I don’t understand. How is it different from the current version of profiles? I use Firefox as my default browser, and I have 2 profiles that I use every single day. Meaning that every day I run two separate windows of Firefox, which in effect are 2 Firefox browsers with 2 different Firefox accounts.
If I quit one Firefox browser, it will not quit the other one, which is linked to my 2nd FF account.
What is different now?
I don’t understand either. It just looks like a new user interface? I like the current interface a lot more than the one they’re showing because I like to use my arrow keys to pick and choose which profile to launch. This new one reminds me of Brave’s profile switcher, which felt very inconvenient to me because of the lack of arrow key accessibility.
I wish they had at least explained how it differed from the current one.
It seems like it is more like chromium now.
I don’t think I have ever used profiles in a Chromium browser. In fact, I believe that Google linking your Gmail login to a Chrome profile, is what was the final straw for me to quit Chrome as my default browser, as I was never interested in using a profile with them.
I switched to Brave, and then back to Firefox. I still use Brave, but Firefox remains my default with 2 profiles, i.e. 2 separate FF browsers, I use simultaneously, every single day.
How are Chromium profiles different?
I am guessing that they are different profiles in the same browser. As in they can’t be used simultaneously?
@PurpleDime you can use multiple profiles in chromium simultaneously. I think the person you were replying to just meant that the UI is now more like chromium.
I think I may have misremembered and misunderstood what I was thinking when reading this news item in my RSS. I was thinking about it differently and conflated with something else inaccurately.
Are profiles even live on Firefox? I knew it was coming and that it was under labs or flags or something like that. This to me seemed like the GA release of the feature, which I’m looking forward to.
Looking around in settings and I don’t see profiles anywhere.
This looks like a more robust version of the Multi-Account Container function they’ve had for a while.
From their FAQ:
What’s the difference between profiles and Multi-Account Containers?
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Profiles allow for complete separation of all data between profiles—including bookmarks, passwords, settings, add-ons, browsing history and browsing data (such as cookies and logins).
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In contrast, Multi-Account Containers only separate browsing data like cookies and logins between different containers. The Multi-Account Containers add-on can be used in a single profile, but this add-on and its containers won’t be shared across profile
From the blog post:
Beginning Oct. 14, we’re rolling out profile management in Firefox so you can keep them separate and create distinct spaces — each with its own bookmarks, logins, history, extensions and themes. It’s an easy way to stay organized, focused and private.
You could already use profiles in Firefox, what is new is the Chromium-like interface for doing so, which is supposed to make it simpler.
Yes. In fact, Firefox had profiles long before this. I do not know why Susmitha Burra (the author of the blog article) wrote the article as though it was a new feature.. Like others have said, all that’s new seems to be just the user interface or something.
You can read this article to learn more about how to use Firefox profiles. You can also manage profiles in the browser at about:profiles. I recommend it highly, as it greatly compartmentalizes your browser and it’s fairly easy to set up if you are somewhat tech literate.
I also do not understand why the author included this bit:
Other browsers offer profiles mainly for convenience. Firefox goes further by making them part of our mission to put you in control of your online life.
- Privacy first: Firefox is built with privacy as a default. We don’t know your age, gender, precise location, name of your profile, or other information Big Tech collects and profits from. Each profile keeps its own browsing data separate. No mixing, no surprise leaks.
They are saying that “Big Tech” (they don’t name names..) collects “age, gender, precise location, name of your profile” via their browser profile functionalities. Is that true? I’ve never heard of such a thing, but maybe it’s because I do not use “Big Tech” browsers. I’ve only ever used Firefox and Brave.
I guess my point is that profiles as a feature is not really exposed to users who just use the browser and don’t think to search for those things. From the perspective of most people, profiles will be totally new to them because there’s nothing in the Firefox browser to tell you this feature exists.
But either way I’m glad to finally have this! It was profiles and tab groups that I wanted Mozilla to implement, so I’m glad I reconsider it as my daily driver!
Oh, I thought you were asking a question lol
Ok. I finally understand what the huff is about. Basically, Firefox is simplifying and updating a feature that they already had for a very long time. That’s it.
That being said, I’m on FF 144, the latest version that is supposed to have updated profiles, and I still don’t have the new UI & UX. This is not the first time that I am updated to a version of Firefox that introduces a new feature, and I still don’t have that feature. I had to wait months to finally see tab groups in my browser after it was already supposed to be there.
Curious if anyone has experienced this too.
Yeah, I don’t see it either. Am confused too.
about:config –> search for profiles –> enable “browsers.profiles.enabled”
The release notes state that profiles is gradually rolling out in the next few weeks.
I’m using the new profiles feature.
Edit: If you want to sync between devices you need to use multiples Mozilla accounts.
It’s not a new feature. It’s a revamp of an existing feature. I have been using FF profiles for years. I already have 2 Mozilla accounts that I use every day simultaneously. What I don’t have is the new UI that was announced and released this week.
Yes. I’m aware of this option. Tech Lore had mentioned it on Twitter.
But this option was supposed to be for those who wanted to try it in advance, before the new UI update was officially released. It was officially released yesterday, and I still don’t see any changes in my UI.
Got it. Thank you. I guess I’ll have to wait.
I forgot to add, I think this update is great news and I look forward to trying it when it’s finally available to me. However, I really hope Firefox works on improving other existing features like containers. I personally want to see the following:
1. Ability to sync containers.
Right now, if you install FF on a new computer, the containers linked to your profile are not synced. You have to manually recreate them yourself, and it can take hours. I know because I have done it multiple times, and it ate a huge chunk of my day every time.
2. Ability to manually add URLs to containers.
This feature is needed because it would allow adding short URLs and other types of URLs that immediately change once you load them. For example, I want to be able to easily add
youtu.be links (YouTube short links).
3. Fix container bugs:
I use Firefox multi-account containers as well as temporary containers, which are disposable containers. Every time I click on a URL, it opens in a new temporary container, unless that URL’s domain has a dedicated container assigned to it.
A common bug that’s been around for years, is that if you have a dedicated locked container (Reddit) and click on a link inside it (The Verge) that opens in a new temporary container, Firefox will duplicate it and open 2 tabs. In other words, it will create 2 temporary container tabs with the same link.
They need to fix this.
4. More colors and icons for containers to differentiate them.
This should be self-explanatory.