✅ Fix Firefox private mode issue

I second this suggestion.

What’s the issue? Seems to work fine for me.

The only feature in Bitwarden in Firefox private mode is context menu based auto-fill, you aren’t even able to login, you have to first open a non-private window, login then go back to the private window. This is a big workflow issue for me personally because I use private mode a lot.

Ah, OK. It works fine on Firefox for Android, haven’t tried it in the desktop browser.

Agreed, I would love to be able to use Firefox again, I hear it’s pretty good again

Is that still not fixed? I stopped using Firefox along time ago because of it and assumed it would be fixed at some point.

I started using Enpass, I do prefer Bitwarden however the fact is doesn’t work in Firefox private mode is a complete deal breaker for me. I signed up here to see if they had fixed it but clearly not.

YES! Please fix this!

Would be awesome if this was fixed

Would be cool if that was fixed. I use Firefox because I’m unhappy with the dominance Chromium based browsers have. Firefox is a none-profit company, just like their motto says “made for people, not for profit”

I am also annoyed by this, it would be cool if it was resolved

Has there been any progress on this ? I use private browsing almost exclusively. Please do resolve.

I run into this issue almost every day and it’s starting to bother me so much I am considering switching to another password manager. Every single other solution I have tested does not have this same issue so I don’t understand why Bitwarden can’t put some time into fixing it.

Hello,
Have you tried Firefox Containers? There is a Temporary Containers plugin. This can be used instead of private mode.

I was considering switching from Lastpass, but since this issue hasn’t been fixed in over a year I’m completely turned off.

We will be looking to address this. At this time I don’t have a timeframe but will provide updates.

5 Likes

Hi all, since it has been a while I wanted to give the community an update on this topic. For the most part, making Bitwarden work in FF private mode has required a larger overhaul to the Bitwarden browser extension’s code base and underlying design/architecture. There are hacks and some things that could be done that would make it kind-of work for some use cases but we would rather overhaul the extension’s architecture the “right” way.

We also need to re-factor the extension to support future Chrome Manifest V3, available in M88 Beta as well. Obviously, the writing is on the wall, yes we are going to re-factor the extension in a large way, yes when we do that it will mean FF private mode will start working and the extension will continue to work when Chrome manifest V3 drops.

Here’s the bottom line:

  • We have an upstream issue with Chrome Manifest V3 we’re waiting to get addressed
  • This is the same upstream issue every single other password manager will face (that use zero-knowledge encryption) and one of them has already opened this issue with the Chrome team directly (if you read the opening description you’ll see which PW manager opened it)
  • We also want to leave “hooks” open for future us’es to incorporate shadow DOM support at some point, and WebAuthn
  • We only want to invest the resources and time to refactor our extension once (at least no more than once in a given year anyway)

Up to very recently we have not had the development capacity to undertake this major refactor (it was mainly just Kyle); nobody wants to pass blame, pass the buck or ignore real pain our community has endured wanting to use Bitwarden in FF private mode, and this is important to us. So, as soon as we have enough traction on final direction for Chrome Manifest V3, coupled with what we know already for FF private mode use, we have the capacity, we’re ready and will start doing that development work to refactor the browser extension to work for both.

Thank you again for everyone in the community’s and our user’s patience on this, input, thoughts on direction, workarounds, and even criticism :wink:. We appreciate you all and hope to put this issue to rest soon.

14 Likes

Any update on this?

Chrome has to make an API change for manifest V3 - still in progress for them here: 1185226 - chromium - An open-source project to help move the web forward. - Monorail

Once that is done, we can continue the effort.