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UX: starting in offline mode can result in difficulty to connect later

since #34345 (closed)

If you start in offline mode, that is Always connect automatically is unchecked, the first page to load is the one with that option, that's cool. I'll just call it the connect-page (sidebar: can we give an alias like about:connect or about:offline?)

The urlbar contains an Offline badge. When you "lose" the connect-page, how do you get back to it, how does one connect?

I'm loving this this offline mode (and I don't close on last tab). I can fire up TB, test locally. Sometimes, I also want to connect for an online test, and while I can easily do that, I don't think others could.

  • I clicked the Offline status in the urlbar, hoping there was a connect option :-( just an idea
  • close TB and just start it again (not my style)
    • too long, and potentially re-opening too quick before the last close to finish
  • I assume you can go to about:preferences#tor and click connect (I didn't click it)
    • the yellow warning scared me (not really, just saying)
  • I assume you can use the menubar (which is off by default, and alters your inner window size) - File>Work Offline (I didn't toggle it)
    • reduces inner window real estate at best (letterboxing), compromises fingerprint at worst
  • I load about:tor, which loads an angry red page, and click the tor icon top corner, which loads the connect-page in a new tab
    • too many steps
    • red pageabout:tor` is probably disconcerting (not that users would do what I did in this case) and could possibly be misleading, i.e users reporting that TB has errors when the issue was really that they hadn't connected
    • home button - TBH, I'm not sure if it is there by default = it loads about:tor

IDK what the answer is, and there's at least two issues here. Suggestions

  • about:tor in offline mode != red + "something went wrong", but neutral(purple?) + "currently not connected" + link to connect-page
  • about:preferences#tor - if you are in offline mode, the yellow warning could maybe NOT be yellow or a warning
  • quick connection offline status in urlbar

Close if this is a duplicate or already on your radar somewhere

edit: added about:preferences#tor suggestion

@antonela @richard @duncan (sorry for the noise)

Edited by Thorin