If i change my password, will i lose my sync data?
Greetings. I have been reading about this but i can't find an answer specific to my question. I want to change my Firefox account password, not because i forgot it, just because i want a better one. Online you can read that if you reset the password (without the recovery keys), all data will be lost, but i don't want to reset it. I have access to my settings page and there is no warning in the "Change Password" option saying that if you change it, data will be lost. Also, in this page: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-your-firefox-accounts-password it says "We recommend changing your password periodically". So, is it safe to change the password if you know the current one and have access to the settings page? Is the "Data will be lost" warning only for when the password is forgotten and needs to be reset? Thanks
Chosen solution
adblockfreak it doesn't make sense that you can't change your password without losing your data because it's not true. I changed mine and lost nothing. Here is what i did (because i was scared of what FredMcD said):
-Backed up my profile just to be sure i wouldn't lose anything
-Closed firefox
-Opened my firefox account settings in chrome (to be sure that firefox wouldn't re-send my settings to the server)
-Changed my password (there was no warning that the data would be lost)
-Installed lockwise on my phone and logged in to my account with the new password
-It downloaded all my passwords, nothing was lost
Here's the thing, all of your data stored in mozilla's servers is encrypted with your login. If you forget your password (or you don't have a recovery key) and you request a new one, all of your data will be lost because you can't decrypt it. HOWEVER, if you do know your password, it means you can login and therefore you can decrypt it. If you can decrypt it, then you can re-encrypt it with a new password without losing anything.
What FredMcD said: "The password and e-mail address are used to create the encryption. Changing either would make the data corrupted. " makes no sense. Every single encryption software allows you to change the password without losing your data, provided you know your old password, of course.
Check for yourself, if you try to reset your password with the "forgot my password" option, you will get a warning saying you will lose your data.
If you try to change your password when you are already logged in, you get no warning whatsoever.
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Resetting the sync password, or changing its e-mail, will remove all data from the servers.
This is a security feature. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/ive-lost-my-firefox-sync-account-information
- I've lost my Firefox Sync account information - What to do
- I’ve forgotten, or don't have access to, my Firefox Account email address
Note: Only the data on the servers is cleared.
The profile data is not changed or removed.
Thank you for giving me a generic answer. Did you even took a minute to read my question? I do not want to reset the password, i want to change it. I did not forget it. Look at the picture i posted, there is absolutely no warning saying that data will be lost.
The password and e-mail address are used to create the encryption. Changing either would make the data corrupted.
I'm having this same problem. It doesn't make sense that you would never be allowed to change your password. Is there a way I can export all my Sync data, change my password, and then import it back in, maybe?
This is only about the data on the Sync server that needs to be purged. Data on your computer shouldn't be affected by changing the password of the Firefox Account. It might be best to disconnect all devices (you would have to change the password on other devices anyway) and then reconnect one device at the time to make the new initial Sync work properly.
You can backup your personal data locally just to be sure.
Thanks for that clarification! So, then, what exactly IS stored in my Firefox Sync account? What would be lost?
Chosen Solution
adblockfreak it doesn't make sense that you can't change your password without losing your data because it's not true. I changed mine and lost nothing. Here is what i did (because i was scared of what FredMcD said):
-Backed up my profile just to be sure i wouldn't lose anything
-Closed firefox
-Opened my firefox account settings in chrome (to be sure that firefox wouldn't re-send my settings to the server)
-Changed my password (there was no warning that the data would be lost)
-Installed lockwise on my phone and logged in to my account with the new password
-It downloaded all my passwords, nothing was lost
Here's the thing, all of your data stored in mozilla's servers is encrypted with your login. If you forget your password (or you don't have a recovery key) and you request a new one, all of your data will be lost because you can't decrypt it. HOWEVER, if you do know your password, it means you can login and therefore you can decrypt it. If you can decrypt it, then you can re-encrypt it with a new password without losing anything.
What FredMcD said: "The password and e-mail address are used to create the encryption. Changing either would make the data corrupted. " makes no sense. Every single encryption software allows you to change the password without losing your data, provided you know your old password, of course.
Check for yourself, if you try to reset your password with the "forgot my password" option, you will get a warning saying you will lose your data.
If you try to change your password when you are already logged in, you get no warning whatsoever.
Modified
Hi,
Any data you have on the server will be erased when you reset your password (unless you use recovery keys). Follow the instructions in your reset email to change your password. After signing in with your new password, remember to update your password on each of your synced devices.
Thank You.
chamodie1996 said
Hi, Any data you have on the server will be erased when you reset your password (unless you use recovery keys). Follow the instructions in your reset email to change your password. After signing in with your new password, remember to update your password on each of your synced devices. Thank You.
This isn't about resetting the password