Add flag to force popups to open as tabs (#32380)

* Add flag to force popups to open as tabs

As per user request, the following changes overrides
WindowOpenDisposition::NEW_POPUP to
WindowOpenDisposition::NEW_FOREGROUND_TAB
when the feature flag kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab is enabled.

browser/about_flags.cc

@@ -716,6 +716,15 @@ constexpr flags_ui::FeatureEntry::Choice kVerticalTabCollapseDelayChoices[] = {
                    FEATURE_VALUE_TYPE(features::kBraveWebAssemblyJitless),   \
                }))
 
+#define BRAVE_FORCE_POPUP_TO_BE_OPENED_IN_NEW_TAB_FEATURE_ENTRY      \
+  EXPAND_FEATURE_ENTRIES({                                           \
+      "force-popup-to-be-opened-as-tab",                             \
+      "Force popups to be opened as tab",                            \
+      "Forces all popup windows to be opened in a new tab instead.", \
+      kOsDesktop,                                                    \
+      FEATURE_VALUE_TYPE(features::kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab),      \
+  })
+
 // Keep the last item empty.
 #define LAST_BRAVE_FEATURE_ENTRIES_ITEM
 
@@ -1289,6 +1298,7 @@ constexpr flags_ui::FeatureEntry::Choice kVerticalTabCollapseDelayChoices[] = {
   BRAVE_EDUCATION_FEATURE_ENTRIES                                              \
   BRAVE_UPDATER_FEATURE_ENTRIES                                                \
   PSST_FEATURE_ENTRIES                                                         \
+  BRAVE_FORCE_POPUP_TO_BE_OPENED_IN_NEW_TAB_FEATURE_ENTRY                      \
   LAST_BRAVE_FEATURE_ENTRIES_ITEM  // Keep it as the last item.
 namespace flags_ui {
 namespace {

browser/ui/brave_ui_features.cc

@@ -18,4 +18,8 @@ BASE_FEATURE(kBraveWorkaroundNewWindowFlash,
              base::FEATURE_ENABLED_BY_DEFAULT);
 #endif  // BUILDFLAG(IS_WIN)
 
+// A feature flag to force all popup windows to be opened as tabs.
+// https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/40959
+BASE_FEATURE(kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab, base::FEATURE_DISABLED_BY_DEFAULT);
+
 }  // namespace features

browser/ui/brave_ui_features.h

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ BASE_DECLARE_FEATURE(kBraveFilledBookmarkFolderIcon);
 BASE_DECLARE_FEATURE(kBraveWorkaroundNewWindowFlash);
 #endif  // BUILDFLAG(IS_WIN)
 
+BASE_DECLARE_FEATURE(kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab);
+
 }  // namespace features
 
