Affected versions

• 78.5.0esr (20201108181928)

Affected platforms

• Windows 10x64
• macOS 10.12
• Ubuntu 18.04

Steps to reproduce

1. Open Firefox with a new profile and focus on the address bar.
2. Type a random string (e.g te) and click on the DuckDuckGo search engine.
3. Go to about:preferences#search and remove the DuckDuckGo search engine.
4. Select Bing as the default search engine.
5. Open a new tab, focus the address bar and type te.
6. Unfocus the address bar and focus it again.
7. Observe the bottom search results.

Expected result

• The results are displayed as expected.

Actual result

• The bottom results are shaking.

Regression range

• I don’t think this is a regression because the issue is reproducing all the way back to Firefox 52.0a1 (20161111030203) by opening the search bar with the down arrow key.

Notes

• Attached a screen recording (please ignore the green glitch).
• The issue is intermittent if the tab from step 2 is closed.
• The issue can be reproduced as well when switching tabs while the search results are opened.
• I cannot reproduce the issue with Firefox 83.0 or Firefox 84.0a1 using the above steps.

Suggested Severity: S4

I don't see the shaking in the GIF you posted. Are you referring to this part, where the icons are shifted down by the results? If so, that's expected as the results load in.

(In reply to Harry Twyford [:harry] from comment #1)

Created attachment 9188683 [details]
result-filling-in-slow.mov

I don't see the shaking in the GIF you posted. Are you referring to this part, where the icons are shifted down by the results? If so, that's expected as the results load in.

When switching tabs it can be seen better. The results from the DuckDuckGo search to the bottom ones are moving after switching back to the tab with opened search results.
I have also recorded a gif by recording the frames with what happens when clicking the tab with the results opened. Link here. It seems that first the DuckDuckGo results are displayed, secondly search suggestions and then the DuckDuckGo results are displayed again. Hope this helps.

Ah, I see now. That looks like result flicker after opening retained results. First, the retained results are opened with tab and bookmark results. Then, a new query is fired and those results are replaced with search suggestions. But then Places catches up and restores the tab and bookmark results, causing flicker. I had to step through the frames of your gif to catch it.

When switching tabs with an open view, we query for new results. In your case, it looks like your network connection might be faster than your disk speed, so search suggestions are returned before Places results.