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How can I sync add-ons without syncing their settings? Why doesn't firefox give me the option of opting out of syncing "add-on settings"?

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Hi all,

Since a few months ago, Firefox started syncing add-on settings without giving you the option to opt out of it. I'm not talking about syncing the add-ons themselves which is a great thing and also the user can turn it off. I'm talking about add-on settings, syncing of which can be problematic. For example, I have a few website blocker add-ons. I have given these add-ons a list of websites to block on my older son's computer, while I have given them a different list to block on my younger son's computer. This is not viable anymore because Firefox syncs all their settings without asking me. The other problem is that even the disable/enable option of these add-ons are synced, which means that if I have these website blockers enabled on my sons' computers, they are also enabled on my own computer. Consequently, if I disable them on my own computer, they will be disabled on my sons' computers. This is a major issue. I have previously contacted Firefox about this, but I assume it has been lost in the large number feedback that they receive.

The blocker add-on was just an example, so please don't offer me solutions for that one add-on. This needs to be fixed for all add-ons.

Thank you for reading.

Hi all, Since a few months ago, Firefox started syncing add-on settings without giving you the option to opt out of it. I'm not talking about syncing the add-ons themselves which is a great thing and also the user can turn it off. I'm talking about add-on settings, syncing of which can be problematic. For example, I have a few website blocker add-ons. I have given these add-ons a list of websites to block on my older son's computer, while I have given them a different list to block on my younger son's computer. This is not viable anymore because Firefox syncs all their settings without asking me. The other problem is that even the disable/enable option of these add-ons are synced, which means that if I have these website blockers enabled on my sons' computers, they are also enabled on my own computer. Consequently, if I disable them on my own computer, they will be disabled on my sons' computers. This is a major issue. I have previously contacted Firefox about this, but I assume it has been lost in the large number feedback that they receive. The blocker add-on was just an example, so please don't offer me solutions for that one add-on. This needs to be fixed for all add-ons. Thank you for reading.

All Replies (6)

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What you are asking for is not currently possible in Firefox. Currently, syncing add-ons also syncs their associated data (provided the add-on developer has opted to enable that feature).

If you want to leave feedback for Firefox developers, you can go to the Firefox Help menu and select Submit Feedback... or use this link. Your feedback gets collected by a team of people who read it and gather data about the most common issues.

Hope this helps.

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I have to add that syncing add-ons' settings is a great option an I'm sure most people find it very useful, but I still think there should be an option to opt out for people who don't need them.

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Wesley Branton said

What you are asking for is not currently possible in Firefox. Currently, syncing add-ons also syncs their associated data (provided the add-on developer has opted to enable that feature). If you want to leave feedback for Firefox developers, you can go to the Firefox Help menu and select Submit Feedback... or use this link. Your feedback gets collected by a team of people who read it and gather data about the most common issues. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your response. I will submit feedback again. I really hate to use other browsers (all of which are tracker-friendly), but considering my situation, I don't think I have any other option.

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I totally agree that this would be a good ability to have. Unfortunately, this forum isn't the best place to discuss or suggest new features. That would be best done using the feedback link provided in my previous reply.

I've also passed this feature suggestion along to the developers (see bug 1598987). They can take a look and see if it's something they would consider adding in the future.

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Thank you very much for doing this.

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No problem. It likely would be a very useful feature to have. Can't promise that it will get added any time soon, but hopefully it will get the rights set of eyes.