How-To

How to Protect Firefox Passwords with a Master Password

By Adam Davidson

Updated March 20, 2023

Most modern browsers can offer to save your passwords for you so that you don’t have to keep entering them manually every time to sign in to your accounts. This can be a huge time saver, and you can use more complex passwords to protect your accounts without worrying about remembering what they are.

However, if you let Firefox save your passwords, it can leave you at risk, as other people could use those saved passwords to access your accounts. The good news is that you can add a layer of protection to your saved passwords to reduce the risk of this happening. Read on to learn how to protect Firefox passwords with a Primary Password.

What is a Primary Password in Firefox?

Firefox can store the usernames and passwords you use to sign in to websites when using the browser. This saves you from remembering all the passwords for the numerous websites you use but comes with an obvious downside: if someone else is using your computer, they can also sign in to all of your accounts using those saved passwords.

That’s where the Primary Password comes in. This is an additional password that you can use to protect all of your saved passwords. When you want to sign in to an account using one of your saved passwords, Firefox will ask you to enter the Primary Password to verify that it’s you. It adds a layer of protection to your accounts.  Since Firefox doesn’t save your Primary Password as it does with other passwords, it means that even if someone has your computer, they may still be unable to sign in to your accounts.

If this feature sounds familiar, it’s because it’s been around for a long time in Firefox but used to be called the Master Password. Don’t let the name change confuse you; it’s still the same Master Password you know and love.

How to Create a Primary Password in Firefox

To protect your saved passwords using a Primary Password, you must first set one up. You must create a password that you’re going to remember; your Primary Password isn’t saved in Firefox, and if you forget it, you won’t be able to access any of your saved passwords in Firefox. There’s no way to recover it, either. If you’re not confident you can remember it, you might want to consider using a password manager.

To create a Primary Password in Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click the Menu icon.
   
3. Select Settings.
   
4. Click Privacy & Security.
   
5. Under Logins and Passwords, check Use a Primary Password.
   
6. Enter your password. It will require at least one capital letter, at least one digit, and at least one symbol, such as @, &, or #.
   You’ll see a bar showing the strength of your password as you type it; the longer the bar, the more secure your password.
   
7. Ensure you choose a password you can remember, as you won’t be able to recover it.
8. Re-enter your password. If the second password doesn’t match, you won’t be able to click OK to set your password. If this is the case, enter them both again.
9. Click OK. You’ll see a message stating that your Primary Password has changed. The message is the same whether you’re setting up a password for the first time or changing your current password.
   Your Primary Password is now set.
10. When you try to log in to an account with a saved password in Firefox, you’ll see a request to enter your Primary Password.
    
11. Enter the correct password, and Firefox will automatically fill in your saved password information for the site you’re trying to access.
12. Once you’ve entered your Primary Password, you won’t need to enter it again until your next Firefox session. A new session is created the next time you launch Firefox after closing it.

How to Change a Primary Password in Firefox

If you’ve already set up a Primary Password and want to change it, it’s quick and easy to do so. Be aware that you’ll only be able to change the Primary Password if you already know the current Primary Password. There’s no way to reset the Primary Password if you can’t remember what it is.

To change a Primary Password in Firefox:

1. Launch Firefox.
2. Click the Menu icon.
   
3. Click Settings.
   
4. Select Privacy & Security in the left-hand menu.
   
5. Scroll down to Logins and Passwords and click Change Primary Password.
   
6. Enter your current password.
   
7. Enter your new password. Remember that it must still contain at least one capital letter, at least one digit, and at least one special character.
   
8. Re-enter your password to confirm it.
9. Click OK. Your Primary Password will be changed. You must remember it, as you won’t be able to recover it.

How to Delete a Primary Password in Firefox

If you get tired of entering the Primary Password every time you want to use one of your saved passwords in Firefox, you can remove the Primary Password. This will delete it completely; if you want to use a Primary Password again later, you’ll need to start the process from the beginning to set one up.

To delete a Primary Password in Firefox:

1. Open Firefox and click the Menu icon.
   
2. Select Settings.
   
3. In the left-hand menu, click Privacy & Security.
   
4. Scroll down to Logins and Passwords and uncheck Use a Primary Password.
   
5. To confirm your decision, enter your current Primary Password and click OK.
   
6. Your Primary Password is now deleted. Remember that without a Primary Password set up, anyone using your computer will be able to use your saved passwords in Firefox.
7. If you decide to reinstate the Primary Password again, follow the steps in the first section of this article.

Do More With Firefox

Learning to protect Firefox passwords with a Primary Password ensures that your accounts have an additional layer of protection if anyone else is using or gets hold of your computer. You only need to enter it once per session, so it’s not too onerous. We recommend using a Primary Password if you have passwords for sensitive accounts such as banks or credit cards saved in Firefox.

There are many other valuable tips and tricks that you can use in Firefox. For example, you can enable or disable hardware acceleration to improve performance. You can create and manage multiple Firefox profiles if you’re using it for various purposes. And if you want to personalize Firefox, you can also learn how to access hidden advanced settings in Firefox.