Mozilla / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
Firefox is introducing a new profile management system.
Profiles will keep data separate, including history and settings.
You'll be able to manage profiles from the main toolbar.
Keeping your work life and personal life separate, at least when it comes to your browser, is about to get a little easier if you're a Firefox user.
Also: 5 reasons why Firefox is still my favorite browser - and deserves more respect
In an announcement this week, Mozilla says it's rolling out a new profile management system for Firefox.
What's new?
Firefox has supported profiles for some time now, each with its own bookmarks, passwords, logins, history, extensions, and themes. What's new is that it's now significantly easier to create and switch between your different profiles.
Also: Why I'm deleting Firefox for good - and which browser's never let me down
Before, you had to dig fairly deep into the settings menu to manage profiles, which made the feature inaccessible to many users. Next week, you'll see profile management on the browser's main toolbar.
Mozilla notes that while other browsers offer profiles too, Firefox separates itself in a few ways.
First, it says, it makes privacy a priority (one of ZDNET's Lane Whitney's favorite things about the browser) by keeping every bit of browsing data separate. To start, Firefox doesn't know "your age, gender, precise location, name of your profile, or other information Big Tech collects and profits from."
In addition, each profile is its own session, down to add-ons, settings, and history. Solutions like tab containers work similarly, but it's easy for data to get compromised. This is especially true if you use the same browser for your work and personal life, because it means your work credentials stay entirely within that profile.
Also: Why I ditched Google Chrome for Firefox Focus within 10 minutes of using the mobile browser
Second, each profile has colors, themes, and even avatars that make each profile easy to spot. This helps you know at a glance which profile you're in so you don't compromise any data. For example, you can keep your work profile clean and dull while letting your personality shine in your personal one. Not only does this clean up your tabs, Firefox says, it sets boundaries and makes the internet a little calmer.
Firefox says it specifically worked to ensure profiles work for people with disabilities, including the visual design and the way profiles keep sensitive data, like medical information, private.
Availability
Profiles are only available on the desktop browser version, not Android or iOS.
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