Mozilla Firefox includes a collapsible “Sidebar” feature that allows you to dock your Bookmarks, History, or Synced Tabs on the left or right side of your browser window. While some power users rely heavily on the sidebar to manage massive bookmark libraries, accidental keyboard presses can frequently cause the sidebar to pop open unexpectedly, consuming a significant portion of your screen real estate and squeezing the actual webpage you are trying to read. You can quickly hide the sidebar and reclaim your viewing area.
How to Hide the Firefox Sidebar
You can close the sidebar using a simple menu toggle, a keyboard shortcut, or the built-in close button.
Method 1: Using the Close Button
The easiest way to close the sidebar is to simply look at the very top of the sidebar panel (above your list of bookmarks or history) and click the small “X” icon on the far right edge of the panel header.
Method 2: Using the View Menu
- Look at the very top of your screen for the classic menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc.). Note: If you do not see this bar, press the ‘Alt’ key on your keyboard to reveal it.
- Click on the View menu.
- Hover your mouse down to Sidebar.
- You will see a checkmark next to the currently active sidebar (e.g., Bookmarks). Click on that checked item to uncheck it and hide the sidebar.
Method 3: Using a Keyboard Shortcut
If the sidebar is currently displaying your Bookmarks, simply press Ctrl + B (or Cmd + B on a Mac) to instantly toggle it off. If it is displaying your History, press Ctrl + H (or Cmd + H on a Mac) to hide it.