Firefox 67: password manager improvements

Martin Brinkmann
Feb 12, 2019
Firefox
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10

Mozilla plans to launch several password manager and password related enhancements in the upcoming Firefox 67 Stable release.

The features, which are already implemented in Firefox Nightly, the cutting edge development version of Firefox, improve password functionality in three main areas.

Firefox's password manager works similarly to the password manager in other browsers. Users may use it to save logins and auto-login into sites using the saved logins. Firefox users can import and export passwords, and sync them across browsers.

Current versions of Firefox lack functionality that other browsers, e.g. Google Chrome, support. Chrome comes with an option to disable automatic sign-ins.

Firefox does not support the option right now in the stable version but will include the option when Firefox 67 is released.

Just open about:preferences#privacy in the browser's address bar and click on the "saved logins" option under Logins & Passwords. You find the new "Autofill logins and passwords" option listed there. It is checked by default; Firefox will fill out logins and passwords automatically just like it did in previous versions.

Firefox users may still fill out the saved passwords on sites manually if they decide to disable autofill functionality.

Firefox 67 highlights auto-filled passwords with a yellow background on sites automatically to indicate to the user that this was done automatically.

Saving passwords in private browsing windows

signon.privateBrowsingCapture.enabled

Firefox does not offer to save username and password in private browsing right now; this changes as well in Firefox 67. Firefox prompts you to save username and password when it recognizes login events in private browsing windows just like it does in normal browsing windows.

The browser won't get an option in Settings to disable the functionality. You can change it, however, using a preference.

  1. Load about:config in the browser's address bar.
  2. Confirm that you will be careful.
  3. Search for signon.privateBrowsingCapture.enabled.
  4. Double-click on the preference to toggle its value.

A value of True means that Firefox captures login events in private browsing windows and offers to save the login data, a value of False that it won't. Mozilla plans to release Firefox 67 in May 2019.

Now You: do you use your browser's built-in password manager? (via Sören)

Summary
Firefox 67: password manager improvements
Article Name
Firefox 67: password manager improvements
Description
Mozilla plans to launch several password manager and password related enhancements in the upcoming Firefox 67 Stable release.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Anonymous said on November 1, 2019 at 11:18 am
    Reply

    In Firefox 69 (2 versions later), signon.privateBrowsingCapture.enabled is on true, but still won’t save stuff in private browsing T_T

  2. Guest said on July 4, 2019 at 6:05 am
    Reply

    Hello Guys,
    The mentioned feature (import/export passwords in firefox) is missing from the latest Firefox 67..
    Can you do something about it? I would really love to have this!
    Thanks!

  3. Franck said on February 12, 2019 at 11:17 pm
    Reply

    This is great !
    Thanks for the heads up !

  4. John Fenderson said on February 12, 2019 at 5:54 pm
    Reply

    “do you use your browser’s built-in password manager?”

    No, primarily because I don’t always use the same machine or browser, so it makes no sense to use a password manager that’s tied to specific machine or browser. Also, I prefer to keep my password list outside of applications that communicate over the internet.

  5. Glm said on February 12, 2019 at 3:08 pm
    Reply

    “improve password functionality in three main areas”

    …and then only two are mentioned.

    I like reading gHacks from time to time, but this is just one small example of the overall sloppiness that characterizes almost all recent posts here. The writing style is sometimes so careless that I just stop reading the article altogether.

    Not here to whine, I’m just trying to point out here that taking more care in this area could really improve gHacks.

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on February 12, 2019 at 3:46 pm
      Reply

      I mentioned all three: highlight autofill, option to disable autofill, saving passwords in private windows.

      1. Glm said on February 12, 2019 at 7:20 pm
        Reply

        So the main area autofill and the main area autofill…

  6. John Doe 101 said on February 12, 2019 at 12:13 pm
    Reply

    Nice Improvement,…but done with FF, also Chrome itself, using Opera from now on, Brave as Second Unit.

  7. Tom Hawack said on February 12, 2019 at 12:08 pm
    Reply

    Same as @ard. I use the browser’s (Firefox here) built-in password manager with the exception of highly confidential credentials (bank, administration, CIA, etc.). I’m aware using browsers’ native password managers is not the best security wise option (hence the exceptions) but it’s so handy.

    Firefox 67 announced password management enhancement is welcomed of course but I’d be happier if its encryption were enhanced as well and mainly that of the master password which I believe is said to still be problematic in terms of encryption.

  8. ard said on February 12, 2019 at 9:45 am
    Reply

    Normally, I do safe pw in the browsers pw-manager, but only for less risky sites, like ghacks.net, magazines, twitter , but never for my bank, credit card cy., social security etc and more very personal websites.
    That way , I don’t have to remember or manual load to many pw’s and only those few that have strong pw, which I normally copy/paste from my personal pw-manager; filed encrypted on by computer and my notebook, not in the cloud, and with a monthly back-up on a USB.

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