How to use Firefox Home on your iOS device (iPhone and iPad)

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Firefox Home is an easy to use app for iPhone and iPod Touch that works with Firefox Sync to give you instant access to your Firefox desktop history, open tabs and bookmarks. This article covers those features along with using the integrated web viewer and updating your data.

Searching your bookmarks, history and tabs

This is like having Firefox’s Awesome Bar on your iPhone.

  1. If you’re not already in the search tab, just tap on the search button at the bottom of the app window.
  2. Tap in the search bar at the top of the window and the keyboard will come up.
  3. To search through your bookmarks, history and open tabs, just start typing words related to the site you’re trying to find.

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    • As you type, Firefox Home will begin displaying results.
    • The results will be identified as an open tab, bookmark or history item with an icon on the left.
    • Usually, even just the first few letters of a word will get you the results you want.
  4. To go to a website, just tap on its listing in the search results.
  5. To return to your search results, tap the Home button at the top of the window.

Searching the web or going directly to websites

If a website isn't in your bookmarks, history or tabs you can still get there.

  1. If you’re not already in the search tab, just tap on the search button at the bottom of the app window.
  2. Tap in the search bar at the top of the window and the keyboard will come up.
  3. Type the name or address of the website you want to go to.

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  4. If the complete address is entered or if the word you entered matches a top domain, clicking the link that's displayed will take you right to the website. If Firefox Home can't find a match for what you typed it will take you to the Google search results.
  5. To return to the previous screen, tap the Home button at the top of the window.

Accessing your open tabs

You can pick up where you left off with access to the tabs you had open on your desktop.

  1. Tap the Tabs button at the bottom of the app window and all of your tabs will be listed.

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  2. To go to a website, just tap on its listing.
  3. To return to your tabs, tap the Home button at the top of the window.

Accessing your bookmarks

Now you don’t have to enter long URLs for websites – all of your bookmarks are right here.

  1. Tap the Bookmarks button at the bottom of the app window and all of your bookmarks will be listed.

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    • Your bookmarks toolbar will be listed first followed by your bookmarks menu and then your unsorted bookmarks.
  2. To go to a website, just tap on its listing.
  3. To return to your bookmarks, tap the Home button at the top of the window.

Using the integrated web viewer

Once you’ve selected a website, it opens in the iPhone’s integrated web viewer. The controls are at the bottom of the web viewer window.

  • There are back and forward arrows for navigating through the all websites you’ve opened.

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  • There is a reload button to, you guessed it, reload the current page.

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  • And there is an export button that allows you to view the current website in Mobile Safari, Email the website’s URL using the Mail app, or copy the URL.

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  • To return to Search, Tabs or Bookmarks, tap the Home button at the top of the window.

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Update your information in the Settings section

Every time you launch Firefox Home it updates its copy of your bookmarks, history and tabs from your Firefox Sync account. If you need to make Firefox Home update your information while using the app, just tap the Refresh button in the Settings section.

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What if I’m having problems with Firefox Home?

If you’re having problems seeing your information in Firefox Home, one easy thing you can try doing is full refresh of your data:

  1. In Firefox Home, tap the Settings icon at the bottom of the window and then tap the Sign Out button at the top of the window.
  2. Next click the Sign Out button again and you will be presented with a log in screen.
  3. Enter your Firefox Sync username, password and Secret Phrase to log in and automatically refresh your data.

If this doesn’t work or if you are having a different problem please see the Fix login and data issues with Firefox Home for iOS article.

 

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