Slim down Firefox - remove Pocket and have it as a pre-installed extension

[Gustav]

A less complex product will have less bugs.

The core of Firefox should only be the needed functionality to browse the web.

Additions that are built in like Pocket add additional code.

I my idea is that Firefox should split Pocket out from the Firefox executable and have it as an pre-installed extension which can be disabled by users or even removed if they do not want to have have it in their installation.

[Jon]

Hey all,

Here with another exciting update…

This idea has been upgraded to "In review" which means it will be brought to our internal teams for review—learn more about The Idea Journey. As soon as we have another update on its status, we’ll let you know right here in the comment section.

Stay tuned 😃

-The Community Team

[Jon]

Hey all,

Here with another exciting update…

This idea has been upgraded to "In review" which means it will be brought to our internal teams for review—learn more about The Idea Journey. As soon as we have another update on its status, we’ll let you know right here in the comment section.

Stay tuned 😃

-The Community Team

[Jon]

Hey all,

Here with another exciting update…

This idea has been upgraded to "In review" which means it will be brought to our internal teams for review—learn more about The Idea Journey. As soon as we have another update on its status, we’ll let you know right here in the comment section.

Stay tuned 😃

-The Community Team

[Gustav]

I'm glad that this idea has advanced to the review tier.

I hope that marketing people within Mozilla also get involved to see that there might be other advantageous possibilities for other partners when Firefox has a system for add-ons for partner collaboration like Pocket.

The important thing for me as a user is to get a stable and fast browser that is not encumbered with code in it's core for functions that are fluff and not used by a lager percentage of the user base.

I also understand that there is a monetary component to this where Pocket has paid to get their function built into Firefox - and I hope that this can be handled as an add-on within the current contract or that when the current contract expires that Mozilla only allows it to continue if the Pocket functionality is delivered as an add-on that can be removed by end-users.

[ma77hiaz]

I totally agree, they should focus on the basic functionality and make Firefox a fast, efficient and convenient browser.

It's time to stop the user-base decline!

[Anonymous]

Since Mozilla's resources are limited, keeping Firefox as simple as possible is necessary.

[XmzBl5r]

Please! You're issuing more and more updates! How about a very simple, straightforward and slimmed down version of Firefox that's devoid of all the bells, whistles, developers tools, etc.? A version that doen't require frequent updating? Some folks just want a simpler, reliable and secure browser, not a be-all, end-all solution to every whim, thought or nice-to-have that pops up in overly fertile or restless minds. I understand that many people are involved in this project but I truly believe that you have lost sight of what the true priorities are.

[lwbuchholz]

I have to agree with this comment.  I spend so much of my time trying to get where I want to and getting around all those "updates".  Now when I open an email another window opens for the site the email was sent from.  It seems that things are aimed at gamers or meant to impress gamers.  I keep hoping one of these updates will change things back to the simple ways that were there and why I chose Firefox in the first pace.   It is almost impossible to get the programmers attention and get things changed.

[Anonymous]

I am in favor of simplifying Firefox, but more versions of Firefox could lead to a lack of resources for mozilla. Of course, features like developer tools are not needed by all. I think features for power users should be disabled by default.

[ersei]

You are quite right, and may I add another comment now.

Firefox, which I am using for decades is becoming more and more arrogant.

For instance, at the beginning they gave you 3 choices about UPGRADING which included "DO NOT

UPGRADE".  Then this choice was eliminated and only 2 ones remained:  either UPGRADE  or   SHOW BUT LET ME DECIDE  (or similar words) which in a later format appeared on the screen and allowed
to be DISMISSED. Now this procedure has ended and the NEW VERSION IS BEING DOWNLOADED AUTOMATICALLY.   This happened to me last week and scrambled all my bookmarks and settings. I am still working to fix this.  Once fixed, I will switch to CHROME which I have avoided up to now because I like my privacy. Too bad because Firefox was once a very good company. BUT NO MORE. It seems they aim to monetize their company. I even gave them a small contribution once; this happened in the good old days.
E.S.
May 20, 2022.

[Anonymous]

@ersei If Firefox is arrogant, Chrome is a tyrant. A constructive discussion between us here would be the best way to give Mozilla a user voice.

[Anonymous]

@XmzBl5r 

Sounds like you might want to  install the ESR version  (ref. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/#product-desktop-esr )

[Anonymous]

I think Firefox Start is also a role of an extension.

[Ponda]

While I disagree with most comments in this thread, I agree that a lightweight version would be very beneficial to low-end and older devices in which you need a reliable browser to access the internet without any need for advanced features and capable of running in limited resources environments. Heck, I would probably install it on my old laptop considering how long everything takes it. Just something I can watch VoD on.

[Gallows8563]

@PondaWhat they mean is that we need a bare minimum features. For example, is pocket even necessary?

[ikjadoon]

I use Pocket all the time, and I agree: having it as an extension is better than having it always running even for Fx users that never use it.

I don't think it will be negatively impacted if moved to an extension, right? Pocket does work quite well as an extension in other browsers and even in Fx before it was integrated, IIRC all those years ago.

[SaturnV]

Mozilla's own statistics report that Firefox has had over 200 million "Monthly Active Users (MAU)" since at least the beginning of 2019. However, "Over 10 million users rely on Pocket ...". So, about 5% of Firefox users "rely on Pocket" - not really a good reason to keep Pocket as necessarily integral to Firefox, is it?

As the opening post of this thread politely asks, please can Pocket be configured such that it can easily be completely disabled, or better still, completely removed.  Thank you.