Usernames and passwords are not saved

Revision Information
  • Revision id: 694
  • Created:
  • Creator: Chris Ilias
  • Comment: fix typo
  • Reviewed: No
  • Ready for localization: Yes
  • Readied for localization by: AnonymousUser
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Revision Content

Firefox includes a Password Manager that can save the passwords you use to log in to websites. This article describes why your passwords might not be saved.

For a general overview of using the Password Manager to save website passwords, see Password manager - Remember, delete and change saved passwords in Firefox. For information on the Master Password feature, used to protect your private information, see Use a Primary Password to protect stored logins and passwords.


Password Manager settings

Firefox will remember passwords by default. You may have disabled this feature, or told Firefox to never remember passwords for a particular site.

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Select the Security panel.
  3. If it isn't already check marked, check Remember passwords for sites.
  4. To the right of Remember passwords for sites, click the Exceptions... button .
  5. Make sure that the site you're trying to log in to isn't in the list.
    • If it is, select the entry and click Remove.
  1. Click CloseClose the Exceptions window.
  2. Close the Settings page. Any changes you've made will automatically be saved.

Now that you've configured Firefox to remember passwords, try logging in to the site again.

Passwords cleared with Clear Private Data

Firefox's Clear Private Data feature might be set to clear your passwords when you close Firefox.

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Select the Privacy panel.
  3. If Always clear my private data when I close Firefox is not selected, your Firefox is not set to clear your passwords when you close it. You can skip to the next section.
  4. If Always clear my private data when I close Firefox is selected, click on the Settings... button.
  5. Make sure that Saved Passwords is not check marked.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Close the Settings page. Any changes you've made will automatically be saved. .

Passwords being automatically cleared

Firefox may be set to remove saved passwords when it is closed. To undo this setting:

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Select the Privacy panel.
  3. If Firefox will: is set to Use custom settings for history and Clear history when Firefox closes is selected, click on the Settings... button.
  4. Make sure that Saved Passwords is not selected.
  5. Close the Settings page. Any changes you've made will automatically be saved.

Firefox is now configured to not clear your passwords when closing.

Websites prohibit password saving

Some websites do not allow for passwords to be saved for security reasons. If you have followed the steps above, but are still not prompted to save a password when logging into a certain website, that site may have disabled password saving.

Private Browsing

If you use the Firefox Private Browsing feature, no passwords will be automatically filled in during your Private Browsing session, and no new passwords will be saved.

  1. Make sure it does not say (Private Browsing) at the top of the Firefox window.
  2. If it does say (Private Browsing), click on the Tools menu and select Stop Private Browsing to end the Private Browsing session.



Based on information from User name and password not remembered (mozillaZine KB)