Firefox push notifications: how they work

The click-to-ask rule

Firefox 72 (January 2020) stopped showing permission pop-ups that weren’t triggered by a user gesture like a click or key press. Instead a small speech-bubble icon appears in the address bar. Sites that request permission on page load effectively never reach Firefox users. A soft prompt with an “Allow” button — which then asks the browser — satisfies the rule (opt-in guide).

Mozilla’s push service

Firefox subscriptions use endpoints on updates.push.services.mozilla.com, operated by Mozilla (the open-source “autopush” service). Senders use the same standard protocol and VAPID keys as for every other browser, so a Web Push library or service like Pusharoo needs no Firefox-specific setup (protocol details).

Firefox notification settings

Where	Path
Desktop	Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Notifications → Settings…
Block all new requests	Same dialog → tick “Block new requests asking to allow notifications”
One site	Click the icon left of the address → clear the Notifications permission
Android	Firefox menu → Settings → Site permissions → Notifications

For a full walkthrough in every browser, see turn off website notifications.

What Firefox displays

• Title, body text and your icon, using the operating system’s notification style.
• No large image and no action buttons — write so the text stands alone (length tips).
• Clicking opens the URL you set, handled by your service worker.

Firefox privacy features and push

Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection doesn’t block standard web push on first-party sites, but strict modes and extensions can block third-party scripts that load your prompt. If Firefox users don’t see your prompt, test with protections set to Standard and extensions disabled. Self-contained setups with a small snippet and a service worker on your own domain tend to be the most resilient.

Writing for Firefox

Because Firefox shows text and icon only, it’s the best preview of your “plain” notification. If the message works in Firefox — clear title, useful body, recognisable icon — it’ll work everywhere; images and buttons elsewhere are a bonus (rich push).

Firefox for Android

Firefox for Android supports web push too. Android’s own notification permission (Android 13+) must be granted to Firefox, and battery optimisation can delay delivery. Per-site settings live in Firefox’s Settings → Site permissions → Notifications. On iPhone, Firefox uses Apple’s WebKit and can add sites to the Home Screen; notifications then come from the Home Screen web app.

Managed Firefox

Organisations can preset notification permissions with Firefox enterprise policies (policies.json or Group Policy), for example blocking all sites except an intranet. If a work laptop never shows prompts, a policy is the likely reason.

Testing in Firefox

1. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox to see registered service workers.
2. Use the Push button next to your worker to fire a test push event.
3. Check Firefox is allowed to show notifications at the OS level (macOS System Settings, Windows Notifications).
4. Subscribe through your prompt and send yourself a real test (testing guide).

Questions

Keep reading

More in Browsers & devices: Safari push notifications on the Mac · Microsoft Edge push notifications · Web push notifications on Android · PWA push notifications on iOS and Android · Web push notifications not working? Fix it by symptom · How to turn off website notifications · Samsung Internet notifications, explained · Push notifications in Opera and Opera GX · Brave push notifications: why they fail and how to fix it · Website notifications on a Chromebook · How to get website notifications on your iPhone · All guides