Recently, Mozilla has focused its efforts on the privacy and security related aspects of sensitive data. And its newest product is Firefox Lockbox, a dedicated app for iPhone and iPad that provides a convenient means of handling your Firefox passwords.
However, calling Firefox Lockbox a ‘password manager’ can be a bit confusing as it lacks many of the features found in services like LastPass. Instead, it’s an add-on that you need to use with Firefox.
If you’re trying to understand what exactly Firefox Lockbox is or how to use it effectively, don’t worry. Below you will find all you need to know to make Lockbox shine on your iOS device.
Note: Firefox Lockbox is also available on Android. While the tips below are geared towards iOS, certain tips may also apply to the Android version.
Keybox basics
Before getting to grips with Firefox Lockbox, it’s best to have a general idea of what the app can and can’t do. Obviously, it’s not your usual password manager. Instead, it’s a slightly basic add-on that syncs and displays passwords from the actual Firefox browser itself.
Furthermore, you also cannot save any login information directly to Firefox Lockbox. Instead, you need to rely on Firefox itself for password management, but not necessarily through Firefox for iOS—it can be from any other supported platform (Windows, macOS, Android, etc.) .
Furthermore, you also cannot save any login information directly to Firefox Lockbox.
What Firefox Lockbox can do is seamlessly autofill usernames and passwords, be it the online login portal you encounter in a browser like Safari and Chrome, or when logging into an app. In other words, it works like iCloud Keychain.
In case you use Firefox as the main browser on your iPhone or iPad, you don’t need Firefox Lockbox to autofill your passwords as the built-in password manager is more than capable of doing that. However, having Firefox Lockbox around is still beneficial as it allows for many other uses (you’ll learn about this soon).
Initial setup
To set up Firefox Lockbox, you need a Firefox Account, and you’ll also need to sync your saved logins with that account before you can do anything with the app. If you already use Firefox on a supported platform, you can start using Firefox Lockbox.
Note:
After installing Firefox Lockbox via the App Store, simply sign in with your Firefox Account. And provided you’ve saved passwords with Firefox from any previous device, they’ll show up right in the Firefox Lockbox.
Configure Autofill
As mentioned earlier, Firefox Lockbox does not have the ability to save passwords when logging into the login portal. But it is capable of auto-filling any password that has been saved with Firefox. To make that work, you need to give Firefox Lockbox the necessary permissions first.
On your iPhone or iPad’s Settings app, tap Passwords & Accounts, then tap Password AutoFill. Next, just enable Lockbox and you’re good to go.
You can continue to enable iCloud Keychain if you want to use it with Lockbox. It’s a good idea because that way you’ll still have the option of saving the new login at least to Keychain.
Lockbox in action
When you need to autofill passwords in browser and application login forms, just tap the automatic Firefox Lockbox suggestion at the top of the virtual keyboard and you’re good to go.
If you’d like to autofill from a different entry than the one suggested, simply tap Passwords or the key-shaped icon instead, then tap the Lockbox to choose the exact login you want. want to fill in.
Firefox Lockbox will use the default biometric security profile on your iPhone or iPad (Face ID or Touch ID) to authenticate your autofill requests. You don’t need to set it up separately.
Add password
Firefox Lockbox’s inability to save new items is a major drawback. If there’s a certain login entry that you’d like it to suggest to you in the future, you’ll need to first log into the portal using Firefox, then save the username and password when prompted.
For example, on Firefox for iOS, tap Save Sign In after signing in to a portal. For the entry to show up immediately in Firefox Lockbox, manually sync with your Firefox Account — you can do that through the Firefox menu.
Delete password
Another limitation in Firefox Lockbox is the lack of a built-in option to delete login entries. And again, you need to rely on Firefox to do that.
Taking the iOS version of Firefox as an example again, open the browser menu, then tap Sign In & Password. On the next screen, select the login you want to remove, then tap Remove.
Repeat the process for any other items you want to delete. Manually sync your changes afterwards.
More tips & tricks
Firefox Lockbox, despite its limitations, has some tricks that can prove quite useful. Sounds interesting? Let’s check them out.
Go to website
Instead of having trouble opening a web page in the browser, you can do it directly using Firefox Lockbox itself. Tap your login, then the small icon next to Web Address. And Voila! The web page related to the login will open right in Safari.
Then it’s just a matter of autofilling your information and logging into the site.
Change default browser
Do you prefer a different browser than Safari? If that’s the case, you can change the default browser in which Firefox Lockbox loads web pages using the above trick.
Go to the Settings screen (tap the cog icon) of the app, tap Open web page in, then choose your favorite browser.
Copy login information
You can skip autofill if you want and copy your credentials manually. And Firefox Lockbox still makes it super easy.
Tap a login item, then tap the Copy icon next to the username or password. That will automatically copy the item to the clipboard.
You can also choose to temporarily hide the password by clicking the eye icon next to it.
Filter entries
Tired of wading through tons of entries? Just use the search bar to filter them out. Firefox Lockbox will automatically load items that match what you’re typing.
Modify timeout
Firefox Lockbox has a preset AutoLock interval. Once done, you need to re-authenticate the app with Face ID or Touch ID. And the lower it is, the better in terms of security.
To modify this setting (set to 5 minutes by default), tap the Auto Lock option in the Settings screen, then select Duration.
Force sync
Firefox Lockbox syncs with your Firefox Account and automatically updates any changes to your login information via Firefox. But sometimes, it tends to get stuck.
In that case, simply swipe down on the Firefox Lockbox home screen to forcefully sync it with Firefox servers.
Drag and drop password
If you use Firefox Lockbox on your iPad, you can easily drag and drop the password into the login portal while in split view. You can also do this for usernames.
Pretty cool, isn’t it? And very handy if you’ve turned off autofill for Lockbox and only intend to use it in rare cases.
Need to improve more
Firefox Lockbox is a very limited standalone application. The fact that you need to rely on Firefox to do some trivial things like modify your login entries is pretty annoying.
But it’s free, and Mozilla’s track record is more than good when it comes to privacy. And over time, Firefox Lockbox can only get better as it adds new features.
So how are you going to use Firefox Lockbox? Let us know in the comments section.
Next up: Thinking about switching from Safari to Firefox on your iPhone or iPad? Find out how both browsers stack up before making your decision.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
