Here’s one blank page to seek out. Wish Firefox would open new tabs and windows with nothing: fast, simple and easy? Find out here how to start Firefox with a blank new tab page.
First, Pith and Cutting
With a bell pepper before you and a knife in your hand, take the top off the pepper and cut along the sides to make some five or six large chunks.
That gives you neat pieces of pepper, still lined, though, with white walls of pith. Bitter and mushy instead of crisp and tasty, these are not everybody’s favorite.
So, cut close to and alongside the walls of pith. Now remove the piths flawlessly with a paring knife (perhaps a bird’s beak).
With our bell peppers clean and ready, how about cleaning up the new tab (and window) page in Firefox?
How to Start Firefox with a Blank New Tab Page
Firefox on the Desktop
Time needed: 2 minutes
To set up Mozilla Firefox to open new tabs with a blank page (about:blank):
- Select the application menu button (≡) in Firefox.
- Choose Settings from the menu that has appeared.
macOS: On a Mac, select Firefox | Preferences… from the menu.
- Go to the Home category.
Firefox shortcut: You can open the URI
about:preferences#hometo get to Home preferences directly. - Select Blank Page for New tabs under New Window and Tabs.
New windows: Select Blank Page for Homepage and new windows as well, of course, to have Firefox load about:blank when you open a new window or use the Home button.
Start Firefox for Android or iOS with a Blank New Tab Page
To set up Firefox for iOS and Android to load a blank page when you open a new tab:
- Tap the hamburger menu button (≡) in Firefox.
- Select Settings.
- Go to New Tab.
- Select Blank Page.
- Tap Settings.
- Now tap Done.
How to Start Firefox with a Blank New Tab Page: FAQ
Does Firefox use about:blank if I set “Blank Page” for new tabs?
No.
While about:blank in Firefox is practically devoid of all coding, the empty new tab page does include minimal information in its code. The result in both cases is the same, though: a blank page.
Will the blank new tab page synchronize?
No.
Set up Firefox to use a blank new tab page on each device individually.
(How to start with a blank new tab page tested with Firefox 121; updated January 2024)