How Safe is Firefox Password Manager in 2024? Everything You Need to Know

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The Firefox password manager is a free forever solution for all your password needs. With so many online accounts, it can be difficult to set strong passwords and then remember them all.

However, a password manager like Mozilla Firefox can store all your passwords in one place and also generate random strong passwords.

Read on as we explore the features and benefits of the popular Mozilla password manager. We’ll compare it with leading rivals to help you decide if it’s right for you.

An Overview of the Firefox Password Manager

Firefox offers a free password manager for all devices. The platform also includes a password generator, secure storage, and security breach alerts.

The password manager was launched on 10 July 2018 under the name Firefox Lockbox. However, the initial version only worked on iOS.

It became available for Android devices only in March 2019. A few months later, in May of the same year, it was renamed Lockwise.

Since Firefox version 70, it has been integrated into the browser. Today, you can access the Firefox password manager extension on desktop, as well as on Android and iOS devices.

Where is the Password Manager in Firefox?

Here’s how you can find the password manager Firefox offers on your desktop:

Step 1: Open your Firefox browser
Step 2: Click the three lines icon at the top-right of your Firefox browser.
Step 3: Scroll down the options and click ‘Passwords’.

However, if you’re using the Firefox mobile app, here’s how you can find the password manager in two easy steps:

Step 1: Click on the three-dot icon at the bottom-right of your Firefox mobile screen
Step 2: Select ‘Passwords’.

How to Manage Your Passwords in Firefox

Let’s now see how you can manage your Firefox passwords – add, edit, and delete them:

How to Automatically Save Login Details

You can either save usernames and passwords in Firefox manually or automatically. Here’s how to do it automatically:

Step 1: Visit the website containing the password you want to save.
Step 2: Enter your login credentials
Step 3: You’ll see a Firefox prompt asking you to save these details
Step 4: Click ‘Save’. The next time you visit the same website, Firefox will remember the password for you.

You can also save login credentials without actually visiting the website. Here’s how:

Step 1: Click the three lines at the top-right corner of the Firefox browser and select ‘Passwords’.
Step 2: From the panel on the left, click the ‘+’ icon.

Step 3: Add the website address, username, and password and click ‘Save’.

How to Change and Delete Passwords

Editing and removing saved logins on the Firefox browser password manager is easy. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Open the ‘Passwords’ window by clicking on the three lines in the top-right corner.
Step 2: You’ll see all your saved passwords on the left panel.
Step 3: Select the password you want to manage
Step 4: You’ll see two options – Edit and Remove

Step 5: Click ‘Edit’ to change any login details. Once you’ve done so, click ‘Save.’
Step 6: Click ‘Remove’ if you want to delete the saved password.

How to Export Login Data

Step 1: Open your Firefox password window and click on the three dots at the top-right of your screen.
Step 2: Click ‘Export login’ from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: You’ll see a warning message confirming that you’re about to export your passwords. Click ‘Export’.
Step 4: You’ll now need to enter your Windows login credentials before clicking ‘OK’.

Step 5: A new tab will open, where you can change the name of the CSV file containing login details. Once done, click ‘Save’.

How to Import Login Data

The Firefox password manager makes it easy to import all your existing passwords. You can do so in two ways – import directly from another browser or import from a file.

You may have saved your passwords in other browsers like Chrome. Here’s how you can import these passwords in Firefox:

Step 1: Click the three dots on the top-right of the Firefox ‘Password’ tab and click ‘Import from Another Browser’.

Step 2: Select the browser from where you want to import your login data.

Step 3: Click ‘Import’. Within a few seconds, you’ll see your Firefox manager populated with all your credentials, bookmarks, and extensions.

You can also choose to import the data from a CSV file. Click on the ‘Import from a File’ option and upload the CSV file with your login credentials.

Is Firefox a Good Password Manager?

The Firefox password manager is good enough for personal use. It allows you to save your logins, autofill them, and even get security breach alerts.

For starters, it saves your login credentials to the logins.json file, while the keys are stored in key4.db (or key3.db in older versions).

If the passwords aren’t secured by a master password, anyone with system access can easily access this key database. Beyond this, Firefox encrypts the master password using 3DES-CBC, which is limited to 112 bits.

This makes the algorithm weak compared to current encryption standards. All modern password managers use the AES-256-bit encryption model.

This means you’ll need a complicated master password (ideally a 12-character password with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters—as it can take around 300 years to crack.)

If you want to check the strength of your password, visit Security.org – a free online platform. You only need to enter your password to check how long it would take to crack.

