How to Use Firefox 4 App Tabs

Firefox 4 has a new feature called App Tabs that allows you to make a normal tab into a tab that acts similar to a software application. App Tabs will start every time you start Firefox 4 without having to be named as "home" pages in your options. App Tabs are smaller than regular tabs, including only the icon of the page and not the additional text. If you regularly visit Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, for example, you could have App Tabs for each so that they are always easily accessible in the upper left of your Firefox window.

Instructions

1. Open a website that you want to make into an App Tab in Firefox 4.

2. Right-click the tab at the top of the page and choose "Pin as App Tab." The tab will be moved to the left-hand side of the top of the browser window and only the icon for the tab will remain, making the tab very small.

3. Click the App Tab and click a link that is related to the App Tab's page. For example, if your App Tab is Twitter.com then click a Twitter link such as "Profile" or "Messages." The current page will be replaced with the new linked-to page because they are both Twitter pages.

4. Click the App Tab if it's not already visible and click a link that is not related to the App Tab's page. The link will open in a new tab because it is not related to the current App Tab. This behavior helps you keep your App Tab's main site open at all times. However, it isn't perfect, and the browser may sometimes make mistakes.

Tips & Warnings

• If an App Tab has an update it will highlight itself a lighter color to clue you in. For example, if you have Twitter.com as an App Tab, it will highlight itself when a new Tweet arrives.

References

• Alex Faaborg: App Tabs in Firefox 4 Beta 2