Use a Primary Password to protect stored logins and passwords
Revision Information
- Revision id: 27249
- Created:
- Creator: Michael Verdi
- Comment: New 160 character search summary
- Reviewed: Yes
- Reviewed:
- Reviewed by: Verdi
- Is approved? Yes
- Is current revision? No
- Ready for localization: No
Revision Source
Revision Content
Firefox can save usernames and passwords that you use to access online services, such as banking and email websites. If you share a computer with anyone, it is recommended that you use a master password.
- For other privacy issues related to sharing a computer, see How do I share Firefox between people on a computer?.
After you have defined a master password, you will be prompted to enter it once Firefox needs to access your stored passwords.
Note: After you've set a master password, it needs to be entered the first time you remember a new password or remove passwords and each time you show your passwords, for each Firefox session.
Defining a master password
By default, Firefox does not use master passwords to protect stored credentials. To define a master password:
- In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click and select (select on older macOS versions).Click the menu button
and select .
- Click the panel.
- Check mark Use a master password.
- The Change Master Password dialog appears. As you enter your master password, the Password quality meter indicates the difficulty of guessing the password. To create a quality password, your master password should include the following:
- At least one capital letter.
- One or more digits.
- At least one non-alphanumeric character, such as the following: @ # $ % ^ & * ( ).
- Also, remember to make your password something that is easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess to ensure that you, and only you, will be able to retrieve this secure information. For more information on choosing passwords, see Choose a strong password.
- The password must be entered twice to confirm that you can enter it consistently.
- To set the master password, click .
- The master password is defined.
Changing or removing the master password
You can change or remove your master password at any time:
- In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click and select (select on older macOS versions).Click the menu button
and select .
- Click the panel.
- Click .
- Enter the current password to confirm you are authorized to change it.
- If you've forgotten your master password, see Reset your Primary Password if you've forgotten it.
- Enter the new master password twice.
- To remove the master password, leave the new master password fields empty.
- To accept the changed master password, click .
- The master password is changed.
Based on information from Master password (mozillaZine KB)