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Is Mozilla’s Redesigned Add-ons Store Actually Worse Than Before?
Mozilla recently rolled out a fresh design for its Firefox add-ons store. The changes are big. Really big.
If you use Firefox, you know about addons.mozilla.org (AMO). It’s where you find extensions to make your browser better.
What Happened to the Old Design?
The sidebar is gone. That’s the first thing you notice. Before, all the important stuff lived on the left side. You could see when someone last updated an add-on. You could find the developer’s page. Support links were right there.
Now? You have to scroll down. A lot. Like four times more than before.
The New Layout Breakdown
Here’s what Mozilla changed:
Header Area
- Add-on icon stays the same
- Name and developer stay the same
- Star ratings moved up top
- User count shows right away
- “Recommended” badge moved below the name
Main Content Flow
- Screenshots section – New image viewer with counter
- About this extension – Same as before
- Ratings and reviews – Looks longer now
- Other popular extensions – Suggests more add-ons
- Permissions and data – Lists what the add-on can do
- More information – Version, size, last update, etc.
- Release notes – What’s new in each version
- More from this developer – Other extensions they made
Problems with the New Design
The layout has issues. Big ones.
- Too Much Scrolling: Getting basic info takes forever now. The old sidebar let you see everything fast.
- Wasted Space: Empty areas on both sides serve no purpose. Mozilla could have used this space better.
- Wrong Order: “Other popular extensions” appears too early. It should go at the bottom, not before important details about the current add-on.
- Poor Navigation: The “Add to collection” button sits in a weird spot. It belongs with the reviews section.
What Works Well
Some changes make sense:
- Star ratings up front help users decide quickly
- User count shows popularity right away
- New image viewer looks cleaner
- Screenshot counter helps users know what to expect
The Mobile Question
Mozilla moved the “Available on Firefox for Android” badge down. This makes mobile compatibility harder to spot. Not great for phone users.
Chrome Store Vibes
The new design looks similar to Chrome’s Web Store. Maybe Mozilla wanted to match what users expect. But Firefox users liked being different.
Change isn’t always better. The old design had problems, sure. But it worked. Users knew where to find things. Muscle memory helped navigate fast.
The new version looks modern. But it makes simple tasks harder. Getting basic info about an add-on now takes more time and effort.
Mozilla could fix this. Move popular extensions to the bottom. Use the empty side space. Bring back quick access to key details.
The redesign shows Mozilla cares about modern looks. But sometimes, function beats form. Users want speed and ease, not just pretty designs.
What matters most? Getting things done fast. The old layout did that better, even if it looked dated.
Firefox users deserve both good looks and great function. Hopefully, Mozilla listens and makes improvements soon.