Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

Does Firefox leave data behind?

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

flopwich
flopwich
more options

I know that the official answer is "no" (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1199871 and (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-use-firefox-without-history), but I wonder whether in the transition to HTML5 if that is still true.

Yesterday, for example, I used Firefox, in private browsing mode, to access Google Translate and gave it the link to a page I wanted translated. Today I went back to Translate for something else, and it presented me with the same link already in the input box. In between those two visits I have re-booted several times, used the "Forget" button in Firefox a number of times and changed the VPN server I'm using to another location. Where is the storage for that link and its association with my browser, if not in Firefox? (And, no, I did not log into Google either time.)

Thanks.

I know that the official answer is "no" (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1199871 and (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-use-firefox-without-history), but I wonder whether in the transition to HTML5 if that is still true. Yesterday, for example, I used Firefox, in private browsing mode, to access Google Translate and gave it the link to a page I wanted translated. Today I went back to Translate for something else, and it presented me with the same link already in the input box. In between those two visits I have re-booted several times, used the "Forget" button in Firefox a number of times and changed the VPN server I'm using to another location. Where is the storage for that link and its association with my browser, if not in Firefox? (And, no, I did not log into Google either time.) Thanks.

All Replies (3)

WestEnd
WestEnd
more options

Here's some more reading on the question.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-use-firefox-without-history

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

flopwich said

Yesterday, for example, I used Firefox, in private browsing mode, to access Google Translate and gave it the link to a page I wanted translated. Today I went back to Translate for something else, and it presented me with the same link already in the input box.

That's very strange. Did Firefox give you the standard indications that it was a private browsing window, such as the "purple mask" icon on the title bar?

In private windows, form entries should not be remembered, and pages should not be cached. You also can customize your privacy settings so that form entries not remembered in regular windows. See: Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms.

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

You aren't using a bookmark with GET data appended to the URL?