Firefox Quantum has deep integration with the Pocket read-it-later service, which is now owned by Mozilla. You’ll see a Pocket page action in the address bar, a “View Pocket List” feature in the Library, and recommended articles from Pocket on the new tab page. Firefox offers a way to disable this Pocket integration, but it’s hidden.
We think Pocket is an excellent service, but obviously not everyone will want to use it. If Pocket isn’t for you, here’s how to turn it off in Firefox.
How to Remove the Pocket Button with Two Clicks
RELATED: How to Customize Firefox Quantum’s New Interface
If all you want to do is remove the button, it’s easy: just right-click on the button and choose “Remove from Address Bar”. You can remove just about anything this way, actually—not just the Pocket button. Firefox is very customizable.
If you want to completely remove Pocket integration from Firefox, however, things are a little trickier.
How to Disable Pocket’s Browser Integration
RELATED: What’s New in Firefox Quantum, the Firefox You’ve Been Waiting For
To completely disable Pocket features in the Firefox interface, you have to use Firefox’s about:config page. To access it, type about:config into Firefox’s address bar and press Enter.
You’ll see a “This might void your warranty!” warning telling you to be careful when modifying settings here. It’s possible to mess up Firefox’s configuration and cause problems if you change settings for no good reason here. Just follow the instructions below without changing any other settings and you’ll be fine.
Click “I accept the risk!” to continue.
In the search box at the top of the page, type “pocket”. You’ll see a few Pocket-related preferences.
Double-click the “extensions.pocket.enabled” option here to toggle it to “False”. The Pocket features will immediately vanish from Firefox’s address bar and Library view.
If you want to re-enable Pocket integration in the future, return here and double-click the “extensions.pocket.enabled” option to set it back to “True”.
How to Disable Pocket’s Recommended Articles
Toggling the above option in about:config won’t disable the Pocket Recommended Articles on the new tab page. However, you can easily disable these as well.
First, open a new tab to access the new tab page. Click the cog-shaped “Customize Your New Tab Page” button at the top right corner of the page.
Uncheck the “Recommended by Pocket” option in the list here and click “Done” to save your changes.
You can also remove other elements from your new tab page here, if you like. For example, you can remove the search box, top sites you visit, highlights from your browsing history, and snippets of information from Mozilla. Just uncheck whatever you don’t want to see.
