This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

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.

Can I have both Master password and Sync enabled WITHOUT being prompted for said master password upon session start?

  • 2 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by jd_ackle

jd_ackle
jd_ackle
more options

The base issue is that every time I start Firefox, I get prompted, a few seconds later, for my Master Password, regardless of whether I will actually logon a site for which I saved my credentials. This same issue as well as the reply its original poster selected as the best answer was posted on the following link: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1039575

I am in the same situation as that poster was but I do not want to disable Sync. I do need the Master Password set to protect my stored passwords and I do need the Sync feature enabled to share my profile between different computers I use. If I close the Master Password prompt upon session start and then I access a page for which I have saved the password, I do get prompted again, and that's all I need. Also, I have Sync setup to NOT share my saved passwords, hence the Master Password prompt for that effect is unnecessary in my case.

So the question is simply how I can disable the Master Password prompt on startup, have it pop up when accessing a site that needs a stored password (or ask whether I want to save one) and keep Sync running without sharing passwords.

Thanks in advance.

The base issue is that every time I start Firefox, I get prompted, a few seconds later, for my Master Password, regardless of whether I will actually logon a site for which I saved my credentials. This same issue as well as the reply its original poster selected as the best answer was posted on the following link: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1039575 I am in the same situation as that poster was but I do not want to disable Sync. I do need the Master Password set to protect my stored passwords and I do need the Sync feature enabled to share my profile between different computers I use. If I close the Master Password prompt upon session start and then I access a page for which I have saved the password, I do get prompted again, and that's all I need. Also, I have Sync setup to NOT share my saved passwords, hence the Master Password prompt for that effect is unnecessary in my case. So the question is simply how I can disable the Master Password prompt on startup, have it pop up when accessing a site that needs a stored password (or ask whether I want to save one) and keep Sync running without sharing passwords. Thanks in advance.

Chosen solution

No, that is not possible. Sync needs to retrieve the log in authentication data from the Password Manager and that requires to enter the Master Password to unlock the password.

The Sync version used in Firefox 34 and later uses the password manager to store the name (e-mail) and password to be used to connect to the Sync server. The chrome://FirefoxAccounts entry in the password manager stores the authentication data (kA and kB) in JSON format. Previous Firefox versions stored this data in the signedInUser.json file in the profile folder, but the current version only stores the sessionToken in this file and needs the password manager for the Sync credentials.

Read this answer in context 👍 3

All Replies (2)

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

Chosen Solution

No, that is not possible. Sync needs to retrieve the log in authentication data from the Password Manager and that requires to enter the Master Password to unlock the password.

The Sync version used in Firefox 34 and later uses the password manager to store the name (e-mail) and password to be used to connect to the Sync server. The chrome://FirefoxAccounts entry in the password manager stores the authentication data (kA and kB) in JSON format. Previous Firefox versions stored this data in the signedInUser.json file in the profile folder, but the current version only stores the sessionToken in this file and needs the password manager for the Sync credentials.

jd_ackle
jd_ackle Question owner
more options

I see. Now I remember I started using Sync at a time when I saved no passwords whatsoever, hence I had no master password. Do you need a Master Password to use Sync? Or does Sync ask you for its own password if you don't? It's a bit confusing. I'm sure there are good reasons that it's done how it is but I'm getting more curious about it.