 #endif  // BRAVE_BROWSER_UI_BRAVE_UI_FEATURES_H_

browser/ui/browser_navigator_browsertest.cc

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025 The Brave Authors. All rights reserved.
+// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
+// You can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+#include "base/test/run_until.h"
+#include "base/test/scoped_feature_list.h"
+#include "brave/browser/ui/brave_ui_features.h"
+#include "chrome/browser/ui/browser_list.h"
+#include "chrome/test/base/in_process_browser_test.h"
+#include "chrome/test/base/ui_test_utils.h"
+#include "components/blocked_content/popup_blocker_tab_helper.h"
+#include "content/public/test/browser_test.h"
+#include "content/public/test/browser_test_utils.h"
+#include "testing/gtest/include/gtest/gtest.h"
+
+class BrowserNavigatorPopupAsTabBrowserTest
+    : public InProcessBrowserTest,
+      public ::testing::WithParamInterface<bool> {
+ public:
+  BrowserNavigatorPopupAsTabBrowserTest() {
+    EXPECT_FALSE(
+        base::FeatureList::IsEnabled(features::kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab))
+        << "Feature should be disabled by default";
+    if (GetParam()) {
+      feature_list_.InitAndEnableFeature(features::kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab);
+    } else {
+      feature_list_.InitAndDisableFeature(features::kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab);
+    }
+  }
+  ~BrowserNavigatorPopupAsTabBrowserTest() override = default;
+
+  bool ShouldOpenPopupAsTab() const {
+    return base::FeatureList::IsEnabled(features::kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab);
+  }
+
+ private:
+  base::test::ScopedFeatureList feature_list_;
+};
+
+IN_PROC_BROWSER_TEST_P(BrowserNavigatorPopupAsTabBrowserTest, OpenPopupAsTab) {
+  ASSERT_EQ(1, browser()->tab_strip_model()->count());
+  auto* web_contents = browser()->GetTabStripModel()->GetWebContentsAt(0);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(content::ExecJs(
+      web_contents->GetPrimaryMainFrame(),
+      "window.open('about:blank', '_blank', 'height=200,width=150');"));
+  auto* popup_blocker_tab_helper =
+      blocked_content::PopupBlockerTabHelper::FromWebContents(web_contents);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(popup_blocker_tab_helper);
+
+  if (ShouldOpenPopupAsTab()) {
+    EXPECT_TRUE(base::test::RunUntil([&]() {
+      if (popup_blocker_tab_helper->GetBlockedPopupsCount() != 0) {
+        popup_blocker_tab_helper->ShowAllBlockedPopups();
+      }
+      return browser()->tab_strip_model()->count() == 2;
+    }));
+    EXPECT_EQ(1u, BrowserList::GetInstance()->size());
+  } else {
+    EXPECT_TRUE(base::test::RunUntil([&]() {
+      if (popup_blocker_tab_helper->GetBlockedPopupsCount() != 0) {
+        popup_blocker_tab_helper->ShowAllBlockedPopups();
+      }
+      return BrowserList::GetInstance()->size() == 2;
+    }));
+    for (auto& b : *BrowserList::GetInstance()) {
+      if (b == browser()) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      EXPECT_TRUE(b->is_type_popup());
+    }
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, browser()->tab_strip_model()->count());
+  }
+}
+
+INSTANTIATE_TEST_SUITE_P(All,
+                         BrowserNavigatorPopupAsTabBrowserTest,
+                         ::testing::Bool());

chromium_src/chrome/browser/ui/browser_navigator.cc

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <string_view>
 
+#include "brave/browser/ui/brave_ui_features.h"
 #include "brave/components/containers/buildflags/buildflags.h"
 #include "chrome/browser/tab_contents/tab_util.h"
 #include "chrome/browser/ui/browser_navigator_params.h"
@@ -21,9 +22,21 @@ void UpdateBraveScheme(NavigateParams* params) {
   }
 }
 
+void MaybeOverridePopupDisposition(NavigateParams* params) {
+  if (base::FeatureList::IsEnabled(features::kForcePopupToBeOpenedAsTab) &&
+      params->disposition == WindowOpenDisposition::NEW_POPUP) {
+    params->disposition = WindowOpenDisposition::NEW_FOREGROUND_TAB;
+  }
+}
+
+void UpdateParams(NavigateParams* params) {
+  UpdateBraveScheme(params);
+  MaybeOverridePopupDisposition(params);
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 
-#define BRAVE_ADJUST_NAVIGATE_PARAMS_FOR_URL UpdateBraveScheme(params);
+#define BRAVE_ADJUST_NAVIGATE_PARAMS_FOR_URL UpdateParams(params);
 
 #if BUILDFLAG(ENABLE_CONTAINERS)
 #define GetSiteInstanceForNewTab(...) \

test/BUILD.gn

@@ -1178,6 +1178,7 @@ test("brave_browser_tests") {
       "//brave/browser/brave_shields/ad_block_custom_resources_browsertest.cc",
       "//brave/browser/brave_shields/ad_block_only_mode_browsertest.cc",
       "//brave/browser/ssl/certificate_transparency_browsertest.cc",
+      "//brave/browser/ui/browser_navigator_browsertest.cc",
       "//brave/browser/ui/toolbar/brave_location_bar_model_delegate_browsertest.cc",
       "//brave/browser/ui/views/toolbar/wallet_button_notification_source_browsertest.cc",
     ]
@@ -1206,6 +1207,7 @@ test("brave_browser_tests") {
       "//chrome/browser/ui/webui/side_panel/bookmarks:mojo_bindings",
       "//components/autofill/content/browser",
       "//components/autofill/core/browser",
+      "//components/blocked_content",
     ]
   }