Passwords, browsers and phones

How to move from Chrome to Firefox: bookmarks, passwords, history and extensions

SwitchTo HQ · Updated 18 October 2026 · Passwords, browsers and phones · How we write

Firefox has a built-in import tool that copies data from Chrome on the same computer. It handles bookmarks, browsing history and, depending on your operating system, saved passwords, payment methods and some extensions. The main complication in 2026 is passwords on Windows. Because of a change to how Chrome encrypts saved passwords, Firefox now asks Windows users to export them from Chrome as a file first. This guide is based on Mozilla's switching guide and Mozilla's own bug tracker records of the change.

Step 1: Install Firefox, but keep Chrome for now

Download Firefox from Mozilla's official site. Mozilla recommends quitting Chrome before importing, but not uninstalling it. The import tool reads Chrome's data from your computer, so Chrome needs to be there while you import.

Step 2: Run the import tool

Open Firefox. Mozilla says the import tool should appear automatically. If it doesn't:

Open the Firefox menu (the three lines in the top right) and select Settings.
In General, find Import Browser Data and click Import Data.
Choose Chrome as the source. If you have more than one Chrome profile, choose the one you use.
Expand Import all available data to choose individual items.

Mozilla lists these data types:

Data type	What it includes
Bookmarks	Pages you bookmarked in Chrome
Browsing history	Pages you have visited
Saved passwords	Usernames and passwords saved in Chrome (see the Windows note below)
Saved payment methods	Card details saved for web forms, excluding the security code
Extensions and form autofill data	Offered on some platforms

Exactly what is offered depends on your operating system and Firefox version, so the list you see may be shorter.

Step 3: Passwords on Windows need a CSV file

Mozilla's bug tracker records that, after a change in how Chrome encrypts saved data on Windows, Firefox can no longer read Chrome passwords directly there. From Firefox 140, the import tool guides Windows users through importing a CSV file instead, and importing payment methods from Chrome on Windows has been removed (bug 1965232, bug 1960560). Testers also found that passwords weren't offered when importing from Chrome on Linux. On macOS, the direct import continued to work.

To export your passwords from Chrome, following Google's instructions:

In Chrome, open Google Password Manager (from the three-dot menu, choose Passwords and autofill, then Google Password Manager).
On the left, select Settings.
Next to Export passwords, select Download file and confirm with your device password if asked.

Then, in Firefox's import tool, choose the option to import passwords from the CSV file and select the file you just saved.

Delete the CSV file afterwards. It contains all your passwords in plain text. Don't save it to a synced folder, and empty your bin once you have deleted it.

Step 4: Check your extensions

Chrome extensions don't automatically work in Firefox. Many popular extensions have Firefox versions on Firefox Add-ons, Mozilla's official add-on site. Go through your Chrome extensions list (chrome://extensions) and look up each one there. Only install add-ons from the official site or the developer's own website.

If you use a password manager extension, such as Bitwarden or 1Password, install its Firefox version and sign in. Your passwords then come with you without any import.

Step 5: Set Firefox as your default browser

Firefox will usually offer to become your default browser. If you skip this, you can change it later in Firefox's Settings, under General, or in your operating system's default apps settings. Mozilla publishes a guide to setting Firefox as the default browser on Windows.

Step 6: Set up sync, if you use more than one device

If you use Chrome on several computers or a phone, Firefox's equivalent is a Mozilla account with Firefox Sync. This syncs bookmarks, passwords, history, open tabs and add-ons between Firefox installations. Install Firefox on your other devices and sign in with the same account. You only need to run the Chrome import on one computer.

Step 7: Retire Chrome when you're ready

Once you are happy that your data is in Firefox:

Check that important saved logins work in Firefox.
If you used Chrome sync, decide whether to delete the synced data held in your Google account. You can do this from Chrome's sync settings.
Uninstall Chrome if you no longer need it. Some websites and work tools still expect Chrome, so some people keep it installed for those.

Checklist

Install Firefox and quit Chrome before importing.
Import bookmarks, history and other data with Import Data.
On Windows, export Chrome passwords to CSV, import the file, then delete it.
Find Firefox versions of your extensions on the official add-ons site.
Set Firefox as default and set up Sync on your other devices.