How do I customize the toolbars in Firefox?

There are two basic methods of customizing the toolbars in
Firefox:

  • Adding/Removing Toolbars
  • Rearranging Items on the
    Toolbars

Adding/Removing Toolbars

You can take away certain toolbars if you do not wish to keep them on your
screen. Currently, these toolbars can be removed:

  • Navigation Toolbar
  • Bookmarks Toolbar

You cannot currently remove the Menu Bar because you cannot move the menu
items (File, Edit, Help, etc.) to a different toolbar, and they must stay on
the screen at all times.

To remove a toolbar, look in the View menu on your Menu Bar. Select View > Toolbars. You should see a few menu items.
The top ones (above the separator) are the toolbars you may show. Toolbars
currently shown are checked, and toolbars currently hidden are not checked.
To show or hide a toolbar, simply click its menu item. The toolbar will now
be shown or hidden based on your choice.

To add a toolbar, select View > Toolbars >
Customize. Click on Add New Toolbar (in the bottom of the
dialog). This should give you a dialog to enter a name. Enter a name, click
OK, and then click Done. Now select the View > Toolbars menu, and you should see your new
toolbar listed. Follow the procedures in the previous section to show or hide
it.

Rearranging Toolbar Items

To rearrange the items (icons, buttons, text boxes, etc.) on your toolbar,
right-clickpress Ctrl and
click on any part of the toolbar that is not a text box and select
Customize…. This will bring up the toolbar
customization dialog.

Drag and drop any items you want to and from the toolbars (excluding the
menu items). You can also rearrange icons already on the toolbars by
dragging and dropping them wherever you wish. When the toolbars and items are
arranged the way you want them, click Done.

Special Toolbar Items

There are a few special items that are available to you when customizing the
toolbar. They are as follows:

  • Separators: These allow you to separate items on the
    toolbars with a small vertical line.
  • Spacers: These allow you to separate items on the
    toolbars with a fixed-size space, usually around 20 pixels on most
    themes.
  • Flexible spacers: Spacers allow you to separate items
    on the toolbars with a space. These spacers automatically resize to fill
    all of the empty space on the toolbar. These are good for positioning
    items on the right of a toolbar.

Themes

Themes are small files that are installed in Firefox that change
the look and feel of Firefox. Themes are not allowed to modify the
actions or functionality of Firefox, only the look.

Getting and Installing Themes

You can download and install many themes from Mozilla Update.
Internet searches will find many other themes as well.

Usually when you click on a link to install a theme, Firefox
displays a dialog asking you for permission to install the theme. You can
choose to allow the download and installation or to cancel the process.

Uninstalling Themes

Should you ever wish to remove a theme from Firefox, select Tools > Themes to open the Theme Manager.

In the Theme Manager, select the theme you wish to remove, and click the
Uninstall button. You may need to close and then reopen
Firefox for all changes to take effect.

Switching Themes

To switch between your installed themes, select Tools
> Themes to open the Theme Manager.

In the Theme Manager, select the theme of your choice, and click
the Use Theme button. It is recommended that you close and then
reopen Firefox so that the theme can be applied correctly.

Updating Themes

Whenever you would like to check for a newer version of a theme that you
have installed, select Tools > Themes to open
the Theme Manager.

In the Theme Manager, Firefox displays Update Now buttons
for themes with available updates. Click the respective button for the theme
you would like to update.

By default, Firefox will periodically check and notify you when a
new version for one of your installed themes is available. You can change
this behavior in the Update
tab of the Advanced panel of OptionsPreferences.
You can check for updates manually by clicking the Find Updates
button.

Extensions

Extensions are small add-ons to Firefox that change existing
browser functionality or add new functionality.

Getting and Installing Extensions

Installing an extension involves a very similar process to installing
themes. Extensions can be found at Mozilla Update.

There should be an install link for each extension on that extension’s
page. As long as JavaScript is not disabled in your browser, clicking this
link will install the extension for you.

Uninstalling Extensions

Should you ever wish to remove an extension from Firefox, select
Tools > Extensions to open the Extension
Manager.

In the Extension Manager, select the extension you wish to remove, and click
the Uninstall button. You may need to close and then reopen
Firefox for all changes to take effect.

Updating Extensions

Whenever you would like to check for a newer version of an extension that
you have installed, select Tools >
Extensions to open the Extension Manager.

In the Extension Manager, Firefox displays Update Now
buttons for extensions with available updates. Click the respective button for
the extension you would like to update.

By default, Firefox will periodically check and notify you when a
new version for one of your installed extensions is available. You can change
this behavior in the Update
tab of the Advanced panel of OptionsPreferences.
You can check for updates manually by clicking the Find Updates
button.

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