Full-screen mode, AKA hide status bar

[SKITTLE-LA]

Why/User Benefit/User Problem

Increases screen real estate (can display more text/pics, open tabs, bookmarks, etc. Users don't usually need status bar shown while browsing. Especially handy for reading articles--really anything.
While rare, decreases chance of screen burn-in.
User choice!

#17677 also requested support for full immersive mode - both the status bar and the navigation bar to be hidden.

What / Requirements

List a fullscreen/hide status bar option in Settings.
Samsung Internet has a fullscreen mode (Menu > Settings > Appearance > Show status bar) that works great.

┆Issue is synchronized with this Jira Task

[vesta0]

@SKITTLE-LA we plan to address this by (1) hiding the URL bar when scrolling down on a page (2) building a reader mode in the browser for articles, etc. Are there other use cases that may require this?

[SKITTLE-LA]

@SKITTLE-LA we plan to address this by (1) hiding the URL bar when scrolling down on a page (2) building a reader mode in the browser for articles, etc. Are there other use cases that may require this?

Oh, for sure. The Android status bar doesn't look like it takes up much space, but hiding it really adds an "immersive" experience to using the app. The status bar isn't really needed while browsing/reading articles/looking at pictures, and it also allows for a little less scrolling and finger strain. But if needed, it temporarily shows if the user swipes down from the top of the screen.

This is why I think an option to totally hide it everywhere while using the app would be great. I admit I'm a screen real estate nut; I also normally browse desktop in fullscreen mode.

Try out Samsung Internet's implementation if you haven't already; it looks great, and I haven't noticed any bugs while using it! I'm not yet aware of any other browsers that allow this...

I currently have to mess with ADB to hide the status bar while using Fennec (or any app.) If you're curious, here's an XDA guide how to do it. It's just enabling "Immersive Mode" which I assume is all that would need to be done:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/general/guide-hide-navigation-bar-status-bar-app-t3509747

[vesta0]

@SKITTLE-LA thank you for the details! I have moved this into our post-mvp backlog.

[yoasif]

I have taken to using Fenix on a Moto G, and I now realize that this would be a very nice feature to have on a 4.5" screen. Something to consider.

[SKITTLE-LA]

Oh wow, I use it on a Galaxy S9 so can't imagine going back.

Seriously though, you can use the XDA guide that I linked in the comment above. I hope Mozilla implements a full-screen option, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

[palerdot]

Firefox mobile behaves inconsistently in showing/hiding navbar when interacting with a canvas on the page. For example, if there is a canvas on the page and the user tries to draw on it with touch, firefox mobile keeps flickering the navbar and the user cannot draw on the canvas in the page. Same behaviour works flawlessly with chrome, where the navbar hiding logic does not interfere with user touch events like drawing on canvas.

[palerdot]

Above mentioned behavior also interferes with modal, when the user tries to touch scroll within the modal, the body flickers with navbar appearing in and out of the view ...

[Mikaka27]

@palerdot I think you should mention this problems here: #17031

[N00B2]

Any news on this issue?

[daboross]

@SKITTLE-LA we plan to address this by (1) hiding the URL bar when scrolling down on a page (2) building a reader mode in the browser for articles, etc. Are there other use cases that may require this?

Yes: browsing webpages which don't look good in reader mode. For instance, webcomics which are largely image-based often have all of their content removed when switching into a reader mode which focuses text. They would also benefit greatly from an immersive mode where you could have the title bar hidden even if you aren't scrolling down, and have the navigation and status bar also hidden.

[vctls]

Just found out that Google removed the ability to manage immersive mode from third party apps with WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS permission in Android 11, so that workaround doesn't work anymore.

Found another workaround that works for articles and other text content. I'm putting it here in case anyone's interested (apologies for polluting the thread 🙇‍♂️): you can use the share button to open web pages in Librera Pro, which supports immersive mode.

Edit: I tried Samsung Internet, but I don't even have the option mentioned in the original post. Not sure if version or device specific. I also checked Chrome, Opera and Brave and they don't have this option either.
Haven't tried directly forcing immersive mode with adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full, but I'd like to keep control of that option from my device and not have to do this every time I want to change it.

[Liam2349]

I've checked on this issue on and off for a while, it's disappointing that Mozilla seems uninterested in it.

I end up using Samsung Internet a lot more than Firefox just because it hides the status bar. Not only does this avoid the burn in potential, but it's just nicer to have distractions hidden away when I'm reading things.

Now that ADB immersive mode is no longer possible on Android 11, this feature is more important than ever, and until it gets implemented I can't see myself opening Firefox for anything other than when I require specific extensions.

[vitaly-zdanevich]

I found that I can use Via browser for full fullscreen, but this is not open source.

