Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#1

Post by pera » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 11:48 AM UTC

There is a long list of about:config settings that allow users disable most of the recently introduced AI chatbot features in Firefox but unfortunately not all:

AI Context Menu is still displayed if browser.ml.chat.enabled is set to false:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1994785

"Ask an AI Chatbot" context menu is not hidden, even if Machie Learning is disabled:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1995119

Mozilla has pretty much ignored this issue for an entire month.

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#2

Post by genezeta » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 12:25 PM UTC

Firefox 145 here, just updated to latest this morning.

My about:config settings still disable the stuff. I get no AI Context Menu.

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#3

Post by cebert » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 12:36 PM UTC

Thanks for reminding me to disable this in about:settings. Mozilla is doing everything it can to push me away from Firefox.

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#4

Post by roscas » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 12:38 PM UTC

On LibreWolf 145.0.1-2 those options are still available. I set all to false. But for these AI options and many others and also not only for Firefox/LibreWolf, you do need to block the connections. Don't rely on disabling options because most will not respect that. If Firefox goes this path and break LibreWolf, we need to switch to a decent browser and there are a few, still blocking connections for Google and Mozilla, etc. If you're not able to block connections with a firewall, at least install a Pi-Hole so you can block ads and custom domains like Google and Mozilla and Fakebook crap.

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#5

Post by pera » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 1:07 PM UTC

genezeta wrote: post #2

Firefox 145 here, just updated to latest this morning. My about:config settings still disable the stuff. I get no AI Context Menu.

That's strange, which OS? I am on Arch and also on 145 and I get the "Ask an AI Chatbot" in the context menu. The settings used to work in the past so I am not sure what's going on.

I believe these are all the settings I have disabled for AI:

browser.ml.chat.enabled

browser.ml.chat.menu

browser.ml.chat.page

browser.ml.chat.page.footerBadge

browser.ml.chat.page.menuBadge

browser.ml.chat.shortcuts

browser.ml.chat.sidebar

browser.ml.enable

browser.ml.linkPreview.enabled

browser.ml.pageAssist.enabled

browser.tabs.groups.smart.enabled

browser.tabs.groups.smart.userEnable

browser.tabs.groups.smart.userEnabled

extensions.ml.enabled

sidebar.notification.badge.aichat

Am I missing anything?

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#6

Post by genezeta » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 1:43 PM UTC

pera wrote: post #5

genezeta wrote: post #2

Firefox 145 here, just updated to latest this morning. My about:config settings still disable the stuff. I get no AI Context Menu.

That's strange, which OS? I am on Arch and also on 145 and I get the "Ask an AI Chatbot" in the context menu. The settings used to work in the past so I am not sure what's going on. I believe these are all the settings I have disabled for AI: browser.ml.chat.enabled browser.ml.chat.menu browser.ml.chat.page browser.ml.chat.page.footerBadge browser.ml.chat.page.menuBadge browser.ml.chat.shortcuts browser.ml.chat.sideb…

I had to go out. When I'm back home in a few hours, I'll try to look up all I've disabled.

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#7

Post by RandomBacon » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 3:56 PM UTC

Does any software have a survey for what users want? Instead of immediately pushing AI, they should have pushed a survey where AI was one of the choices/questions.

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#8

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 4:20 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#9

Post by mmphosis » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 5:36 PM UTC

RandomBacon wrote: post #7

Does any software have a survey for what users want? Instead of immediately pushing AI, they should have pushed a survey where AI was one of the choices/questions.

It is either a fork or new software based on what a people really want or need. This is not an easy hill to climb.

Unfortunately, "configuration" is the survey. I detest both configuration and surveys. Modify the open source code and rip out the Artificial Inference code because Firefox is open source, or build software from scratch: servo, ladybird, your own web browser based on a survey.

Re: Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

#10

Post by microflash » Sun, Nov 30, 2025, 5:44 PM UTC

pera wrote: post #5

genezeta wrote: post #2

Firefox 145 here, just updated to latest this morning. My about:config settings still disable the stuff. I get no AI Context Menu.

That's strange, which OS? I am on Arch and also on 145 and I get the "Ask an AI Chatbot" in the context menu. The settings used to work in the past so I am not sure what's going on. I believe these are all the settings I have disabled for AI: browser.ml.chat.enabled browser.ml.chat.menu browser.ml.chat.page browser.ml.chat.page.footerBadge browser.ml.chat.page.menuBadge browser.ml.chat.shortcuts browser.ml.chat.sideb…

Seems whatever I had disabled earlier is still disabled on my install of FF 145.

I do have these additional settings.

browser.ml.chat.maxLength=0 browser.ml.chat.prompt.prefix="{}" browser.ml.chat.prompts.0="{}" browser.ml.chat.prompts.1="{}" browser.ml.chat.prompts.3="{}" browser.ml.chat.prompts.4="{}" browser.ml.chat.shortcuts.custom=false browser.ml.linkPreview.longPress=false browser.ml.modelHubRootUrl="example.com"