Firefox Open Tab sync is an incredibly handy feature for those on the go. Jack Wallen shows you how to access those tabs from the mobile end of the sync.
Image: Mozilla
Thanks to the latest iteration of the open source browser (version 89), I’ve officially returned to Firefox as my default browser. If you’ve been paying attention to my writing over the past year, you know it’s been a rather circuitous journey that led me to Opera for the longest time, thanks to its Workspaces feature. Other than a single site not working properly (more on that at a later date), I’m now using Firefox exclusively on both the desktop and my Google Pixel 5.
I also happen to be one of those who make use of the Firefox account for syncing certain elements, one of which is tabs. This feature allows me to quickly access the tabs open on my desktop from my mobile device, without having to manually open them.
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Thing is, the synced tabs feature on Firefox mobile isn’t quite as intuitive as it is on the desktop. From the desktop version, click the menu button, click on your email address and all of your synced tabs (from every device associated with your Firefox account) are listed for easy access (Figure A).
Figure A
The synced tabs from Firefox on the desktop.
On the mobile side of things, things get a bit obfuscated. Fortunately, once you know where the synced tabs live, it’s quite easy to work with. Let me show you how.
What you’ll need
- Firefox installed on both your desktop/laptop and your mobile device, which can be either Android or iOS
- Both of those instances need to be connected to your Firefox account
How to configure the sync
You shouldn’t have to make any configuration changes, but on the off chance you find the open tabs not syncing across your devices, you’ll want to ensure the option is enabled. On the desktop, this is taken care of from the Firefox Menu | Firefox Account (your email address) | Sync Settings. In that window, make sure you see Open Tabs listed (Figure B).
Figure B
Items being synced across devices using Firefox can be changed here.
If you don’t see Open Tabs listed, click Change, and then, from the popup, click the checkbox associated with Open Tabs (Figure C).
Figure C
Enabling Open Tabs sync for Firefox.
On your mobile device, you can check to make sure Open Tabs are syncing by following these steps:
- Open Firefox.
- Tap the menu button (three vertical dots).
- Tap the email address associated with your Firefox account.
- Make sure Open Tabs is checked (Figure D).
Figure D
Enabling Open Tabs for syncing in Firefox mobile on Android.
How to locate synced tabs in Firefox mobile
With your tabs in sync, let’s now locate them on the mobile version of Firefox. Open the browser on your device and then tap the tabs button (a small square to the right of the address bar). In the resulting popup, tap the tab on the far right (the computer with the mobile device icon) (Figure E).
Figure E
The Firefox tabs popup is where you locate synced tabs.
Scroll through the listed tabs and you should see those open on all of your other devices (Figure F).
Figure F
All synced tabs are found in one convenient location on Firefox mobile.
Although I do prefer how much easier it is to locate synced tabs on the desktop version of Firefox, it’s not challenging to get to them on the mobile version of the browser. Once you start using this feature, you won’t ever look back.
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