Onboarding improvement browser-wide

[churuz-fyi]

We're all familiar with the existing onboarding system. It does a good job of showing the user what each thing does and getting an initial set up for their first-time installation. However, this onboarding process fails at telling the user on how to access this.

What's been discussed

I've seen a post or two on the subreddit regarding a more guided onboarding system in order to teach new users that aren't as technically driven or curious how to access these features. The guided approach has the issue of being elongated for existing users that may already know the browser so the obvious choice for that would be to make it optional. I disagree.

My solution

Zen already boots up the fresh install of the browser with a few tabs both to showcase pins and to show the changes. I think we should change these.

The first tab that is always shown is the "Release Notes". (I'm guessing this tab appears due to how Zen reacts to installations and updates equally but I'm not sure about that,) I don't think new users will be interested in seeing the latest release notes because if they don't know what the browser had before, they won't care what it has now. Instead I propose showing the Zen Browser Docs site as the first tab that new users see.

Why onboard with the docs

For the same reason that every time a dev installs a new application they'll dive into the docs to figure out how it works. Frankly, Zen is too complex a browser to get the most out of it in a simple onboarding page like it has been now. Systems like workspaces and utilizing them effectively with individual pins and container profiles as well as differentiating between essentials and pins are concepts that are way more complex than what other browsers like Chrome offer.

These complex systems are best explained in detail and with examples that can give the new user ideas on how to utilize them. You can't simply "pick up" Zen because of these strange concepts when most people are coming from Firefox/Chrome even if we have a large population of ex-Arc users.

What can be done

Firstly, documentation needs to be updated more frequently for this to work so that's one more barrier for work. Second is enabling the tab as the first tab that shows up. Back to the release notes appearing first, if it is due to the installation being an "update" and Zen always showing the release notes after updates maybe a flag could be added for "Fresh Install" or something alike or perhaps just load the tab in after release notes.

Additional

The docs can also be included as a pinned tab (maybe even essential to show that functionality) so that the new user can refer back to it. Just an idea to get new users more educated on the browser more quickly, so I'd like to hear from you what you think.

[bgoewert]

Generic title so I am going to put my other improvement suggestion here.

Add the option to sign into Mozilla at some point during the new install guided onboarding please. This could help with users migrating from Firefox (like me), as well as re-installs. Currently the onboarding completes and loads the browser with the default settings/essentials/tabs. I just want to get into the browser and have my settings already synced.

[churuz-fyi]

I agree, having an option on import screen to sign in immediately would be fantastic!