What is Persona and how does it work?

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  • Revision id: 30743
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  • Creator: Tonnes
  • Comment: chose/choose, comma, sign in, image break, fix safe mode link
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Mozilla Persona is an easy way to sign in to websites. Instead of making up a hard-to-remember username and password for each site, Persona lets you use your email address and a single password to sign in to any site that supports it. This article shows you how Persona works and how you can get started using it.

Note: See How do I manage my Persona account? for instructions to reset your password and add and remove email addresses.

How does it work?

When you create a Persona account, you're sent a verification email that lets Persona know that you really own that email address. Then when you use Persona to log into a website, the website is given your email address and told that you really do own it, but they are never given your Persona password. Basically, Persona vouches for you. See this blog post for all the nerdy details.

What are the benefits of Mozilla Persona?

  • You can use one easy-to-remember log in for all sites that support Persona.
  • You never have to trust a website with your password because they never know it. Also, your password can't be stolen if one of those websites gets hacked.
  • Persona doesn't track your activity on the websites you visit (privacy policy).

How do I create a account?

  1. Go to persona.org and click the Sign up button.
  2. Type the email address you want to use when logging into your favorite websites and click the Verify Email button.

    CreateAccount
  3. In your email, find the confirmation message from Persona and click the link they sent to you. You'll be taken to another Persona page to complete the sign up.
  4. Then, just type a password in the entry fields and click Finish.

    Finish

How do I sign in to websites?

Signing in is easy:

  1. Click the Persona Sign in button on the website you want to access and Persona popup window will open.
    Browser ID button
  2. Enter your email address and press next.
  3. A new box will show up, enter your Persona password and click sign In.

    persona-password
Note: If you're already signed into Persona you'll be asked to choose the email address you want to use (you will sign in automatically if you only have one). Then press sign in button in the popup window.

Help, the Persona popup window is blank!

If you click Sign in on a website and the Persona popup window opens but it's blank, simply close the window and click the Sign in button again. If that doesn't work: