Firefox Lockwise

Initially a browser add-on needed to be installed to use Lockwise on the desktop, but since Firefox version 70, the service has been fully integrated into the Firefox browser (Celebrate Firefox 70's) and can now be accessed using the Login and Passwords link from the options menu or user account area.

Since Firefox version 76, Lockwise was integrated further with Firefox Monitor and now if one of your site login passwords has been breached, a breach alert will appear on the Lockwise page next to any saved login service or website that have been compromised. A vulnerable password alert will be displayed if any other saved passwords are similar to any that have been breached in the past with a recommendation to change it (Firefox Release Notes 76.0).

When you use the Firefox browser and come across a website that requires you to sign-up for an account and create a password, the Firefox Lockwise service uses its integrated random password generator to suggest a password. It is possible to dismiss the randomised password and create your own if preferred.

So long as you are signed in to your Firefox account on all devices, passwords saved through the Firefox browser on either the desktop, a smart phone or a tablet are stored securely in Firefox Lockwise and then synced across to any device you are signed in to with Firefox. Mozilla confirms on its website that the Lockwise service uses 256-bit encryption to sync passwords between devices. For more details on Lockwise and privacy read the support documentation on how Lockwise handles your data (Firefox Lockwise and Privacy).

It is possible to unlock Lockwise to view all your saved logins, and manage/delete these. To unlock the Lockwise app on Android and iOS, face identification or touch identification is required, offering an additional layer of protection.

My Bit-By-Bit guide to using Firefox Lockwise shows how all of this works…

Bit-By-Bit

The https://lockwise.firefox.com URL introduces the Firefox Lockwise service and includes links to download the desktop browser and the dedicated Lockwise apps for both Android and iOS.

Using Lockwise with the Desktop Firefox Browser

To use Firefox Lockwise you need to have a Firefox account and be logged in. If you don’t have an account then you can join here: https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/accounts.

When you have an account setup, open Firefox and login through the user account area in the top right of the Firefox browser. We’re now ready to use Lockwise!

Each time we sign-up to a new service online and we’re asked to create a password, Firefox Lockwise kicks in and in most cases will suggest a randomised password.

Either...

• Click on the Use a Securely Generated Password option to accept the password.

...or...

• Type in your own password into the choose a password field.

Wether you use Lockwise's suggested randomised password or create your own, they will both be saved to the Lockwisedatabase linked to your account.

To access Lockwise and view all your saved account passwords either click on the user account profile area in the top right, or on the hamburger options menu next to this and then click on the Logins and Passwords link.

The Firefox Lockwise window opens and displays all your saved website passwords listed down the left-hand side. You can click on the Sort by: Name (A-Z) drop down above the list to sort by A-Z or Z-A. You can also use the Search Logins field at the top to search by name/keyword.

When you select a saved login from the list, more details about the chosen login appear in the main window. The Web Site Address (URL) of the site is displayed at the top followed by the chose Username used when you signed up to that site and the Password. By default the password is hidden, but if you click on the eye icon next to the password it will unmask this so you can see that it is — useful if you have forgotten!

Under the Username and Password fields you can see when the password was first created, when it was last modified (if you changed it) and when it was last used to login to the site in question.

• Click on the Edit link next to the Web Site Address (URL) of the site to change the site's username and password directly from Lockwise.
• Click on Save Changes to commit to the new Username and/or Password.

• Click on the Remove link next to the Web Site Address (URL) of the site to remove the saved password from Lockwise (this just removes the saved password from Lockwise's database, it does not delete, change or remove the password from the site itself - you’ll be able to login as normal but you will need to remember your login details).
• Click on Remove to confirm.

You can even create a username and password for a site (where supported) directly within Lockwise itself.

• Click on the Create New Login button at the bottom of the saved login list.
• Type or paste in the URL of the website you wish to create a login for.
• Type in a username and password into the corresponding fields.
• Click on Save to create the site login.

The options menu in the top right corner of the Lockwise screen includes an option to import password logins from other browsers. Click on the Import from Another Browser… link to begin the import process.

There are also shortcuts to download the Lockwise Android and iOS apps for phones and tablets.

The Preferences link launches the Privacy & Security settings page where you can specify how Lockwise manages logins and passwords as shown in the screenshot below. Clicking on the Saved Logins… button on this page will take you back to the Lockwise screen.

Using Lockwise with the Android and iOS Apps

NOTE: The Firefox Lockwise mobile apps (Android and iOS) were removed as standalone products on December 13, 2021 after which the service became integrated into the Firefox browser: End of support for Firefox Lockwise.  For archive purposed here is how the apps used to work...

You can download the Firefox Lockwise app from either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. The app is available for both smart phones and tablets.

When you sign in and open the Lockwise app all your saved website passwords will be displayed on the screen. If you have a lot you can use the Search logins field at the top to search by name/keyword.

If you tap on a particular login then you’ll be able to view the Username and Password associated with that saved login. Click on the eye icon next to the password to reveal it. Whereas on the desktop version you can edit the Username and Password, from the Lockwise app you can only copy these and paste elsewhere. You can, however, delete the saved login by tapping on the Delete Login link. Remember, it does not delete, change or remove the password from the site itself - you’ll be able to login as normal but you will need to remember your login details).

If you go back to the list of logins on the Lockwise app, you'll notice a settings wheel icon in the top right corner. Click on this to display a list of settings for the app. You can configure the Auto Lock time: the time taken for the app to automatically close and also which browser is used (Preferred Browser) if you click on the Web Address (URL) link in the detailed saved login view.

If you have the Firefox browser app installed on your Android or iOS device you can use the Logins & Passwords setting to access Lockwise within the app. When you first open the Firefox browser app, tap on the bottom right hamburger menu icon to display the browser settings.

The Logins & Passwords setting lists your saved logins from Lockwise. There are options in the settings to prevent Lockwise from saving future logins from the app.

If you tap on a saved login then you’ll see the login Username and Password. You can tap on the Edit and Delete links to perform said actions. If you tap on the Password field then a menu appears with the option to Copy or Reveal.

_{Originally published on November 27, 2019 and updated December 31, 2021.}

Resources

Firefox Lockwise (obsolete)

Firefox Lockwise Support (Mozilla Support Documentation)

Firefox Lockwise (Android App) (obsolete)

Firefox Lockwise (iOS App) (obsolete)

End of support for Firefox Lockwise (Mozilla Support Documentation)

Barry Collins, Firefox Lockwise review: is this a half-baked password manager?, The Big Tech Question (October 31, 2019)