It is imperative to test if the website you are visiting is free. If you are someone who banks online and uses other online services, you must have checked by searching for the HTTPS protocol or the green padlock icon if the website you are using is safe. These are visual indicators which mean that the website that you access is safe for transactions.
The green padlock icon shows secure connection between your browser and server.
But the web browser Mozilla Firefox which used to display a green lock icon for protected HTTPS websites now displays instead a gray padlock icon. If you are using the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, you ‘d note this update.
Here’s our article describing why the green padlock icon is missing and how to get it back.
How do you see an icon with a Gray Lock and not a Green Lock?
Mozilla Firefox recently released their web browser Mozilla Firefox 70. Each version comes with newer indicators of security and privacy in the URL bar. The green padlock icon was replaced with the padlock icon in gray.
Firefox displays a cross-out lock icon for non-HTTPS domains accessed by protocols HTTP and FTP. For vulnerable pages Firefox shows this indicator. Now over 80 percent of the pages are loaded via HTTPS. So, it modified the green icon and turned it into white. This change was made by Firefox to stop emphasizing the secure connection and to place greater emphasis on insecure connections, i.e. non-https sites.
How to Remove Firefox ‘s Green Padlock Icon?
The green lock icon isn’t gone forever and the iconic green padlock can be restored by following the steps mentioned below.
- Open the Mozilla Firefox browser and enter the address bar about: config.
- When you do that, you’ll see a message of warning saying this action might void your warranty. To proceed click the “I accept the risk” button.
- Type security.secure connection icon color gray into search box.
- Change its value from “True” to “False.” Only right-click “True” and click to change its value to Toggle.
Now, if you visit an HTTPS-enabled website, you can check whether the changes were applied. You’ll see the green padlock icon right now in the address bar. If you don’t want to see the green padlock and restore the gray symbol, simply repeat the same steps and change the value from “False” to “True.”
Display Non-HTTPS Websites Not Safe Alert
If you wish to see the “Not Secure” warning when you visit a non-HTTPS site, follow the steps below, along with the padlock icon crossed-out.
- Start a new tab in the web browser on Mozilla Firefox.
- Class for: in the address bar, settings.
- To see the correct setting, type security.insecure connection text.enable in the search bar.
- Under Value, change the option from “False” to “True” by right-clicking on the value and choosing Toggle. This will help to enable text which is “not secure.”
You can now open a non-HTTPS website, and see the “not secure” warning. Follow the same steps to uninstall it, and shift the option back to True.
Restore details of EV Certificates in Firefox
Firefox currently does not view information about Extended Validation certificates. However, if you want to see the details about the Extended Validation certificate, you can use the following process.
- Enable the browser on Mozilla Firefox.
- Go to on: config.
- Click on Yes to proceed. I accept the risk!
- Type the validation.identityblock.show extended .
- Adjust the option from “Fake” to “True.”
The change will be enforced immediately, and you can visit a website allowed by EV to check whether you can access the details of the certificate. If you don’t see the details yet you can try to refresh the site. You may follow the same steps to restore the original, and set the value to False.