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Firefox Update Notifications: What You Can Change and How

Firefox’s update settings let you choose when to install updates, but Mozilla does not document a general notification-only off switch. Here’s how to distinguish a Windows toast from an in-browser prompt.
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Firefox does not offer a general notification-only switch in the documented update settings. If you want to choose when updates install, open Menu > Settings > General > Firefox Updates and select Check for updates but let you choose to install them. If the alert is a Windows toast, that is a different notification from an update prompt inside Firefox.

First identify which Firefox notification you are seeing

Mozilla documents a Windows app notification, or toast, that may appear when Firefox automatically updates while closed. The help article says it applies to Windows 10 and later when Firefox has not been opened for 28 days after that update. Mozilla characterizes this notification as “part of a Firefox study”; that description does not establish a general Windows notification switch or a setting that disables update alerts across Firefox. Read Mozilla’s Windows notification explanation.

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An update prompt displayed inside the Firefox window is separate. The Windows toast guidance does not explain how to suppress every in-browser update prompt. Firefox’s update controls govern checking and installation timing, rather than providing a documented notification-only off switch.

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Choose when Firefox installs updates

  1. Open the Firefox menu and choose Settings.
  2. In the General panel, scroll to Firefox Updates.
  3. Select Check for updates but let you choose to install them.

This leaves update checks enabled while giving you control over when to install an update. It changes installation timing; Mozilla’s documentation does not describe it as a way to silence notifications. Mozilla’s Settings overview explains where update controls and the About Firefox area are located.

Why turning off updates is a different—and riskier—change

Disabling update behavior would stop more than notifications: it can prevent Firefox from receiving updates. Mozilla Support moderator Sebastian Becker wrote on May 28, 2024, “Important: Turning off Firefox automatic updates is not recommended.” Mozilla Support explains that only the latest Firefox version receives regular security updates. See the Mozilla Support answer.

If this is a work- or school-managed device, ask its administrator about the organization’s update policy rather than changing system-level settings yourself. Mozilla Support answers have pointed to enterprise policies for disabling updates, but the available guidance here does not establish current policy names or platform-specific steps; it is not enough to safely provide a policy or registry recipe.

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Check your version and update history

To see what version is installed or review update history, open the Firefox menu, choose Help, then About Firefox. Mozilla’s general Firefox update help also links to update guidance and release notes. If your goal is simply to defer installation, use the Settings option above and keep update checks active.

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