Firefox 101 can show options again when clicking a download link

Mozilla is going to roll back a change from version 97 with Firefox 101. Users can then choose to open a file directly instead of just downloading it. There will also be an option to start using the temporary files folder again.

The option is under the settings; by default, Firefox will continue to download files automatically. This is evident from the screenshots of Firefox 101 beta. A Reddit user commented that Mozilla had set the old way of handling files as an option in the settings.

If users choose to open files directly, Firefox will put the files in the Downloads folder. There will be an option in a future version of Firefox to use the Temp folder again, but that too will be opt-in, says a Mozilla developer. Since the operating system automatically deletes files in that folder, users would lose files if they choose that option. Some users want that because otherwise the Downloads folder will become cluttered with many files.

The window to choose to open files disappeared in Firefox 97, the version that appeared in February. Firefox 101, which brings back the option, will be released on May 31, according to Mozilla.

Firefox 101 – download or open files