Firefox 44: Do not Disturb for notifications
Mozilla implemented a new feature in Firefox 44 in the latest update that improves the handling of notifications in the web browser.
The new feature adds a "do not disturb" option to Firefox which suppresses all notifications for the browsing session when enabled.
This is in addition to controls that Firefox already offers to allow or disallow web notifications for select sites.
The easiest option to check out the new feature is to load about:preferences#content directly in the browser's address bar.
There you find listed the new "do not disturb me" option which you can check to block all notifications for the session. Please note that this includes notifications that you have allowed explicitly as well.
The setting resets to its default state automatically on restart or new launch of the browser.
There is no option currently to add this option as a toolbar button or activate it using a browser shortcut. In addition, it is not displayed as an option when notifications are displayed in the browser.
If you have troubles getting web notifications to work in Firefox, you may want to check the site permissions first and foremost to make sure notifications are enabled for the site in question. This can be done by visiting the site you want to receive notifications from an, right-clicking on a blank spot on its page and selecting "page info" from the context menu.
Switch to the permissions tab on the window that opens up and make sure "show notifications" is set to allow.
Some sites may have preferences of their own that you need to enable on top of this. Gmail for instance has a notifications setting which you find under General. If it is set to "mail notifications off", you won't receive any desktop notifications even if you have allowed Gmail to display them in Firefox.
Closing Words
I prefer not to use notifications in web browsers as I don't find them overly useful and often disruptive. The new do not disturb feature provides Firefox users who make use of notifications in the browser with an option to turn them off for browsing sessions.
It would be useful if Mozilla would add that option to the notification dialog itself as well to make things easier for users.
Now You: Do you use notifications in your browser of choice?
I’m not seeing this in the Linux version, even with today’s build.