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I tried to like this the other day but it was a real hassle. I have 3 accounts on a website. I thought I could setup 3 different containers, one for each accou

I tried to like this the other day but it was a real hassle. I have 3 accounts on a website. I thought I could setup 3 different containers, one for each account. But it turns out that switching between containers is not simple. Whenever I tried to switch, I got a pop up from Firefox asking me if I was really sure I wanted to switch my default container for that website. Sometimes it sent me into a redirect loop with the prompt also. I did some googling and found that the consensus was that containers simply aren’t meant to be used that way. Firefox Multi Account Containers seem to assume you will always use one container for one website, and you can’t easily use multiple containers for a single site. Or at least, it’s very inconvenient to do so.

echelon 4y ago
Ugh, same. I thought I was the only one that found these to be impossibly buggy. The container setup/management UI is glitchy and it often forgets! containers that were created. It feels like a hack week project that got shipped to production. Despite having containers, Firefox sometimes wants to open the managed website in your current window. Or doesn't ask you at all when you have multiple containers for the same site. There's a lack of distinction between containerized / non-containerized windows. The colored tabs do not work or break down, leaving you in a mysterious or even dangerous state. The integration with password management tools is obviously rough. But coupled with the browser's own attempts at session management, plus containers, it's a UX nightmare to log into the right container. The last time I checked this out was last year. Maybe it's better now? Given Mozilla staffing, though, I'd guess not. I really want this to work, but the current solution is worse than none at all. I've made do with keeping multiple browsers for different tasks. Be careful if you use this. It breaks unexpectedly and that can lead to the wrong actions being taken in the wrong accounts.
- thomastjeffery 4y ago
  The struggle is that the container addon does its own syncing, separate from the browser-wide Firefox account sync (that decides the soon should be installed). Because syncing is a separate step - yet it still happens concurrently/unpredictably in the background - there is no avoiding the default new user flow that creates 4 default containers at install.
  - lost_tourist 4y ago
    I mean there is if they'd fix it :) . Don't sync those 4 if they already exist, don't sync at all otherwise. I would assume if you are smart enough to use sync you're smart enough to know that it will blow away old "local" settings.
    - echelon 4y ago
      The tool needs to get out of the way. People are busy and have a million other things on their minds. Grappling with an obtuse, broken product is a hurdle. As it stands, Firefox containers are 10x more complicated than regular browsing and it exposes sharp edges.
- phpisthebest 4y ago
  >>The container setup/management UI is glitchy and it often forgets! containers that were created. been running it for years, never once has it forgot containers... >>Firefox sometimes wants to open the managed website in your current window. Or doesn't ask you at all when you have multiple containers for the same site. ok, so you right click and have it reopen in the correct container, not a big deal. Though I cant say I have ever had this problem either despite using it very day all day, 16 hrs + per say with lots of containers and tabs (often over 100 tabs open) >>The integration with password management tools is obviously rough. I use bitwarden, have no issue using it inside of various containers
mostlysimilar 4y ago
Interesting, I accomplish this just fine and it's my primary use for containers in Firefox. I don't know what your workflow is like, but I just click the "+" tab button, select one of the other containers I want, and a new tab opens in that container. Type address of website and continue as normal.
dabeeeenster 4y ago
Wait; what's the point of them if they're not meant to be used against the same site?!
- matsemann 4y ago
  They are. My guess is that person is doing something wrong.
  - echelon 4y ago
    The feature is incredibly buggy. I wrote a sibling comment that details some of the glitchiness. It's dangerous to use a system that can't keep sessions independent. There are bugs that may cause you to inadvertently take action in the wrong account. I nearly botched one of our own accounts.
- thomastjeffery 4y ago
  To isolate the cookies and JavaScript of a domain from other domains. For example, Facebook is notorious for reading third-party site cookies and vice-versa. A collection of associations (X Facebook user visited Y sites) is then sold as a portfolio for targeted advertising. I agree this isn't the feature that provides the most utility; it's simply the one that was originally at the front of the devs' minds.
- lost_tourist 4y ago
  isolation of cookies and other data between websites. although now I think firefox does that per tab anyway&site combo nowadays anyway. I mainly use it for multiple reddit accounts and gmail accounts. also good when combined with cookie auto delete for test purpose between testing site changes "freshly".
- Larrikin 4y ago
  I use mine for organization (all banking sites are separate from shopping websites) and to cordon off toxic sites like Facebook.
matsemann 4y ago
What you're describing is the main use case for this. Are you sure you're using it correctly? You're not supposed to change default container for that webpage all the time or anything like that. I for instance have a bookmark for a page. I right click it and select which container to opening it in. I often open it in different containers, have different tabs of it open at the same time etc.
- Spunkie 4y ago
  I went through the same process when I tried it a few weeks ago for multiple GitHub accounts. I also uninstalled the extension after fumbling around with it for 5-10 minutes and not being able to open multiple containers of github without it forgetting what I just tried to setup or constantly bugging me about switching the default container.
- icapybara 4y ago
  Based on some of the comments, maybe I'm "holding it wrong." I don't know, but I spent a good 20-30 minutes trying to get this sorted out before deciding it wasn't worth the time. Love Firefox, and I like what the Multi-Account Containers are trying to be, but it just didn't work for me. And it sounds like I'm not the only one who's run into this issue.
thomastjeffery 4y ago
Unintuitively, you want to have no default set for that domain, and you want to open an empty tab of that container type (by long clicking the new tab button or clicking the container addon button itself to get a list). Once you have a container open, middle-clicking the new tab button will open an empty tab in that container. I agree that the UX is horrendous. Most of that is a byproduct of implementing it as an addon instead of a feature.
M2Ys4U 4y ago
I think this only happens if you use the "Always open this site in container" function. I use MACs with a bunch of different AWS accounts for work, and the only papercut is having to right-click my bookmarks and choosing which container to open the console in (as opposed to having MACs integrated with bookmarks themselves)
mmm332312 4y ago
You absolutely can. Open a new tab of containerA and login. Open a new tab of containerB and login with a different account. I think there's an option somewhere that allows you to select "always open [website] in [container]" which might be triggering that popup.

