When it comes to synchronizing bookmarks and browser data, Safari seems to get all of the love on the Mac. With iCloud, you can sync your bookmarks on Safari between iOS devices, but if you don't use the Mac's native browser then you're out of luck. Fortunately for Firefox users, there's an alternative. We’ll show you how to use the built-in Firefox Sync to synchronize your browser data between all of your devices, including another Mac, iOS, or Android devices.
>> Firefox 4 or higher
>> Firefox Home application for iOS
To begin setting up Firefox sync, open the browser and navigate to Tools > Set Up Sync. A new window will open up. Select “Create a New Account” to begin the account creation process.
Type in your email address, specify and confirm a password, and ensure that “Firefox Sync Server” is selected from the drop-down menu. Click continue when you’re done.
A new tab will open in Firefox, and show the upload progress. You can close this window and the upload will continue in the background. Firefox will encrypt your data before sending it to Firefox’s servers for storage and syncing.
You can change what gets synced by navigating to Firefox > Preferences > Sync.
On the device you wish to pair with your Firefox Sync, navigate to Tools > Set Up Sync, and click “I have an account.” You will be presented with a 12 character alpha-numeric code that is split into three blocks. Jot this code down, and go back to the machine that is already set up with Firefox Sync.
Navigate to Firefox > Preferences > Sync > Pair a Device. On the Pair a Device screen, type in the code that was noted from the other machine, and then click Continue. After a few seconds will see a “Setup Complete” screen on the other machine, and the sync will begin.
You can also sync your Firefox account with the iOS Firefox Home [iTunes link] application. To get your pair code in the Firefox Home application, open the application for the first time, and tap on the “I Have A Sync Account” button, and then you will be presented with another 12 digit code that you can type into Firefox > Preferences > Sync > Pair a Device section, just as you did when you paired another Firefox installation.
If you're an Android user, then you can also install and sync your bookmarks and browser data to the Firefox mobile application that can be downloaded from the Android Market.
Cory Bohon is a freelance technology writer, indie Mac and iOS developer, and amateur photographer. Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.
