Mozilla recently released Firefox 86 which you can read all about in our blog post. This new release comes with new features to make your time on the web more secure and privacy-oriented.
One of the features introduced was the support for instant printing functionality using the Ctrl + P shortcut keys. Previously, a print of any page could be possible through the browser by navigating to the Print option in the Firefox menu. This new feature might not be welcomed with an open heart by everyone.
Let us discuss why some users would not want to have the new Print User Interface (UI) and would rather prefer the old method. This article also illustrates how you can revert to the old method and turn off the new Print UI.
The image above is of the new Print menu in Firefox 86. The highlighted areas are where the website displays ads. When using the new UI, the print will also include these advertisements, significantly increasing the number of pages as well as the ink used.
This is a good enough reason to not use the new UI, as these can be removed using the “Simplify” option in the old print UI. Other than that, if you are used to the traditional Print menu of Firefox, continue reading to learn how you can enjoy the latest Firefox version while disabling the new UI.
You can continue to upgrade to Firefox 86 and do not worry about the new print UI as it can be disabled explicitly. Here is how:
- Enter the following in the address bar in Firefox:
about:config
- In the search bar below, search for tab_mo.
- Now click on the double-sided arrow in front of print.tab_modal.enabled to switch it from true to False.
- You can now close the Advanced Preferences tab.
You can now check by pressing the Ctrl + P shortcut keys that the print user interface has reverted to its old style, which was simplified, and your prints will no longer include the ads or any unnecessary content.
Closing words
The new print UI has its benefits as well, such as easy navigation through the menu and print options. Moreover, it is more in tune with other browser’s print menus. However, it is a good option to have in case you yourself are old-school and would rather prefer the old UI, or simply save on ink costs.
