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Former Member's avatar
Former Member
2 years ago

Using 1Password in a Private window in Firefox

Was the issue with 1Password not working in Private Browsing Mode ever resolved? I have been using the "classic extension" because it does work in PBM, but was recently notified that it will stop working in July. Since Private Browsing provides greater security for users, not supporting it seems like a bad idea for a security-focused app.

I know that the explanation usually given is that 1P stores information in a local database that cannot be accessed in PBM. However, that doesn't explain why that information can't stored in the cloud instead.

1Password Version: 7.9.833
Extension Version: 4.7.5.90
OS Version: Win 10
Browser:_ Firefox

browser extension
  • 1P_David's avatar
    1P_David
    Icon for 1Password Team rank1Password Team
    2 years ago

    Hi @fanchergw, thanks for reaching out!

    The issue where setting Firefox to “Never remember history” or “Always use private browsing mode” prevents the IDB database from being stored locally is one that we are continuing to work towards a solution for with our friends at Mozilla.

    Having said that, the latest 1Password extension can still be used in a private browser window using the following steps:

    1. Copy and paste about:preferences#privacy into Firefox's address bar, then press Enter (or Return if on a Mac).
    2. Scroll down to History and make sure "Firefox will" is set to "Remember History".
    3. Right-click the 1Password icon in your Firefox browser's toolbar, then select "Manage Extension".
    4. If you don't see the 1Password icon in your browser's toolbar
    5. Ensure that "Run in Private Windows" is set to "Allow".

    Afterwards, you can open a Private Window in Firefox. 1Password will be available to use, but the browsing history won't be stored.

    Let us know if you have any questions!

    ref: dev/core/core#10783