Firefox Sync troubleshooting and tips
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- Creator: Joni
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If you've run into a problem with Firefox Sync, this article will walk you though the most common solutions.
- If you're unable to connect to Firefox Sync because you've lost Sync account information, see I've lost my Firefox Sync account information - What to do.
Table of Contents
- 1 Firefox Sync resets every time I close Firefox
- 2 How do I fix Sync problems that display an error message?
- 3 How do I solve Sync problems without an error message?
- 4 Other devices disconnect when I update Firefox
- 5 Firefox Sync resets every time I close Firefox
- 6 How do I resolve an incorrect name or password error?
- 7 Other devices disconnect when I update Firefox
Firefox Sync resets every time I close Firefox
This happens when you have Firefox set to delete passwords when it's closed. If you've selected Use custom settings for history in the Privacy panel, you'll need to follow these steps:
- In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click and then select or , depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button and select .
- Select the panel.
- Ensure that Clear history when Firefox closes is unchecked.
- If you want or need to keep this setting checked, click the button next to it and then uncheck Saved passwords in the Data section.
- The template "closeoptionspreferences" does not exist or has no approved revision.
How do I fix Sync problems that display an error message?
If Sync displays an error message, it is possible the Sync Service is not operating as expected. Before attempting any of the procedures below, you should verify the Sync Service isn't experiencing failures by checking on the status of the service at https://services.mozilla.com/status/.
How do I resolve an incorrect name or password error?
If the "Sync encountered an error while connecting: Incorrect name or password. Please try again." error appears in the bottom error bar, complete the following steps:
- Click in the error bar. The Sync panel will display.
- Click Update. The Update Password window will open.
- Enter your new password in the window.
- Click to close the window and connect to Sync.
How do I resolve a wrong Recovery Key error?
If the "Sync encountered an error while connecting: Wrong Recovery Key. Sync will automatically retry this action." error message appears in the bottom error bar, complete the following steps:
- Click in the error bar. The Sync panel will display.
- Click Update. The Update Recovery Key window will open.
- Get a copy of your Recovery Key from the device where you generated the new Recovery Key:
- Go to the Preferencesoptions menu on your other device. From the Sync tab, click and select My Recovery Key. Write this key down.
- Enter the Recovery Key from your other device in the Update Recovery Key window.
- Click to close the window and connect to Sync.
How do I solve Sync problems without an error message?
The following problems do not display an error message:
- Your Sync client isn't compatible with the data you have on the Sync server.
- The Sync servers are having issues to handle your data.
- The Sync servers are under a heavy load - in this case, the error will stop when the server load returns to normal.
Follow these steps in order until one of them fixes the Sync problem:
Clear your Sync data
In some cases where you are getting regular errors and restarting Firefox or waiting doesn’t solve the issue, you can try to reset your Sync data. In order to do so, log in to https://account.services.mozilla.com/ and click Clear your Sync data.
We generally recommend not taking this approach unless evidence suggests that it will help: there are a number of issues (such as bookmark database corruption) that will not be improved by this step.
Other devices disconnect when I update Firefox
To improve the Sync service, the Sync data format may be changed when the latest Firefox version is released. This means that any of your other devices which have not been updated will need to be updated in order to keep syncing. Update Firefox.
Firefox Sync resets every time I close Firefox
This happens when you have Firefox set to delete passwords when it's closed. If you've selected Use custom settings for history in the Privacy panel, you'll need to follow these steps:
- In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click and then select or , depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button and select .
- Select the panel.
- In the Firefox will: menu, select and ensure that Clear history when Firefox closes is unchecked.
- If you want or need to keep this setting checked, click the button next to it and then uncheck Saved passwords in the Data section.
- The template "closeoptionspreferences" does not exist or has no approved revision.
How do I resolve an incorrect name or password error?
If you change your Sync password, you might see this error message on your other devices "Sync encountered an error while connecting: Incorrect name or password." error appears in the bottom error bar. You can update your password on your device by completing the following steps:
- Click . The Sync panel will display.
- Click and enter your password in the sign in page.
- Click to sign back in to Sync.
Other devices disconnect when I update Firefox
To improve the Sync service, the Sync data format may be changed when the latest Firefox version is released. This means that any of your other devices which have not been updated will need to be updated in order to keep syncing. Update Firefox.