Firefox 66 Released, Autoplay Blocking By Default

[engine]

Many will find that Firefox 66, released today, helps greatly by blocking the annoying autoplaying content.

There's also the ability to search through open tabs. If you have an account you can search through other devices, tabs, too.

Scroll anchoring will help when you're reading an article. When an ad loads, normally pushing the content you're reading out of view, this new feature locks the scrolling in position. I like this.

[blog.mozilla.org...]

[ken_b]

Blocking autoplay by itself could be enough to get me to upgrade.

I intensely dislike autoplay.

[engine]

It's very high on my list, too.
Interestingly, not long ago, someone asked me to do that on their site. LOL

[lucy24]

One of firefox's happiest inspirations, several versions ago, was when they started putting up the icon telling you which tab is making noise. Tiny little icon, right next to the Close Tab icon, so I would very often accidentally close the tab when I'd only meant to shut it up.

This would seem to mean that blocking autoplay outright is to websites' advantage, since it makes people less likely to close a site before even looking at it.

[koan]

Meanwhile I've been using the Firefox add-on "Mute sites by default" and it does the job of protecting my ears from autoplayed loud sounds. I usually wear headphones so it's not optional. The worst culprit was a web hosting site using one of those sales chat gimmick that is triggered after a minute or two, it had a super loud DING to get your attention and it almost gave me a heart attack. The only sound I want is the one in videos or soundtracks that I manually started.

[lucy24]

a web hosting site using one of those sales chat gimmick that is triggered after a minute or two, it had a super loud DING to get your attention and it almost gave me a heart attack.

Their accountant told them it would be to their advantage to go out of business and declare bankruptcy. This is one of their methods for achieving that end.

[tangor]

Just updated it. Off to test things out. :)

[JS_Harris]

I have always blocked auto-play, it was possible via about:config but now it, and several other things I want modified, are "locked". You can't stop Frefox from making connections anymore, not even for updates. Unwanted monitoring is now built in so all of this "firefox is more secure for you" stuff is rubbing me the wrong way.

[tangor]

Part of the game. Sadly they (all those guys) are trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle and make us beholden to BIG IRON ... some of us are old enough to remember the original days of computing where A FEW had the gear and we had to TERMINAL in (and pay by THE HOUR) to access all that wonderful.

I could say more re: what gov and ENFORCING privacy laws on the books might do, but that would be beating my gums.

Meanwhile, very pleasant day, 70 degrees, sunshine and Spring around the corner.

[JS_Harris]

For kicks I ran the default Firefox 66 through Panopticlick. [panopticlick.eff.org...] It scored lower than the previous version. Funny thing, Firefox tried to block panopticlick using a popup blocker setting.

[mcneely]

I intensely dislike autoplay.

I dislike autoplay about as much as I dislike those stupid modals -- The browser back button is my friend, and I use it generously.

Instances that push content in such ways as these are negligent and irresponsible.

[aristotle]

Firefox 66 Released

The best browser keeps getting even better.

[mcneely]

... helps greatly by blocking the annoying autoplaying content.

Had to go in and turn "sounds" off manually after update -- Works like a charm. Haven't had this much fun with my Firefox since it allowed for the blocking of pop-ups :) --

Browsers as a rule, usually perform better when you don't have to install a bunch of add-ons or extensions.

Now, if we can just be rid of those ridiculously stupid modals ....

[mack]

Anyone else noticed it prevents videos playing when you load a YouTube page requiring you to hit the play button. I added this as an exception. I think Firefox should have done this by default because someone visiting a video play page would expect a video to play. Same for similar sites like Vimeo as an example.

Mack.

[tangor]

I haven't seen that, then again I run NoScript and it has always taken care of pesky videos, etc and for years before this update appeared. Videos play on sites I want them to play.

I will say that for some things this update "feels" a bit quicker. Not spectacularly, just more nimble for some sites.

Also noticed that as soon as I did the update (see above) along comes another, minor. Anyone else get one of those?

[lucy24]

Anyone else noticed it prevents videos playing when you load a YouTube page requiring you to hit the play button.

Oh, that’s nice. I’ve been opening videos in separate tabs so they won’t start playing before I’m ready, but I assumed that aspect was YouTube rather than FF. Better if they simply don’t start at all until I tell them to.

Can’t help but suspect that they didn’t debug quite as thoroughly as they should, since I’ve already been nudged to upgrade twice (66.0.1 and another which I haven’t restarted yet, presumably 66.0.2).

[koan]

I also prefer for youtube pages not to play videos automatically (wasn't it how it used to be?), it's not a big deal to click on the play icon when you're ready. Since disabling autoplay is opt-in, people doing so probably already know how to use the site exception menu.

[graeme_p]

Interestingly, not long ago, someone asked me to do that on their site. LOL

I think its one of those things site owners like ("hey this way they have to see our pitch!") but visitors do not.

[mcneely]

("hey this way they have to see our pitch!")

Anybody that feels the need to force their so-called "pitch" on to their site visitors might need to take a step back and re-evaluate their position on the web -- They may have missed their true calling. In the United States, we often times refer to these types as "used car salesmen". Pushy, loud, rude, and careless, the world of the used car salesman reigns supreme in it's own eyes and regular people avoid them as much as possible.

Shutting off "autoplay" is a very, very good thing. Now we can just drive right on by the crap and go after the things we clicked on the link for in the first place.

Modals will be next because people are getting pretty tired of all of the forced interaction.

[guggi2000]

Our users were able to opt-in for "autoplay" and whenever the page would refreshed some audio would play automatically. Now it does not work, because even though users opt-in on our side, Firefox still blocks it on the browser level.

Would you know a way to prompt for an opt-in on Firefox through javascript ?

Example: A user would press a sound button on our page and then a Firefox window would be displayed asking "This site would like to auto play ... Allow / Deny" (Similar to the notifications dialog)