[illegalprime]

I've had success with adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=org.mozilla.firefox

[vitaly-zdanevich]

@illegalprime is it possible without cable to a computer? Can I execute similar command from a terminal in a smartphone?

[pauloxnet]

It seems that Firefox Android can enter in full screen mode, as you can see using this demo page:
https://krpano.com/firefox/bugs/android-fullscreen-via-touch/
But there's no way to activate this mode from its UI.

[Liam2349]

Interesting find @pauloxnet. It also works on other browsers.

It uses the Element.requestFullscreen() API: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Element/requestFullScreen

In this case it puts the entire HTML document into fullscreen mode.

This would help, and could be an easy stop gap fix to improve usability if they simply added this button to some accessible location.

Or, perhaps an extension could even provide this. Not sure where an extension could conveniently place the button however.

[Dakkaron]

For some reason since the last update ,Firefox seems to be randomly switching between full immersive mode and no immersive mode, even though I disable the scroll to hide status bar feature. That's super annoying.

[jkommeren]

I would love to have this feature. I loved immersive mode in android 10. I cried to find out it was removed in Android 11 (as in no longer configurable from outside of the app). And now at 12 still the same issue.

Please implement this. It's a really nice feature when you have a phone without a notch. It's not just the extra space, it's less distraction on your screen!
But because it's a matter of preference it will need to be a setting.
Fyi Samsungs browser does have a working implementation, and it's phones aren't notch less/holeless.

And like others said its probably easy enough to achieve as Firefox already toggles to it for full screen video.

Update: extension could also maybe work? But I'd have no clue how to build it

[jkommeren]

I've had success with adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=org.mozilla.firefox

This only works on Android 10 and below. We are trying to address that same behavior yes, but for 11 and 12.

Android 11 has specifically removed this feature. And its still gone in 12.

[jkommeren]

I found that I can use Via browser for full fullscreen, but this is not open source.

I've used Via for some time, even asked the owner on GitHub to build this feature. Issue is still there. Via does not have this feature (yet)
tuyafeng/Via#637

Specifically we're talking about portrait mode here, when browsing, in android 11 and 12

Via doesn't support this on Android 11 and 12, only for full screen videos immersive mode was added recently, which is a different usecase

[Dakkaron]

Interesting how almost every issue on this repo turns from being ignored by the devs to a discussion about alternative browsers... I fear, they really have given up on Firefox Mobile...

[tomyummmm]

How do i disable this immersive mode? I want my android notifications bar to show all the time. I cant find any settings in firefox beta?

[Dakkaron]

Theoretically, there is an option, practically, it's bugged and doesn't work correctly.

In German it is "Anpassen" -> "Gesten" -> "Zum Ausblenden der Symbolleiste scrollen".

Translated, that would be "Adjust" (4th option from the top under general settings) -> "Gestures" (section name) -> "Scroll to hide symbol bar" (top toggle option in the gestures section).

If you disable this, you should be in perma-non-immersive mode. But it doesn't work correctly, and sometimes you still end up in immersive mode.

[tomyummmm]

Theoretically, there is an option, practically, it's bugged and doesn't work correctly.

In German it is "Anpassen" -> "Gesten" -> "Zum Ausblenden der Symbolleiste scrollen".

Translated, that would be "Adjust" (4th option from the top under general settings) -> "Gestures" (section name) -> "Scroll to hide symbol bar" (top toggle option in the gestures section).

If you disable this, you should be in perma-non-immersive mode. But it doesn't work correctly, and sometimes you still end up in immersive mode.

Thank you so much, the 4th option is called "Customize" in english, and turning it off seems to have restored my notification bar.

They really should add the explanation of hiding the notification bar as part of that option, it is very misleading as previously it only hide the toolbar, without affecting the notification bar.

[vitaly-zdanevich]

Via does not have this feature (yet)

I use Via on Poco X3 Pro with Android 11 only because it totally full screen.

[vitaly-zdanevich]

Samsungs browser does have a working implementation

Tried just now - no, there is no such option in preferences. Poco X3 Pro.

[vitaly-zdanevich]

How do i disable this immersive mode? I want my android notifications bar to show all the time. I cant find any settings in firefox beta?

Tried Firefox Beta on Android 11 just now - I still see the system top bar :(

[jkommeren]

Samsungs browser does have a working implementation

Tried just now - no, there is no such option in preferences. Poco X3 Pro.

So it only works on a Samsung phone perhaps? There's a "hide status bar" there on my S20 work phone. That works as expected on A11. In portrait mode. (Update fwiw, this option is not there in Samsung browser on my Pixel 6)

But in any case I agree let's keep this about the Firefox browser please.

[csadilek]

Moved to bugzilla: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1808751

Change performed by the Move to Bugzilla add-on.