Where did you install Firefox from? Help Mozilla uncover 3rd party websites that offer problematic Firefox installation by taking part in our campaign. There will be swag, and you'll be featured in our blog if you manage to report at least 10 valid reports!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Lolu chungechunge lwabekwa kunqolobane. Uyacelwa ubuze umbuzo omusha uma udinga usizo.

Can I force a link to open in a non-active tab, instead of changing to that tab?

  • 2 uphendule
  • 1 inale nkinga
  • 20 views
  • Igcine ukuphendulwa ngu newalsace2

more options

For example, if you right click on a link and select the "open in a new tab" option, the new tab opens, but is not active. If you click on a normal link that would open in a new tab, Firefox goes to that tab and makes it "active".

For example, if you right click on a link and select the "open in a new tab" option, the new tab opens, but is not active. If you click on a normal link that would open in a new tab, Firefox goes to that tab and makes it "active".

Isisombululo esikhethiwe

Maybe... Give this a try:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste tabs and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground preference to switch it from the default value of false to true -- the line should turn bold


Since there are a number of similar-sounding preferences, here is my understanding of when they apply:

  • browser.tabs.loadInBackground => when you open a regular link in a new tab using Ctrl+click (or right-click > Open in a New Tab)
    • default = true, do not make the new tab active
    • In the Options dialog/page, this is controlled by the "When I open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately" setting.
  • browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground => when you divert a script-generated new window to a new tab using Ctrl+click, or when a page uses the target attribute to launch a link in a new window and you divert it to a new tab
    • default = false, make the new tab active
  • browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInBackground => when you load a bookmark in a new tab using Ctrl+click (or right-click > Open in a New Tab)
    • default = false, make the new tab active
Funda le mpendulo ngokuhambisana nalesi sihloko 👍 0

All Replies (2)

more options

Isisombululo Esikhethiwe

Maybe... Give this a try:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste tabs and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground preference to switch it from the default value of false to true -- the line should turn bold


Since there are a number of similar-sounding preferences, here is my understanding of when they apply:

  • browser.tabs.loadInBackground => when you open a regular link in a new tab using Ctrl+click (or right-click > Open in a New Tab)
    • default = true, do not make the new tab active
    • In the Options dialog/page, this is controlled by the "When I open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately" setting.
  • browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground => when you divert a script-generated new window to a new tab using Ctrl+click, or when a page uses the target attribute to launch a link in a new window and you divert it to a new tab
    • default = false, make the new tab active
  • browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInBackground => when you load a bookmark in a new tab using Ctrl+click (or right-click > Open in a New Tab)
    • default = false, make the new tab active
more options

newalsace2 said

For example, if you right click on a link and select the "open in a new tab" option, the new tab opens, but is not active. If you click on a normal link that would open in a new tab, Firefox goes to that tab and makes it "active".

The browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground worked out well, THANKS