How to disable icon of private browsing window on taskbar using about:config?

[Progress2000]

I know this has been discussed many times before but the old approaches like changing browser.privateWindowSeparation.enabled to false and browser.privacySegmentation.windowSeparation.enabled to false no longer work in the latest nightly version 127.0a1. Are there any new workarounds?

[blakew18]

According to Robert Longson's reply on bug 1897421, "I'm afraid that feature was removed." That's what he said.

In that logic the users who use this feature should remove firefox from their systems!

Remember 127 RC will be released on 11 June, so lets see how general users react.

[Progress2000]

I never understand why Mozilla decided do separate the icon of private browsing window. No other browsers I know do this. The decision would make most users confused and I feel the disadvantage is much greater than the advantage.

[blakew18]

Remember how I said wait until the general users get 127 RC? It turns out they hate this as well and as such Mozilla are bringing the single icon back.

[c25375]

In all seriousness, I've been using Firefox since pre-1.0 nearly exclusively and this is going to result in a browser change.

I am -incredibly- saddened; I've recommended Firefox to -so- many over the years and spent countless hours configuring extensions and such, but changing near-core functionality with -zero- public explanation is inexcusable (though commonplace); I've lost a LOT of faith in the Mozilla team after this.

I realize I'm probably in the minority and shouting into a void, but man; Firefox is one of the few things that's always been a constant in my life and I'm really, really sad that it's come to this.

[uj6tfgvr]

Same. Therefore I looked and until now think I found "Vivaldi" Browser. It was quite new to me, but I love the features and the fact that it is not some Chinese spyware but instead quite safe. It also handles tabs grouping so much better.

[jscher2000 · Accepted solution]

There is another thread on this where the news is that restoring this option is in development now:

• https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/why-on-earth-did-you-change-the-private-browser-settings/...
• https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/bring-back-the-option-to-group-the-private-and-normal-firefox/i...

But I don't know whether that means imminently or in the July major update, etc.

[jpeek]

I'm using version 130.0 under Windows 11. I tried the old solution from a post made two years ago and it seems to work:

• Close all private windows
• Open about:config from the address bar
• Look up browser.privateWindowSeparation.enabled and set it to false.

I did it a bit differently, in case it matters:

• First I closed the private browsing window while there was still a private browsing icon on the taskbar.
• I went to the main (non-private) browsing window and opened a new private window. Then I typed about:config and made the change.
• I closed that private window and opened a new private window.
• There was no private browsing icon in the taskbar this time. Instead, when I hovered the mouse over the only Firefox icon in my taskbar, a little preview windows above the icon showed both the non-private and private browsing windows.

In case it matters, I'm using four different Firefox profiles; this was in profile 4. (My other three profiles were fixed months ago.) If you haven't seen them, try typing about:profiles in the address bar and also look for separate documentation on profiles.