Customize Firefox Menu Button: Change the Orange Color
Personalizing Your Firefox Experience: Customizing the Menu Button
Are you dissatisfied with the default orange color of the Firefox menu button? Fortunately, Firefox offers extensive customization options. You can modify the color, text, and various other properties of the menu button to achieve a truly personalized look and feel.
To alter the appearance of the Firefox menu button, we will be working with the userChrome.css file. This file provides a powerful means to adjust virtually any aspect of Firefox’s interface, including both its visual presentation and functionality.
Installing ChromEdit Plus
Before we begin editing the userChrome.css file, it’s beneficial to install an add-on called ChromEdit Plus. This tool simplifies the editing process and ensures the file is saved in the correct format. Access the ChromEdit Plus webpage by following this link:
http://webdesigns.ms11.net/chromeditp.html
On the webpage, click the "Add to Firefox" button to initiate the installation.
A confirmation message may appear. Select "Allow" to proceed with installing the ChromEdit Plus add-on.
Important Note: Exercise caution when installing extensions and software. Only install products from trusted sources. We have tested ChromEdit Plus and confirm its safety and reliability.
The Software Installation dialog box will then be displayed. Click "Install Now," which may become available after a brief countdown.
While you can adjust the countdown duration, we recommend leaving it enabled.
To complete the installation, you must restart Firefox. Click "Restart Now" on the popup dialog.
After Firefox restarts, a ChromEdit Plus button will appear to the right of the Address box. Clicking this button will open the ChromEdit Plus window.
Editing the userChrome.css File
The ChromEdit Plus window features three default tabs. We will be focusing on the first tab, which is dedicated to the userChrome.css file. If this tab is currently empty, copy and paste the following code into it, then click "Save." This will create a basic userChrome.css file.
@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");
#appmenu-button {
background: #orange !important;
}
#appmenu-button dropmarker:before {
content: "Firefox" !important;
color: #FFFFFF !important;
}
#appmenu-button .button-text {
display: none !important;
}
If you already have a userChrome.css file, the tab will contain existing text. Copy the code above (excluding the first line, the @namespace line) and paste it into the tab, ideally after the @namespace line. You can also append it to the end of the existing file.
Crucially: Ensure that all quotation marks within the userChrome.css file are standard, straight quotes, and not “smart quotes.” Smart quotes will prevent the file from affecting Firefox’s appearance.
Click "Restart" to restart Firefox and apply the new or modified userChrome.css file.
Customizing Color and Text
As an example, let's change the background color to a dark blue and the button text from "Firefox" to "How-To Geek."
To modify the background color, replace "#orange" in the "background" line within the "#appmenu-button" section with a different color’s hexadecimal code. We’ve chosen a dark blue with the code #2C4362.
Note: If you need assistance finding the hexadecimal code for a specific color, refer to our guides on obtaining hex codes from decimal RGB colors, selecting colors from your screen, or converting colors into various formats.
To change the button text, modify the "Firefox" text on the "content" line within the "#appmenu-button dropmarker:before" section to your desired text, such as "How-To Geek ". Adding a space after the text can improve spacing around the drop-down arrow.
You can also adjust the text color by modifying the "color" line in the same "#appmenu-button dropmarker:before" section. We’ve retained the white color (#FFFFFF), but you could experiment with alternatives like light gray (#F2F2F2).
Click "Save" and then "Restart" to implement these changes.
Adding a Background Image
The button will now display a dark blue background and the text "How-To Geek."
You can further enhance the button by adding a background image. We’ve created an image featuring the How-To Geek favicon on a transparent background, allowing the dark blue background color to show through. To incorporate a background image, add the following line to the "#appmenu-button" section, replacing the path within the quotes with the correct location of your image file. Remember to include the "file:///" prefix in the path.
background-image: url("file:///C:/Users/Lori/Pictures/htg_background.png") !important;
Click "Save" and "Restart" once more.
Our customized button is now complete.
You can also transform the Firefox menu button into a simple icon. Furthermore, we have published numerous other tips and tweaks to help you maximize your Firefox experience.