Why did Firefox Screenshots disappear from my browser?
Firefox retired its hosted screenshot storage in 2019, not the screenshot tool. Find the button, check settings and policies, and fix common causes.
Short answer: Mozilla retired Firefox’s hosted screenshot storage in 2019, but it did not remove the built-in capture feature. If the screenshot button is missing, it may have moved in your Firefox version, been removed from the toolbar, been disabled in settings, or been hidden by a browser policy managed by work or school.
The built-in tool can capture a visible area or a full page, then copy the image or download it. The discontinued feature was saving screenshots to a server hosted by Firefox. These are separate things, so losing the old online save option does not mean local screenshot capture has disappeared. Mozilla’s 2019 announcement explains the change.
What changed in Firefox Screenshots?
Firefox Screenshots launched with Firefox 56 in September 2017. In January 2019, Mozilla announced that it would retire the option to save screenshots to its standalone server during that year. Mozilla said downloading and copying images had become more popular, and that it wanted to simplify the service around those options.
Mozilla explicitly said the Screenshots feature itself was not being removed. Users could still capture visible portions or full web pages and download or copy the resulting images. The old hosted save option is the part that went away.
Mozilla reported that more than 20 million people used Screenshots to take nearly 180 million screenshots in 2018. Those are historical figures from Mozilla’s 2019 announcement, not current usage statistics.
Find the screenshot button in your Firefox version
- Check the toolbar. Open Firefox’s toolbar customization controls and look for the Screenshot button. If it is available, drag it onto the toolbar. A button removed from the toolbar can look like a missing feature.
- Try the page context menu. Right-click an empty area of the page and look for Take Screenshot. The available menu entries can vary by Firefox version and page.
- Try the keyboard shortcut. Mozilla Support documents Ctrl+Shift+S on Windows and Linux. Shortcuts and interface controls can change, so follow the instructions shown for your current release if this shortcut does not work.
The interface changed over time. For example, a Mozilla Support answer for Firefox 88 and later directs users to add the Take a screenshot button to the toolbar instead of looking for the older page-actions control. If your Firefox looks different from an old help article or video, use the toolbar customization controls for your installed version.
Check whether screenshots are disabled
If you cannot find the control in the toolbar or menus, a preference or an administrator policy may have disabled the feature. Mozilla Support discussions mention these preference names:
extensions.screenshots.disabledscreenshots.browser.component.enabled
These names and suggested values come from support discussions about particular Firefox versions. They are not universal instructions for every release, and preferences may change. Before editing advanced settings, follow Mozilla’s current screenshot help and its linked troubleshooting guidance.
If you are comfortable checking preferences and Mozilla’s instructions for your version point you there, open about:config, search for the named setting, and read its current description and value. One Firefox 120-era support answer suggested extensions.screenshots.disabled = false and screenshots.browser.component.enabled = false. Do not copy those values blindly: they may not apply to your release or installation.
If you change a preference, restart Firefox if the setting’s guidance or the symptom calls for it. In one Firefox 128 support report, a user found extensions.screenshots.disabled set to true, changed it, and reported that the icon returned after restarting. That is one user’s reported fix, not a guarantee for other installations.
Check for a work or school browser policy
An organization can manage Firefox settings and disable screenshots by policy. If the control is missing on a work or school device, or a preference appears locked, contact your IT administrator. A managed setting may be reapplied when Firefox starts, so changing it locally might not last.
Troubleshooting checklist
| What you see | Likely explanation | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The old online Save option is gone | Firefox-hosted screenshot storage was retired in 2019. | Use the local capture, copy, or download options instead. |
| The button is missing from the toolbar | It may have been removed or moved as the interface changed. | Open toolbar customization and add Take a screenshot if it is available. |
| The button is absent from toolbar and menus | A preference or managed policy may disable screenshots. | Check Mozilla’s current help for your Firefox version; ask IT if the browser is managed. |
| The button does not return after changing a preference | The preference may not apply to your version, or a policy may override it. | Restore settings you changed if needed, restart Firefox, and follow version-specific Mozilla Support instructions. |
| A shortcut or menu item does nothing | The control may differ in your release, or the page may not expose the expected menu. | Use toolbar customization and check Mozilla’s current instructions rather than relying on an old shortcut guide. |
Capture a screenshot without the built-in button
If you only need an image immediately, your operating system’s screen capture shortcut can capture what is visible on screen. That is different from a browser full-page capture: it may include browser chrome, and it will not automatically capture content farther down the page. For full-page captures or repeatable automated screenshots, a browser automation script or screenshot API is more suitable.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server from ScreenshotNeo. One GET request captures a URL as an image or PDF. For example, cURL can save a WebP screenshot:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools to take screenshots, get page information, and capture PDFs. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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Frequently asked questions
Did Firefox remove Screenshots in 2019?
No. Mozilla retired its hosted save-to-server option. Local capture, download, and copy remained available.
Why is the screenshot button missing after a Firefox update?
The interface and button location have changed across releases, and toolbar customization can remove the button. If it is absent everywhere, check version-specific Mozilla instructions for disabled preferences and managed policies.
Can my employer disable Firefox Screenshots?
Yes. Mozilla Support notes that a browser policy can disable screenshots. Ask your organization’s administrator if Firefox is managed.
Does restoring the button restore Firefox’s old online storage?
No. Restoring access to the capture control does not bring back the retired Firefox-hosted save option.
