From github: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/12731.

If I were to do a Google search, open a new tab, visit any website, then switch back to that first tab, that oroginal Google search would then reload completely, regardless of the fact that it was loaded previously and not cleared from memory. Also, when I push the app into background, and then go back to it from the Recents screen, the page that was open would have to load again completely, even though the app wasn't erased from memory, and this loading time is much longer than a simple page navigation. Chrome does not do this and that's why it is better. Fix these issues instead of playing around with silly UI changes.

┆Issue is synchronized with this Jira Task

Change performed by the Move to Bugzilla add-on.

Linking to bug 1752594, the meta bug for the investigation of tab reloading problems.

The severity field is not set for this bug.
:cpeterson, could you have a look please?

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This functionality is still present in Nightly:

112.0a1 (Build #2015933923), 90b475de37+
GV: 112.0a1-20230216213942
AS: 96.4.0

In addition to the previous about:config, media.autoplay.blocking was set to 2.

The refresh occurred after at an approximate period of 85. 79 seconds, measured with the Clock app.

(As an aside, I can't edit my previous comment so hello double post)

Personally, I'm more concerned that on reload user input in something like text boxes (for example this comment input field) are cleared out.

Hmm, I tried entering some random text into this very input field and then manually killed the tab process, and subsequently the text was successfully restored together with the tab. I don't know how quickly Firefox persists that data, though, so perhaps if Android kills the tab process immediately after Firefox (or the tab in question) goes into the background, it is possible that some recent data might get lost. (Or maybe there's some sort of other weird session store bug that only manifests itself on some devices, though that theory does seem a bit unlikely… I seem to remember that dynamically added input fields in web apps could also be iffy, but the input field here on Bugzilla is defined statically in the original HTML, so that's definitively not what's happening here.)

(In reply to Jan Henning [:JanH] from comment #11)

Personally, I'm more concerned that on reload user input in something like text boxes (for example this comment input field) are cleared out.

Hmm, I tried entering some random text into this very input field and then manually killed the tab process, and subsequently the text was successfully restored together with the tab. I don't know how quickly Firefox persists that data, though, so perhaps if Android kills the tab process immediately after Firefox (or the tab in question) goes into the background, it is possible that some recent data might get lost. (Or maybe there's some sort of other weird session store bug that only manifests itself on some devices, though that theory does seem a bit unlikely… I seem to remember that dynamically added input fields in web apps could also be iffy, but the input field here on Bugzilla is defined statically in the original HTML, so that's definitively not what's happening here.)

Sorry for not being clear. I meant in general, not specifically this input field. I haven't experienced text disappearing on this input field with this refresh issue, but I have experienced text dissappearing on reddit with this refresh issue.

I don't know about other Android brand but for Samsung Galaxy phones I found a workaround so Firefox Mobile (Fenix) could and still stay in the background, not refreshing when changing to other apps, and also not refreshing other tabs when we actively use some tabs at the same time.
For Samsung Galaxy phones go to Settings -> Battery and Device Care -> Battery -> Background Usage Limits there are 3 categories over there which are Sleeping Apps, Deep Sleeping Apps, and Never Sleeping Apps. Click Never Sleeping Apps in the top right corner there is a plus sign button and click on it. After that find Firefox Mobile apps then click add after that close the settings.

You would probably feel Firefox Mobile not repeating some of the problems I mentioned before like constantly refreshing when changing to other apps or tabs.

Tested on :
111.1.0 (Build #2015940019), 7539a6a366+
GV: 111.0.1-20230320155232
AS: 96.4.0
Devices: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
RAM: 12 GB
Android version: 13
One UI version: 5.1

Bug 1752594, which covers all of the "tabs reload unexpectedly" bugs, is currently being investigated.

Using Beta 114, I confirmed that setting dom.ipc.processPrelaunch.lowmem_mb to 0 MB fixes this issue which seems to happen when there's a memory pressure in the system. I can provide a profile with and without this preference if requested. I don't fully understand how this preference affects memory management when dom.ipc.processPrelaunch.enabled is false. Yet somehow it does.