” to True using about:config page. If already done, skip it.
STEP 2: Open Firefox Profile folder using about:support URL in address bar and click on “Open Folder” button given next to “Profile Folder” section.
STEP 3: Create new folder chrome under Profile folder. If the folder already exists, skip it.
STEP 4: Download CSS file from above article and copy the file to chrome folder which you created in above step.
STEP 5: Restart Firefox and you are done.
A video containing all required steps has been added to the article as per request by our readers. 🙂
VG,
Thank you very much for the update! I’ve used Method 1 and it works like a charm!
Don’t know why Mozilla wants to pollute the URL bar with useless junk (that’s what it is)
I, and many others, thought that Mozilla wants to keep users of Firefox safe. So it’s quite disturbing to find on the contrary that they (Mozilla) narrow the address field (for a 100% useless thing) while it is of great importance to read as much possible address information, preferably in the wink of an eye.
My opinion:
Let them (Mozilla) finally make work of the year after year ongoing bug of the sudden disappearing ctrl-d dialog screen and get rid of that ongoing default choice ‘other bookmarks’ every time you type ctrl-d instead of fooling around with a jigsaw piece in the URL bar.
Thank you VG!
These instructions of yours worked for me:
STEP 1: Set “toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets” to True using about:config page. If already done, skip it.
STEP 2: Open Firefox Profile folder using about:support URL in address bar and click on “Open Folder” button given next to “Profile Folder” section.
STEP 3: Create new folder chrome under Profile folder. If the folder already exists, skip it.
STEP 4: Download CSS file from above article and copy the file to chrome folder which you created in above step.
STEP 5: Restart Firefox and you are done.
Thanks. It seems like Mozilla’s main goal now is to thwart customization. About every 5-10 releases there’s a new “improvement” to disable. When it gets impossible to do (even using css) I guess I’ll have to move to Waterfox.
Mozilla cry that they are losing market share to other browsers. Then to reward the faithful users they pull c**p like this to encourage people to use chrome or a fork. I am convinced that there is a mental disease going round where logic is broken.
By all means put an icon on the toolbar, but why make it hard to remove? Why can’t we use their tools to manage its placement?
I am convinced that companies want to go burst. Next update it will be back and they will lose a percentage of users who will never return.
Thank you.
To save people’s time: The first (CSS) method does NOT restore the Overflow menu.
Of course, this article doesn’t claim that it would restore it. However, extensions.unifiedExtensions.enabled used to restore the Overflow menu. So as such, these methods are not equal, unfortunately.
^^ Before applying the CSS tweak, you can Pin any extension icon to the toolbar using the new Extensions button menu. Once you pin desired extension icon, apply the CSS tweak to remove the new Extensions button. Now you’ll have particular extension icon available on the toolbar without the new Extensions button.
Why have ALL tech companies, even the “free open source” ones become so anti consumer?
Why are they going SO FAR OUT OF THEIR WAY to make every single thing a hassle for end users?
They literally removed a simple way of hiding this just to force their ideology of UI design on people.
Hi VG,
1. Method 2 is no longer working in latest Firefox.
2. Could you please the following Mozilla link where users can vote for this feature:
connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/please-let-us-move-the-new-extensions-button-into-the-overflow/idi-p/22979
Thanks.
If they are keeping it in the latest version, then they removed the workaround to force the issue. I do not trust this at all. I don’t trust Chrome, but I don’t trust Firefox going above and beyond to keep the icon in place.
What advantage does this extravaganza thing give the user?
What is the USEFUL extra of it if an already 4-way means of displaying what add-ons a user has installed (and what he/she might extra want to install) is available?
There isn’t any.
Let’s see… there is about:addons, ctrl+shift+a, click from the menu-bar add-ons and themes, and from the hamburger menu you can reach the add-ons as well. That’s plenty enough isn’t it?
So what’s he matter with Firefox? Are they possessed with an add-on demon…a sort of programmer out of control like a runaway diesel?
What’s next Mozilla?
An extra irremovable button to click for settings? An irremovable button to click for a soda?
It will not surprise me.
So there is no way to remove this is that correct?
MozillaSoft at it again
pretty much every update of this and most of other software nowadays makes me wonder why should I even bother updating anything, if the only thing I get from this, is frustration
Waterfox looks like Firefox, without extensions button.
– Install Waterfox
– Go about:preferences#theme and choose “Disable Waterfox theme customizations”
That’s it.
Now the Waterfox permanently pinned the extensions button.
A simpler code for METHOD 1:
#unified-extensions-button {
display: none !important;
}
The problem is, there are TWO issues at play here. Yes, there is the unwanted “Extensions Icon”. But they also BROKE the Overflow Menu, which will no longer accept 3rd party extensions, and you can only drag in built-in icons.
It’s so obvious Mozilla has a fixed number of programmers they want to keep in their ***Empire***, so most of the time they change FF things just to be doing something & make people feel wanted.
I long ago blocked the “updating” (usually = “downgrading”) of all software on my PC. If it works, it doesn’t need fixing.