Weird Firefox - Google problem.

subyroo

subyroo

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I use Google as my homepage and Firefox 78.0.1 as my browser. Lately, well last 2 weeks anyway, when I search for something using Google, I get small icons/pictures at the head of the search results.
If you look at the attached picture you will see what I mean.
I have run Malwarebytes - Adware & ComboFix on my Win 7 PC and nothing has been found to be causing this issue.

I have totally wiped Firefox from my PC and reinstalled it, brand new profile and all, the problem still exists.
Can anybody shed some light on what maybe causing the problem?Google Search.jpg
 
Works fine here - also FF but Win 10. Maybe it's a setting in Google?
1594777885624.png
 
So those icons are problem why? Its just how updated google is. Could be option somewhere in settings.
 
Found the cause at last, took me fair bit of time plus trial and error to find it though.
I cleaned out very piece of Mozilla from my PC, registry included. :surprised:
Installed the latest Firefox 78.0.2 and then with nothing else changed, options included, I began installing my 3 add-ons, Ublock Origin - Video Downloadhelper & New Tab Homepage. As I loaded each add-on I went into google and did a search. Viola!
I struck gold with New Tab Homepage by Ben Basson. The add-on is obviously not compatible with the latest Firefox but it was with v76.0.1.

Thanks for the input fella's, it is appreciated. (y)
 
Is the issue the images appearing? As that is default Google Functionality (Happens in Chrome as well on my Mac). Do remember that as Google is a super large software supplier they commonly A/B Test features (i.e they release new features to different subsets of users to test reactions before rolling them out globally
 
@SquiresSquire

Yep! Annoyed the crap out of me. :eviltoyou:
Wish they would stop fiddling and annoying people.
Next question, how do they know what these subsets of users think of their tinkering?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
subyroo said:
Next question, how do they know what these subsets of users think of their tinkering?
Click to expand...
In this case, as visual information is taken in quicker than written I reckon it's a marketing thing by google.
Nothing to do with caring about what users think...
Ads y'know. ;)
 
subyroo said:
Next question, how do they know what these subsets of users think of their tinkering?
Click to expand...

It's something I do in my field of work, but there is a lot of data and analytics they can get to determine the averages on this, i.e user dropoff times, etc
 
I have ditched Google as my homepage after sending them feedback on my displeasure at their tinkering.
I now use DuckDuckGo as my search engine, no more pictures and icons with search suggestions. :)
 
From a privacy perspective, that's a much better option, I ditched Google years ago for everything minus the work computer
 
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