Firefox adding another search engine choice isn't really headline news to me but cool I guess, especially if it's another option that's not Google?
I'll continue using something else, though.
this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2025
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You can also manually add or remove search engines (at least in current Mozilla releases)
It's not a search engine, it's a random text generator disguised as an engine. It's worse than Google, if you can believe it. We don't need more shit that is worse than Google
Yeah it's pretty lame.
I will say in its benefit that if there is to be AI-summaries as answers to search queries, this has the right ideas: List your sources atop, even have a separate sources tab, include direct quotes where possible (though this feature is weird, I don't always get it, maybe topic-specific).
I still don't like it (just link me to the bloody source instead) but I know a ton of people who explicitly want those AI-summaries as their answers, and this at least exposes what was used to create the answer.
Rubbish, but on a conceptual level doing better.
My main problem with that, is that it actually doesn't use the sources it lists. It does it sometimes, and other times the links have nothing to do with the generated text, and some of them might be also non existent, but because it's not always wrong, it makes people complicit, nobody actually checks the sources, but believe it more because the links are there.
pretty easy to just remove it as an option. settings/search/ scroll down to list of search engines, click perplexity, click remove. If enough people do this, maybe they will get the hint.
How do I prevent new antifeatures from being added? How do I even know about the new antifeatures as they are added? Does Mozilla publish an RSS feed of each antifeature like this that they add, that gives a quick explanation of how to undo it?
idk if they have an rss or not. I always click the what's new link when they push an upgrade.
Thankfully it's easy to remove yet. But this sneaky automatic addition is still annoying.
So it's just another search engine option, they probably get money for that too. No big deal for me, I don't have to use it if I don't want to.
I have no idea why they call it "integration"? It's just a search option like any other search option.
Personally I have 10 search options enabled already, so this is number 11, and if I don't like it, I will just disable it, which is dead easy to do, with a button for the purpose of changing settings right beside the search options.
I tried it for 2 terms I know very well, and the response was very good, but I would never trust an AI response without double checking.
Librewolf. You're welcome.
Oh that's a fork that's explicitly about having less options for the user then?
Has anyone figured out how to automate updates on macOS (ew I know, but it's my wife's computer)?
I just use homebrew with quarantine disabled (otherwise homebrew will auto-update the package with quarantine enabled again, even if you installed it without).
I don't like macs. Just have to use one for work.
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This is just a search engine option not some built in AI tool.
No issue here other than fuck AI in general. Just don't use it.
The issue is them adding it to your list without user's input or even notification. This is unpleasant behaviour that shouldn't be normal, even if this time there is no damage.
Why does AI need to be shoved into everything, honestly its not AI its just an LLM that summarizes your search, and plays as a yes man.
It's totally "shoved" when it's just an additional option in the search engine sélection...
I mean, if this helps fund Firefox and is not too intrusive then I am fine with it.
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How about not adding more AI shit instead?
It's just a search engine choice.
I agree with the sentiment, but this is quite possibly the least offensive idea Mozilla has had in a while.
Because it costs money to add shit nobody wants so we need sponsors, to add more shit nobody wants…
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I’m not upvoting out of support for this move but to spread awareness
Voting is confusing
Whereas I'm upvoting because I support adding options. If you don't like it, don't use it.
Everyone already had the choice to use this before. You can visit any site with a search box, and add that site as a search engine to Firefox.
This is forcing it down people's throats.
I really don’t know enough about Perplexity AI to have an opinion one way or another, which is why I’m upvoting for awareness. I can’t say whether it’s a good or bad thing, although I’m not optimistic given the general trend of shoehorning “AI” in whether it makes sense or not, but I’m sure there are actually useful applications for the product and a better search engine could be one. I want actual search results, though, not a generated slop answer.
I get that Mozilla needs to keep the lights on but... yeah.
I've increasingly been meaning to switch to a fork. Anyone aware of a good way to self host a bookmark (and preferably tab) sync?
I set up floccus but haven’t dove completely into it. So far it’s neat though.
Floccus is so neat. Way more than just Mozilla's sync.
Good to see some diversification away from google.
Another reason not to use vanilla Firefox.
They should listen to Meredith Whittaker (German) the boss of Signal.
Link 404s for me.
I changed it, should work now.
Ones that work well take your natural language input, spend time searching and offer results. Not summarize anything. How well does perplexity work in that regard I wonder?
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