echelon 4y ago

Ugh, same. I thought I was the only one that found these to be impossibly buggy. The container setup/management UI is glitchy and it often forgets! containers that were created. It feels like a hack week project that got shipped to production. Despite having containers, Firefox sometimes wants to open the managed website in your current window. Or doesn't ask you at all when you have multiple containers for the same site. There's a lack of distinction between containerized / non-containerized windows. The colored tabs do not work or break down, leaving you in a mysterious or even dangerous state. The integration with password management tools is obviously rough. But coupled with the browser's own attempts at session management, plus containers, it's a UX nightmare to log into the right container. The last time I checked this out was last year. Maybe it's better now? Given Mozilla staffing, though, I'd guess not. I really want this to work, but the current solution is worse than none at all. I've made do with keeping multiple browsers for different tasks. Be careful if you use this. It breaks unexpectedly and that can lead to the wrong actions being taken in the wrong accounts.

thomastjeffery 4y ago
The struggle is that the container addon does its own syncing, separate from the browser-wide Firefox account sync (that decides the soon should be installed). Because syncing is a separate step - yet it still happens concurrently/unpredictably in the background - there is no avoiding the default new user flow that creates 4 default containers at install.
- lost_tourist 4y ago
  I mean there is if they'd fix it :) . Don't sync those 4 if they already exist, don't sync at all otherwise. I would assume if you are smart enough to use sync you're smart enough to know that it will blow away old "local" settings.
  - echelon 4y ago
    The tool needs to get out of the way. People are busy and have a million other things on their minds. Grappling with an obtuse, broken product is a hurdle. As it stands, Firefox containers are 10x more complicated than regular browsing and it exposes sharp edges.
phpisthebest 4y ago
>>The container setup/management UI is glitchy and it often forgets! containers that were created. been running it for years, never once has it forgot containers... >>Firefox sometimes wants to open the managed website in your current window. Or doesn't ask you at all when you have multiple containers for the same site. ok, so you right click and have it reopen in the correct container, not a big deal. Though I cant say I have ever had this problem either despite using it very day all day, 16 hrs + per say with lots of containers and tabs (often over 100 tabs open) >>The integration with password management tools is obviously rough. I use bitwarden, have no issue using it inside of various containers

mostlysimilar 4y ago

Interesting, I accomplish this just fine and it's my primary use for containers in Firefox. I don't know what your workflow is like, but I just click the "+" tab button, select one of the other containers I want, and a new tab opens in that container. Type address of website and continue as normal.

dabeeeenster 4y ago

Wait; what's the point of them if they're not meant to be used against the same site?!

matsemann 4y ago
They are. My guess is that person is doing something wrong.
- echelon 4y ago
  The feature is incredibly buggy. I wrote a sibling comment that details some of the glitchiness. It's dangerous to use a system that can't keep sessions independent. There are bugs that may cause you to inadvertently take action in the wrong account. I nearly botched one of our own accounts.
thomastjeffery 4y ago
To isolate the cookies and JavaScript of a domain from other domains. For example, Facebook is notorious for reading third-party site cookies and vice-versa. A collection of associations (X Facebook user visited Y sites) is then sold as a portfolio for targeted advertising. I agree this isn't the feature that provides the most utility; it's simply the one that was originally at the front of the devs' minds.
lost_tourist 4y ago
isolation of cookies and other data between websites. although now I think firefox does that per tab anyway&site combo nowadays anyway. I mainly use it for multiple reddit accounts and gmail accounts. also good when combined with cookie auto delete for test purpose between testing site changes "freshly".
Larrikin 4y ago
I use mine for organization (all banking sites are separate from shopping websites) and to cordon off toxic sites like Facebook.

matsemann 4y ago

What you're describing is the main use case for this. Are you sure you're using it correctly? You're not supposed to change default container for that webpage all the time or anything like that. I for instance have a bookmark for a page. I right click it and select which container to opening it in. I often open it in different containers, have different tabs of it open at the same time etc.

Spunkie 4y ago
I went through the same process when I tried it a few weeks ago for multiple GitHub accounts. I also uninstalled the extension after fumbling around with it for 5-10 minutes and not being able to open multiple containers of github without it forgetting what I just tried to setup or constantly bugging me about switching the default container.
icapybara 4y ago
Based on some of the comments, maybe I'm "holding it wrong." I don't know, but I spent a good 20-30 minutes trying to get this sorted out before deciding it wasn't worth the time. Love Firefox, and I like what the Multi-Account Containers are trying to be, but it just didn't work for me. And it sounds like I'm not the only one who's run into this issue.

thomastjeffery 4y ago

Unintuitively, you want to have no default set for that domain, and you want to open an empty tab of that container type (by long clicking the new tab button or clicking the container addon button itself to get a list). Once you have a container open, middle-clicking the new tab button will open an empty tab in that container. I agree that the UX is horrendous. Most of that is a byproduct of implementing it as an addon instead of a feature.

M2Ys4U 4y ago

I think this only happens if you use the "Always open this site in container" function. I use MACs with a bunch of different AWS accounts for work, and the only papercut is having to right-click my bookmarks and choosing which container to open the console in (as opposed to having MACs integrated with bookmarks themselves)

mmm332312 4y ago

You absolutely can. Open a new tab of containerA and login. Open a new tab of containerB and login with a different account. I think there's an option somewhere that allows you to select "always open [website] in [container]" which might be triggering that popup.