How to Disable Tabs Thumbnail Previews in Mozilla Firefox

In Mozilla Firefox version 131, a new feature has been introduced that enhances the browsing experience by displaying thumbnail previews of open tabs. This functionality allows users to quickly identify and navigate between their tabs with ease. By hovering the mouse cursor over any open tab, Firefox generates a small visual preview of the page. This feature is particularly useful for users who tend to keep multiple tabs open simultaneously, as it allows them to find the desired tab without having to cycle through all of them.

While this new feature improves accessibility and efficiency for many users, some may prefer to disable it. For instance, individuals using older or slower systems may find the thumbnails distracting or feel that the feature affects the overall browser performance. Fortunately, Firefox provides an easy way to turn off these thumbnail previews through the browser’s advanced configuration settings.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to disable thumbnail previews in Firefox 131:

1. Start by opening your Firefox browser on your computer. It can be done easily by double-clicking on the desktop shortcut of Firefox.
2. In the address bar, type about:config and press Enter. This will open Firefox’s advanced configuration page, where users can modify browser settings not available in the standard options menu.
3. When prompted, click on the “Accept the risk and continue” button. Firefox provides this warning because altering advanced settings can impact browser performance and behavior.
4. In the search bar at the top of the page, type or paste browser.tabs.hoverPreview to locate the settings related to tab previews.
5. You will find two important settings: browser.tabs.hoverPreview.enabled and browser.tabs.hoverPreview.showThumbnails. Double-click on each of these settings to change their values to false.
6. After modifying these values, the thumbnail preview feature will be disabled in Firefox, and you can resume browsing without the tab previews.

The thumbnail preview feature in Firefox 131 provides enhanced tab management, but it may not be suitable for everyone. Disabling it is quick and easy through the browser’s advanced configuration page, allowing users to customize Firefox based on their preferences. Whether you prefer a minimalist interface or need to boost performance on slower systems, Firefox continues to offer flexibility for all types of users.