Position your mouse at the right end of your URL address bar so that you see a double-headed arrow. Hold down the left button of your mouse and drag your mouse to the right. Stop dragging as soon as you have enlarged the URL bar to the size you need, and release the left button of your mouse.

thank you for the suggestion but it does not apply as there is no double-headed arrow:

here's what the URL bar looks like before i enter a search:

Search shortcuts When you click in the address bar, clicking on a search engine in the drop-down list (like Google or Amazon) will autofill the address bar with a search engine shortcut (example: @amazon) so you can perform a search without having to load the search page. Just enter your search term after the search shortcut to perform your search (example: @amazon adventure books). When you type @ into the address bar, a list of all search engine shortcuts that begin with @ is shown. You can select one by pressing ↓ or by clicking it.

Fx75SearchTopSite

Tip: If you don't want to use the mouse or a search shortcut does not appear in the list, you can type in the search engine shortcut or just the first part (example: @a or @amazon) then press Enter and type in your search term.

Alternative search engines When you start typing a search term in the address bar, you'll see icons for other search engines you can use:

F63OneClickSearch You can choose an alternative search engine and use it for your search with one click, if you don't want to use the current default.

You can also choose a search engine by pressing Alt + ↓ or Alt + ↑ repeatedly.

For more information on using alternative search engines, see Change your default search settings in Firefox.

Search suggestions Firefox suggests relevant search terms and even solutions related to the answer or task you may be looking for. Here are some examples of search suggestions.

Keyword suggestions When you start typing in the address bar, Firefox suggests relevant popular searches as provided by search engines like Google, Bing, etc. When search suggestions are enabled, the text you type is sent to the default search engine, which analyzes the words and displays a list of related searches. FxKeywordSuggestions

Note: You can change your search settings to use your favorite search engine as the default or turn search suggestions on or off. To learn more, see Change your default search settings in Firefox and Search suggestions in Firefox. Write a ? before your search term

if you want to see only search suggestions or if you want to see search suggestions although the setting "Show search suggestions in address bar results" is disabled (but the setting "Provide search suggestions" has to be enabled) or if you want to make sure that your input is treated as a search term. Firefox Solution buttons Firefox lets you get solutions to popular tasks, like downloading, updating, or fixing Firefox. When you start typing a task, Firefox will suggest a solution so you can fix the problem and get back to the things that are important to you.

Example: Entering “Download Firefox” when you already have Firefox installed.

Fx75SolutionButton

This feature is currently only available in English. Autocomplete As you type a web address or search term, the address bar autocomplete feature automatically finishes what you’re typing based on matching websites in your bookmarks, history, or popular websites. This lets you visit websites in just a few keystrokes (no mouse needed). Just press Enter when Firefox finds a match.

URLAutocomplete75

For more on autocomplete, see Address bar autocomplete.

In Firefox 77 and newer you need to use userChrome.css to revert this feature.

See:

• https://www.userchrome.org/megabar-styling-firefox-address-bar.html

It is not that difficult to create userChrome.css if you have never used it.

The first step is to open the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" page and find the button to access the profile folder.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-troubleshooting-information-page-fix-firefox

You can find this button under the "Application Basics" section as "Profile Folder -> Open Folder". If you click this button then you open the profile folder in the Windows File Explorer. You need to create a folder with the name chrome in this folder (name is all lowercase). In the chrome folder you need to create a plain text file with the name userChrome.css (name is case sensitive). In this userChrome.css text file you paste the text posted. On Mac you can use the TextEdit utility to create the userChrome.css file as a plain text file.

In Windows saving the file is usually the only time things get more complicated because Windows can silently add a .txt file extension and you end up with a file named userChrome.css.txt. To avoid this you need to make sure to select "All files" in the dialog to save the file in the text editor using "Save File as".

You need to close (Quit/Exit) and restart Firefox when you create or modify the userChrome.css file.

See also:

• https://www.userchrome.org/what-is-userchrome-css.html
• https://www.userchrome.org/how-create-userchrome-css.html

In Firefox 69 and later you need to set this pref to true on the about:config page to enable userChrome.css and userContent.css in the chrome folder.

• toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets = true

See:

• https://www.userchrome.org/firefox-changes-userchrome-css.html

I seem no longer to be able to use Firefox. It seems to be the domain of the computer-tech savvy and not a browser for ordinary jerks like me who don't understand a word of the jargon and have difficulty following what seem to be simple tasks to other users. All I want to do is stop that irritating expanding address bar but it seems like I have to become a fully skilled coder just to be able to get into a regular-joe website. It's not what I signed up for.

i got it off without userchrome

https://geekermag.com/how-to-restore-classic-address-bar-in-firefox-v75/

but it takes suggestions off if anyone can help id like those back

userchrome will not work for me. maybe because i use mac

Firefox v. 77 :

This fix will also lose drop down 'top sites' list, but if that's not a big deal for you this fix will stop the expanding Address bar.

browser.urlbar.disableExtendForTests - select 'Boolean' - click '+'

After doing this, it's value should be 'True'

Then look for:

browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus - check this is set to 'False'

Restart Firefox

Go here.. https://www.userchrome.org/megabar-styling-firefox-address-bar.html#mbarstyler

thanks for the link but browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus was already set to false

Yes, I didn't say 'set it to false' I said 'check that it is set to false' as in some people's experiences this hasn't been the case.

The devil is in the detail.

Have a good day.

This is annoying as hell. I've been with you for 17 years, firefox. I wrote to the developers and posted to forums after FF75 to correct this issue and was warned that setting browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus would only work for a couple of updates. It was nice while it lasted.

You need to get rid of this garbage and clean house. For me, this has gone from "I don't want to upset the developers" to "you need to fire people." You have had ample warning and you were well aware that this is a hugely unpopular move. It should surprise nobody that it continues to be an unpopular feature.

For people who are coming in here looking for a way to turn it off, here is the sad truth: the old workarounds no longer function as this piece of shit idiocy has now made its way into the core program. The firefox team has not provided a way to turn it off because they've decided to double down on its success, like the Titanic if they saw an iceberg coming and just decided they could make it work if they rammed it. It's the stupidest thing. I've never been as mad at Mozilla as I am right now. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO SOLUTION.

This sucks.

catnapster.... Just in case....

In Firefox v. 77 :

This fix will also lose drop down 'top sites' list, but if that's not a big deal for you this fix will stop the expanding Address bar.

browser.urlbar.disableExtendForTests - select 'Boolean' - click '+'

After doing this, it's value should be 'True'

Then look for:

browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus - should be 'False' - if 'true' change to 'false'

Restart Firefox

In Firefox 77 and newer you need to use userChrome.css to revert this feature. See:

• https://www.userchrome.org/megabar-styling-firefox-address-bar.html

It is not that difficult to create userChrome.css if you have never used it. The first step is to open the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" page and find the button to access the profile folder.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-troubleshooting-information-page-fix-firefox

You can find this button under the "Application Basics" section as "Profile Folder -> Open Folder". If you click this button then you open the profile folder in the Windows File Explorer. You need to create a folder with the name chrome in this folder (name is all lowercase). In the chrome folder you need to create a plain text file with the name userChrome.css (name is case sensitive). In this userChrome.css text file you paste the text posted. On Mac you can use the TextEdit utility to create the userChrome.css file as a plain text file. In Windows saving the file is usually the only time things get more complicated because Windows can silently add a .txt file extension and you end up with a file named userChrome.css.txt. To avoid this you need to make sure to select "All files" in the dialog to save the file in the text editor using "Save File as". You need to close (Quit/Exit) and restart Firefox when you create or modify the userChrome.css file. See also:

• https://www.userchrome.org/what-is-userchrome-css.html
• https://www.userchrome.org/how-create-userchrome-css.html

In Firefox 69 and later you need to set this pref to true on the about:config page to enable userChrome.css and userContent.css in the chrome folder.

• toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets = true

See:

• https://www.userchrome.org/firefox-changes-userchrome-css.html

Does this work on FF 82? I have followed the instructions to the T and see no changes.

I think what I am trying to do might not exist on this solution, maybe someone can elaborate. The width of the address bar holds approximately 20 characters. I want to keep the font size the same but make it more like 50 characters.

Hi dlafontaine2

Can you attach a screenshot that shows the Navigation Toolbar?

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-create-screenshot-my-problem
• use a compressed image type like PNG or JPG to save the screenshot

The location bar has a flex property and adjusts its size automatically to include all items that are placed on the Navigation Toolbar.

Do you have a lot of items on the Navigation Toolbar that might prevent Firefox from extending the location bar ?

You can consider to move the separate search bar and other items to the '>>' overflow area to get more space for the location bar. There are also by default flexible spaces at the left end and at the right end of the location bar and search bar container that you can remove via the right-click context menu.