5 ms·

Game changer! Now from my POV Firefox is the best desktop browser, period. No caveats.

redblacktree 7y ago
Is there a good transition path for someone who uses a lot of Google products? In particular, I use Chrome across all my devices, and I depend on the ability to search my history/recent tabs/etc from anywhere. Will Firefox give me the same ability? Is the transition literally just: Install Firefox everywhere and start using it instead?
- pwlb 7y ago
  Firefox Sync let's you syncronize Bookmarks, Open tabs, Logins, History, Add-ons and Preferences across devices by logging in once with username password
  - javajosh 7y ago
    Couple of questions about this: does FF import Chrome logins? Also, can Mozilla read the data or are they doing client-side-encryption?
    - Vinnl 7y ago
      I'm not sure about the former, but the answer to your second question is yes, they do client-side encryption: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-your-data-safe-even-if-tls-fails https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-...
    - mnoorenberghe 7y ago
      Yes, it can now import logins/passwords from Chrome/Chromium on macOS, Windows support already existed for some years. > Passwords can now be imported from Chrome on macOS in addition to existing support for Windows https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/70.0/releasenotes/ https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/70.0/releasenotes/
      - redblacktree 7y ago
        Wow. That's the final bit. Thank you!
  - mistermann 7y ago
    Can each of those be turned on or off per device, and dont get sneakily turned back on during upgrades?
    - maximente 7y ago
      by way of logging in/out, yes
    - johnchristopher 7y ago
      edit: Sorry for anyone I misled. You can't opt a particular kind of data out of syncing per device. You can only enable/disable for the whole account. Yes, each (bookmarks, history, passwords, tabs ) can be turned on or off per device basis.
      - mnoorenberghe 7y ago
        This is incorrect AFAIK. The sync toggle for a data type is for the whole account, not per-device.
        johnchristopher 7y ago
        You are right. Always thought it worked like that but indeed it is for the whole account and not per device. My bad.
  - mch82 7y ago
    Here’s the Sync security FAQ to answer javajosh’s follow up question, which I can’t reply to directly. “How Firefox Sync keeps your data safe even if TLS fails” https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-your-data-safe-even-if-tls-fails https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-...
    - jamiek88 7y ago
      If you click on the 'x hours ago' part of the comment next to the username you will get a parent link and can then reply to and save individual comments.
- jedieaston 7y ago
  Pretty much, yes. You’ll have to make a Firefox account, but then tabs and plugins will sync everywhere you log in.
  - option_greek 7y ago
    Also, passwords.
- OJFord 7y ago
  As long as you use it everywhere in the same way you presently use Chrome everywhere, yes. You can also import a certain amount (history & bookmarks, not, I think, current & recent tabs) to get started.
- alimbada 7y ago
  > Is the transition literally just: Install Firefox everywhere and start using it instead? Yep. I did this about a year ago. You have to create a Mozilla account (if you haven't already) in order to sync your tabs and history across devices, but that should be a given. I find the Firefox sync a bit clunky compared to Chromes though. I think Chrome sends udpates to Google on each change whereas Firefox polls and updates on a schedule which means sometimes if you put a device to sleep (or if you're on iOS and the app gets suspended) your history and tab state won't be propagated and it'll be missing on your other devices which can be frustrating when you're away from those devices.
- toyg 7y ago
  > Will Firefox give me the same ability? Yes. > transition literally just: Install Firefox everywhere and start using it instead? Almost. You will have to create a firefox account and export/import your bookmarks. That's it.
- komali2 7y ago
  The only feature you may miss is auto-fill of credit card info. It's saved my ass abroad before.
  - m-p-3 7y ago
    A good password manager will handle that easily.
  - jhatax 7y ago
    Firefox has credit card auto-fill capabilities: https://blog.mozilla.org/firefox/online-shopping-autofill-credit-card-info-safely-firefox/ https://blog.mozilla.org/firefox/online-shopping-autofill-cr...
- kevincrane 7y ago
  Agreed to what everyone else said, but to me the killer feature of Firefox Sync is that you can send tabs from one browser to another, so I can find links on my work computer and ship them directly to my home computer or phone to read later, and they'll just show up when it syncs next.
  - Qqqwxs 7y ago
    I'm actually not sure if this is a native Chrome feature, but I can instantly send tabs to my other devices with right click > "send to your devices" > list of devices with a Google account signed in (Which is my phone and laptop for me on my desktop).
    - helb 7y ago
      It's exactly the same in FF: https://i.vgy.me/vBP4rF.png https://i.vgy.me/vBP4rF.png
- meerita 7y ago
  I'm doing this but it's painful. I am still stuck on GMail.