Mozilla Firefox Password Manager Features

During our Mozilla Firefox password manager review, we found the following features most noteworthy:

Autofill Logins

Just like with any other top password manager, you don’t need to enter your login details every time you visit a website.

Once you save the password on Firefox, all your credentials will be filled in automatically the next time you visit the same website.

Security Alerts

The Firefox password manager, just like the best password managers, alerts you if any of your saved passwords have been leaked in a known data breach.

It identifies breaches by comparing the date of the breach against the date you saved the password on the website. If the website was hacked after you logged in, you’ll see this alert.

In addition, Firefox also checks if you’ve unintentionally reused these vulnerable or breached passwords for other logins.

Remember, the platform first creates an encrypted list of all your breached passwords and then checks it against all the saved ones. Firefox never saves passwords in plaintext.

Generate Secure Passwords

The Firefox manager allows you to save passwords and suggests strong passwords for your review.

Whenever you’re setting a new password on a website, you’ll see the secure password option. Click on the ‘Use a Securely Generated Password’ option suggested by Firefox.

If the suggested password doesn’t meet the website requirements, simply click on the password field to reveal the password and edit it as per your needs.

Import Passwords

You don’t need to manually save each password on the Firefox browser. The platform lets you import all your saved passwords from other browsers, like Chrome, as well as from a CSV file.

You can even import all your bookmarks, browsing, history, and auto-fill data from your previous browser.

Add Firefox Relay

Although not a feature of the Firefox password manager, Firefox Relay can help you mask your email IDs while filling them out on online platforms.

Once you enable the extension, you can get up to 5 masked email IDs to use when you don’t want to give out your real email address.

Whenever someone tries to reach you on the masked ID, the emails will be forwarded to your primary email address. However, none of the senders will know your actual email address.

This is excellent for securing your email ID against possible online breaches. Since it’s totally free, we suggest using it alongside the free password manager for added protection.

Firefox Password Manager vs Leading Rivals

There are a lot of options when it comes to password managers – both paid and free. Let’s look at some popular Firefox password manager alternatives:

As you can see, Firefox offers a free forever password manager that’s good enough for individual and basic use. It’s convenient and easy to use and definitely better than nothing.

However, if you have the budget, you should consider a paid password manager. For instance, Dashlane has dedicated phishing protection.

Similarly, several of these managers, such as NordPass, come with a password health score that rates your password strength. Plus, they offer AES-256 encryption at a minimum.

How to Disable the Firefox Password Manager

If you opt for a third-party app and choose not to save your passwords on the Firefox password manager, here’s how to disable it:

Step 1: Click the three lines at the top-right of your browser and select ‘Settings’.

Step 2: Select ‘Privacy and Security’ from the options on the left panel.

Step 3: Scroll down to find the ‘Passwords’ section and uncheck the box saying: ‘Ask to save passwords’. Firefox will no longer save any of your passwords.

What to Look for in a Password Manager

Buying a password manager can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Here are a few things you need to consider before you purchase a password manager:

What Are My Security Goals?

You first need to decide why you need a password manager – to save login credentials and generate strong passwords or protection on the dark web.

Let’s say you’re also looking for VPN protection besides managing your passwords. In that case, you need to pick a robust manager like NordPass, which comes with both features.

Or let’s say you send and receive a lot of business emails. In that case, you should pick Dashlane, which comes with dedicated phishing protection.

The Different Types of PW Managers

Password managers can be broadly divided into three categories based on the location where they store your information. Before choosing, here are the key things to note:

How Much Does it Cost?

You also need to consider the amount of money you’re willing to spend on password protection. Password managers can cost anywhere between $2 to $50 per month.

You can also choose from numerous free password managers. However, we’ve found that they lack advanced features and may not follow standard security procedures.

Will it Keep My Passwords Secure?

Ensure that the password manager you pick follows standard security protocols, such as AES-256 encryption. Anything below this isn’t up to modern security standards.

Also, pay attention to where the password manager stores your credentials – on your local device or on their server. Passwords stored on the server are more prone to data leaks.

However, they can be accessed at any time and from anywhere. It’s safer to store them locally, but you won’t be able to access them on the go.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a free password manager, Firefox can be a great option. You can save all your passwords in one place and also get strong password suggestions from the browser.

Even though it uses only 112-bit encryption, it’s still strong enough (it can take decades to crack using brute force methods).

To overcome this minor shortcoming, make sure you use a long and strong master password. However, if you can, we’d suggest considering a paid alternative, such as NordPass.

It offers AES-256-bit encryption and allows secure password sharing. You also get advanced features like password health scoring and data breach monitoring.

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