How to restore download Prompt in Firefox 97

Firefox 97 comes with a significant change with regard to downloads. You’ll no longer be prompted when downloading files, the download panel opens automatically and displays the progress. Here is how you can disable this new”optimized download flow” in version 97 and get back to behavior in Firefox 96.

Firefox comes with a built-in download manager like Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

New Edge has a downloads flyout and Chrome follows its unique nature of showing downloads at the bottom. Chrome recently started testing showing the downloads icon on the toolbar.

If you use Firefox 96 or previous versions, the file download and saving experience will be like this:

• The user initiates the download by visiting a website or certain page
• Firefox prompts with a dialog for permission
• When you click save, the file will be downloaded. You’ll be notified of its completion with a visually appealing progress ring followed by a down arrow icon on the toolbar.
  

This to change completely, Mozilla has made the improvements to the downloads panel and brought these changes to Firefox 97.

Going forward,

• By default, Firefox doesn’t ask what to do for each file
• Opens the downloads panel automatically
• Downloaded files saved to download folder.

Things to ponder:

1. The prompt dialog was useful to alert something was attempted for download. From now on, the download panel pops up to let you know about the same.
2. If you’ve left till now with the belief that files will be downloaded only when you approve, you’re wrong. The process happens in the background while the dialog is displayed on the screen.
3. Mozilla thinks too many prompts for downloads are unnecessary. The company believes downloads are generally intentional.
4. While commonly used files such as executables will be downloaded automatically, for certain file types, you can configure behavior in settings to “always ask” or you can right-click on that file in the Downloads panel and select “Always open similar files”.

Here’s how you’ll be able to restore old behavior in Firefox where prompt still appears for download and downloads panel won’t be displayed.

Restore download prompt in Firefox 97

1. Visit about: config in the address bar
2. Click “Accept the risk and continue”
3. Type panel in the search bar, wait for the results to be displayed.
4. Find highlighted browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel
5. Toggle its value to false.

This will do the trick and restore the old download experience you know in Firefox 96 and before. But do know, this is a short-term solution and Mozilla may remove the about: config pref after a couple of versions.

Firefox 97 is expected to arrive next month, on Feb 8.

Update: Mozilla has disabled the feature at the last minute before release.

If you’ve any questions in relation to download panel changes, let us know in the comments below.

More about Firefox:

Firefox 96 is arriving today, here is what’s new

Mozilla Firefox gets Windows 11 Style Scrollbars

Firefox 95 launches RLBox Sandboxing and Site isolation features

Firefox disables & blocks the FVD Speed Dial add-on for intercepting user search queries