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How do I remove the unibar and use an "URL Address only bar" and "Search Bar" in Quantum

The new Quantum interface adds a unified address / Awsome bar and leaves an optional search bar. I want to continue using separate search and address bars.

Adding a separate search bar is readily supported as well as being duplicated on the default home screen, so that is not my problem.

I want a separate address bar. I do not want the address bar to ever pass my entry there to any internet search engine. I do not want it to do a key word search. I do not want it to offer internet search suggestions. I just want it to only accept URL entries. (Offering URL autocompletion based on my URL history is a useful feature).

Is this possible in Firefox Quantum or do I need to use Firefox ESR 52 or change to SeaMonkey.

I tried setting browser.urlbar.oneOffSearches preference to false see https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1185142

The new Quantum interface adds a unified address / Awsome bar and leaves an optional search bar. I want to continue using separate search and address bars. Adding a separate search bar is readily supported as well as being duplicated on the default home screen, so that is not my problem. I want a separate address bar. I do not want the address bar to ever pass my entry there to any internet search engine. I do not want it to do a key word search. I do not want it to offer internet search suggestions. I just want it to only accept URL entries. (Offering URL autocompletion based on my URL history is a useful feature). Is this possible in Firefox Quantum or do I need to use Firefox ESR 52 or change to SeaMonkey. I tried setting browser.urlbar.oneOffSearches preference to false see https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1185142

All Replies (6)

No idea what a "unibar" is.

Copy/Paste about:preferences#search into the Address Bar. Is not the options you are looking for readily available here ?

Or to drag around here: https://www.howtogeek.com/333110/how-to-customize-firefox-quantum-and-remove-the-white-space-around-the-title-bar/


Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Shadow110 மூலமாக திருத்தப்பட்டது

Pkshadow said

No idea what a "unibar" is.

Unibar = "A unified address and search bar. New installs will see this unified bar" see https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/57.0/releasenotes/

To see it open a new tab, the "unified address and search bar" is labelled in pale text as "Search or enter address"

I'm looking for a "URL address only bar" where I enter a URL address and it is never used as an internet search request. The corresponding label would read "Enter address". This functionality was provided in earlier versions of Firefox. It is a more secure and private way to got to a URL in a web browser.

Chrome does not provide the functionality as Google's corporate aim is to monetize every user click, maximising corporate profit at the expense of user privacy. Phone browsers do not provide the functionality due to space constraints.

It was a valuable Firefox feature.

It is a uni bar then if just turn off search suggestions.

Pkshadow said

It is a uni bar then if just turn off search suggestions.

cor-el said

See also:

The above documentation shows how to reduce search functionality globally eg disabling search suggestions. That makes the Unified "search and address bar" look more like an "address bar". However it also cripples the dedicated "search bar" functionality.

Thank you for your suggestions. Unfortunately it appears we have lost dedicated address bar and separate search bar functionality in Firefox, a valuable distinguishing feature.

Don't give up so easily!

(1) You can keep suggestions enabled in the search bar and turn them off in the address bar. There are separate checkboxes on the Search panel of the Options page. (I've attached a screenshot from Firefox 59, available as the Nightly test version, but Firefox 56-58 works the same.)

(2) You can disable address bar search. With that setting, Firefox will:

(A) Try the entry as an address if it has no spaces and at least one dot (e.g., u.s.a)

(B) Try "fixup" for entries without spaces that are not found in DNS (e.g., if you enter Firefox, try www.firefox.com)

(C) Give an error for entries with spaces

To Set that Up:

(i) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(ii) In the search box above the list, type or paste keyw and pause while the list is filtered

(iii) Double-click the keyword.enabled preference to switch the value from true to false