Is there a good transition path for someone who uses a lot of Google products? In particular, I use Chrome across all my devices, and I depend on the ability to search my history/recent tabs/etc from anywhere. Will Firefox give me the same ability? Is the transition literally just: Install Firefox everywhere and start using it instead?

pwlb 7y ago
Firefox Sync let's you syncronize Bookmarks, Open tabs, Logins, History, Add-ons and Preferences across devices by logging in once with username password
- javajosh 7y ago
  Couple of questions about this: does FF import Chrome logins? Also, can Mozilla read the data or are they doing client-side-encryption?
  - Vinnl 7y ago
    I'm not sure about the former, but the answer to your second question is yes, they do client-side encryption: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-your-data-safe-even-if-tls-fails https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-...
  - mnoorenberghe 7y ago
    Yes, it can now import logins/passwords from Chrome/Chromium on macOS, Windows support already existed for some years. > Passwords can now be imported from Chrome on macOS in addition to existing support for Windows https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/70.0/releasenotes/ https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/70.0/releasenotes/
    - redblacktree 7y ago
      Wow. That's the final bit. Thank you!
- mistermann 7y ago
  Can each of those be turned on or off per device, and dont get sneakily turned back on during upgrades?
  - maximente 7y ago
    by way of logging in/out, yes
  - johnchristopher 7y ago
    edit: Sorry for anyone I misled. You can't opt a particular kind of data out of syncing per device. You can only enable/disable for the whole account. Yes, each (bookmarks, history, passwords, tabs ) can be turned on or off per device basis.
    - mnoorenberghe 7y ago
      This is incorrect AFAIK. The sync toggle for a data type is for the whole account, not per-device.
      - johnchristopher 7y ago
        You are right. Always thought it worked like that but indeed it is for the whole account and not per device. My bad.
- mch82 7y ago
  Here’s the Sync security FAQ to answer javajosh’s follow up question, which I can’t reply to directly. “How Firefox Sync keeps your data safe even if TLS fails” https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-your-data-safe-even-if-tls-fails https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-firefox-sync-keeps-...
  - jamiek88 7y ago
    If you click on the 'x hours ago' part of the comment next to the username you will get a parent link and can then reply to and save individual comments.
jedieaston 7y ago
Pretty much, yes. You’ll have to make a Firefox account, but then tabs and plugins will sync everywhere you log in.
- option_greek 7y ago
  Also, passwords.
OJFord 7y ago
As long as you use it everywhere in the same way you presently use Chrome everywhere, yes. You can also import a certain amount (history & bookmarks, not, I think, current & recent tabs) to get started.
alimbada 7y ago
> Is the transition literally just: Install Firefox everywhere and start using it instead? Yep. I did this about a year ago. You have to create a Mozilla account (if you haven't already) in order to sync your tabs and history across devices, but that should be a given. I find the Firefox sync a bit clunky compared to Chromes though. I think Chrome sends udpates to Google on each change whereas Firefox polls and updates on a schedule which means sometimes if you put a device to sleep (or if you're on iOS and the app gets suspended) your history and tab state won't be propagated and it'll be missing on your other devices which can be frustrating when you're away from those devices.
toyg 7y ago
> Will Firefox give me the same ability? Yes. > transition literally just: Install Firefox everywhere and start using it instead? Almost. You will have to create a firefox account and export/import your bookmarks. That's it.
komali2 7y ago
The only feature you may miss is auto-fill of credit card info. It's saved my ass abroad before.
- m-p-3 7y ago
  A good password manager will handle that easily.
- jhatax 7y ago
  Firefox has credit card auto-fill capabilities: https://blog.mozilla.org/firefox/online-shopping-autofill-credit-card-info-safely-firefox/ https://blog.mozilla.org/firefox/online-shopping-autofill-cr...
kevincrane 7y ago
Agreed to what everyone else said, but to me the killer feature of Firefox Sync is that you can send tabs from one browser to another, so I can find links on my work computer and ship them directly to my home computer or phone to read later, and they'll just show up when it syncs next.
- Qqqwxs 7y ago
  I'm actually not sure if this is a native Chrome feature, but I can instantly send tabs to my other devices with right click > "send to your devices" > list of devices with a Google account signed in (Which is my phone and laptop for me on my desktop).
  - helb 7y ago
    It's exactly the same in FF: https://i.vgy.me/vBP4rF.png https://i.vgy.me/vBP4rF.png
meerita 7y ago
I'm doing this but it's painful. I am still stuck on GMail.