Open Settings → Home and startup (sometimes labeled Home). Choose Blank page under “Homepage and new windows” to use it, or choose Firefox Home (Default) to remove it. Review New tabs and session restore separately.
First identify what you want to change
A blank page can appear when Firefox starts, when you use its Home control, when it restores a previous session, or after a website opens a new tab. These are different triggers. Change the setting that matches the moment you see it.
| Where blank appears | What controls it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage and new windows | Home and startup → Homepage and new windows | Choose Firefox Home, Custom URLs, or Blank page |
| Every new tab | Home and startup → New tabs | Choose Firefox Home or Blank page |
| Tabs return at launch | Open previous windows and tabs | Disable session restore or close the blank tab before quitting |
| After a site click | Popup permission or website code | Check the popup indicator; do not change Home settings |
Set Firefox to a blank page
Firefox has a native Blank page option, so there is no need to enter about:blank manually.
- Open Firefox Settings. Select the menu button, then Settings.
- Open Home and startup. Some releases show this as the Home panel.
- Choose Blank page. Under “Homepage and new windows,” select Blank page.
- Set New tabs separately. Choose Blank page there only if you also want every new tab empty.
The browser creates its own empty document. It does not load this website or another remote homepage.
Stop about:blank opening in Firefox
- Open the Home panel. Change “Homepage and new windows” from Blank page to Firefox Home (Default) or Custom URLs.
- Review New tabs. Select Firefox Home if tabs are blank too.
- Review session restore. Turn off “Open previous windows and tabs” if an old blank tab keeps returning.
- Use Troubleshoot Mode if needed. If the issue persists, test with extensions and customizations temporarily disabled, then identify the specific cause.
If the setting changes back, review extensions and whether the browser is managed. On a work or school device, ask the administrator before changing managed items.
If a blank tab appears after one link
The homepage setting is probably unrelated. Return to the original page, retry the action once, and check for a blocked-popup indicator. If the site genuinely needs a popup, allow it for that trusted site only. Keep global popup protection enabled.
Test the same action in a private window. If it works there, stored site data or an extension in your normal profile is the likely difference. If it fails in multiple current browsers, report the broken action to the site owner.
If the address says about:blank#blocked, use the dedicated blocked-navigation guide.
When a security check is appropriate
The blank document itself is not malware. Check further if homepage or search settings change without permission, unknown extensions return, or random ads and redirects appear across unrelated websites. In that case, update Firefox, remove unknown extensions, and run the operating system's trusted security scan.
There is no built-in infection with that name to remove. Use Firefox's own settings and your trusted operating-system security tools.
Firefox-specific notes
Firefox's native Blank page option is the clearest way to request an empty Home or New Tab experience. The exact panel wording can change between releases, but Mozilla's current help distinguishes Firefox Home, Custom URLs, and Blank page.
Firefox may show its own warning or popup behavior rather than Chromium's exact about:blank#blocked label. Avoid applying Chrome-specific diagnostic claims to Firefox.
Official source
- Mozilla Support: How to set the home pageBrowser-maker instructions used to verify this guide on August 1, 2026.