Update check improvements

[astatine]

Hello! I would like Zen to:

1. Not automatically check for updates (or prompt the user) for the rest of the day if I have dismissed an update alert
2. Provide an option in Settings to completely disable automatic update checks forever or for a configurable amount of time (6 hours, 1 day, 1 week, etc.)

Note that I'm not discouraging updates, just aggressive automatic update checks and user prompts. Thanks!

[trespaul]

This is also annoying for people who use package repositories. If an update is available but not yet packaged, the end-user can't do anything about it except dismiss the dialog over and over again until the new version is packaged.

[joinemm]

Using NixOS with zen from a flake and this is really annoying, having to dismiss the update every time I start the browser. Please add an option to disable the update check. I want to manage updates with my package manager like every other linux application.

[trespaul]

This is exactly my context as well! :) I assume everyone on NixOS is using https://github.com/MarceColl/zen-browser-flake while waiting for the nixpkgs package.

[Grantimatter]

Using NixOS with zen from a flake and this is really annoying, having to dismiss the update every time I start the browser. Please add an option to disable the update check. I want to manage updates with my package manager like every other linux application.

In the same boat here.
I've updated some settings in about:config that seem to be working to stop the update prompt from popping up.

Here's what I changed, not sure if every change is needed since I tried them all at once.
Navigate to the about:config url and update these values:

app.update.auto = false
app.update.checkInstallTime = false
app.update.promptWaitTime = -1
app.update.silent = true    # May need to create this one, just select Boolean at the bottom of the page after typing it in.

If this works to keep the notification from showing, I'll also want to add it to my nix flake somehow. I haven't messed with Firefox / zen configs there before.

[Grantimatter]

Using NixOS with zen from a flake and this is really annoying, having to dismiss the update every time I start the browser. Please add an option to disable the update check. I want to manage updates with my package manager like every other linux application.

In the same boat here. I've updated some settings in about:config that seem to be working to stop the update prompt from popping up.

Here's what I changed, not sure if every change is needed since I tried them all at once. Navigate to the about:config url and update these values:

app.update.auto = false
app.update.checkInstallTime = false
app.update.promptWaitTime = -1
app.update.silent = true    # May need to create this one, just select Boolean at the bottom of the page after typing it in.

If this works to keep the notification from showing, I'll also want to add it to my nix flake somehow. I haven't messed with Firefox / zen configs there before.

Update:

This does not seem to work after all. I still get the update prompt. Still looking for an easy way to disable this for now. If changing configs is not able to disable it, the only other option I can think of is to build a custom version without the update prompt / submit a PR with an option to disable.

[AndrewDilman]

This annoying me on Firefox and even more on Zen because I want to wait a little bit to not brake installed mods.
Maybe it is possible to turn off notification with mod? 🤔

[sonjiku]

Bump

[jqtmviyu]

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customizing-firefox-using-policiesjson

Taking macOS as an example, create a distribution folder in the Firefox.app/Contents/Resources directory. Then, create a file named policies.json in the distribution folder with the following content:

{
  "policies": {
    "DisableAppUpdate": true,
    "ManualAppUpdateOnly": true
  }
}

Restart the browser and you will no longer have annoying update reminders.

[Grantimatter]

This did the trick for me, thanks!

For those of us on NixOS @joinemm, @trespaul, I added programs.firefox.policies, ran nixos-rebuild switch and restarted zen. No more update prompt! In fact, it gets rid of the update option all together in the toolbar drop down.

programs.firefox = {
  enable = true;
  policies = {
    BlockAboutConfig = true;
  };
};

[oxngon]

@jqtmviyu thank you, this is the stupidest thing I had to do to have zen not be annoying. Most people will give up and choose another browser. I have also seen similar issues being reported (and closed) since then i n 2025.