Your ‘logged-in’ status is stored in special cookies. If the cookie is removed, you are logged out.

You may be in Private Browsing mode or told Firefox not to remember.

Type about:preferences#privacy<enter> in the address bar. The button next to History, select Use Custom Settings.

Turn off Always Use Private Browsing Mode Turn on Remember My Browsing And Download History At the bottom of the page, turn on Clear History When Firefox Closes. At the far right, press the Settings button. Turn on ONLY Cache and Form And Search History leaving the others off. and whatever else you want.

I don't see where I am in private browsing and I know I never activated that. I did nothing to mess with the cookie. All of those settings are already just like you ask other than the clear history settings. What is the two specifics you want me to do for?

If you use extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) that can block content (Adblock Plus, NoScript, Disconnect, Ghostery, Privacy Badger, uBlock Origin) always make sure such extensions do not block content.

• make sure your extensions and filters are updated to the latest version
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-extensions-themes-to-fix-problems

Firefox shows a purple shield instead of a gray shield at the left end of the location/address bar in case Enhanced Tracking Protection is blocking content. You can click shield icon for more detail and possibly disable the protection. You can check the Web Console for messages about blocked content.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enhanced-tracking-protection-firefox-desktop
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/trackers-and-scripts-firefox-blocks-enhanced-track

This happens when all the cookies are cleared or if there is otherwise a problem with the cookies.

In case you use "Clear history when Firefox closes" or otherwise clear history.

• do not clear the Cookies
• do not clear the Site Preferences

• Options/Preferences -> Privacy & Security
  Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history":
  [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" -> Settings
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-browsing-search-download-history-firefox

• clearing "Site Preferences" clears exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation and exception for password and other website specific data
• clearing "Cookies" will remove all selected cookies including cookies with an allow exception you may want to keep

If clearing cookies didn't help then it is possible that the cookies.sqlite file in the Firefox profile folder that stores the cookies got corrupted.

• rename/remove cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and when present delete cookies.sqlite-shm and cookies.sqlite-wal in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed in case cookies.sqlite got corrupted.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

• Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
  Windows: Open Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data