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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsYou can move from Chrome to Firefox with Firefox’s built-in Import Data wizard. Install Firefox, close Chrome, choose the correct Chrome profile, select the data categories you want, and verify the result before removing Chrome. The import does not delete Chrome data or change Chrome settings, so you can keep Chrome available while you check everything.
Bookmarks usually transfer directly, while extensions are matched to comparable Firefox add-ons rather than copied byte-for-byte. On Windows and Linux, Mozilla’s current instructions require a CSV export and import for Chrome passwords. Payment methods are not supported for import on Windows, and open tabs need to be saved as bookmarks first if you want to preserve them.
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What moves automatically—and what needs extra work
Firefox can import several categories from a Chrome profile, but each category has different limits. Use this table as a planning checklist before you begin.
| Chrome data | Normal route | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Bookmarks | Firefox Import Data wizard | They should appear in Firefox, but the Bookmarks Toolbar may be hidden. An HTML bookmark export is the fallback if Chrome is not offered as a source. |
| Saved passwords | Import wizard; CSV fallback where required | Mozilla’s current guide says automatic Chrome password import is unavailable on Windows and Linux. Use Chrome’s CSV export and Firefox’s CSV password option on those systems. |
| History | Import Data wizard | Select it as a data category during import if it is available for the chosen profile. |
| Extensions | Imported-add-on matching flow | Firefox looks for similar Firefox add-ons. You must review the matches and may need to choose “Finalize the installation of your imported add-ons.” |
| Form autofill | Import Data wizard | Choose the category when offered, then test important forms in Firefox. |
| Payment methods | Not supported on Windows | Mozilla says changes in Chrome’s encryption mechanism prevent importing Chrome payment methods to Firefox on Windows. |
| Open tabs | Save as bookmarks before switching | Firefox’s documented workflow does not promise a direct open-tab migration. |
The wizard lets you choose which available categories to import. You do not have to bring over all browser history or autofill data if you want a cleaner start.
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Prepare Chrome before installing or importing
Save the tabs you cannot afford to lose
If a current Chrome session contains research, work queues, or reference pages, save those tabs into a dedicated bookmark folder. In Chrome, right-click a tab and choose the option to bookmark all tabs, then give the folder a clear name such as “Chrome session—October 2026.” This is more reliable than leaving tabs open and hoping another browser will reconstruct the session.
Identify the Chrome profile that contains your data
Chrome can have separate profiles for personal, work, school, or other accounts. Bookmarks and passwords belong to a profile, so importing the wrong one can look like data loss even when the data is still present in Chrome. Open Chrome’s profile switcher and note which profile contains the bookmarks and logins you need. During Firefox import, select that same profile.
Keep Chrome installed and signed in for the check
Do not uninstall Chrome or delete its profile before verifying Firefox. The safest migration is a copy-and-check process: Chrome remains your reference while Firefox becomes the browser you test. Mozilla states that importing does not change Chrome settings or remove its data.
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Install Firefox and close Chrome
Download and install Firefox for your operating system, then launch it once so its initial profile is created. Before importing, close every Chrome window. Mozilla’s support instruction is explicit: “Before importing data, make sure Chrome is closed.” A running Chrome process can prevent Firefox from reading the profile or cause categories to be missing.
- Install Firefox using the installer for your operating system.
- Open Firefox and complete only the setup prompts you want. You can make Firefox the default browser now or wait until verification is complete.
- Exit Chrome completely. Check the taskbar, dock, or system process list if Chrome appears to remain open in the background.
- Return to Firefox and open the import tool.
Open Firefox’s Import Data wizard
Menu names vary slightly by operating system and Firefox version. Use the first route if it is present; the bookmarks manager provides an alternative.
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| Route | Path | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Settings route | Menu > Settings > General > Import browser data > Import Data |
The current general-purpose route in Firefox. |
| Bookmarks route | Bookmarks > Manage bookmarks > Import and Backup > Import Data from Another Browser |
Useful when you are already managing bookmark folders or the Settings label differs. |
If you do not see exactly these labels, look for “Import browser data,” “Import Data,” or “Import and Backup.” Firefox occasionally changes menu wording between platforms and releases.
Import the Chrome profile and choose categories
- In the wizard’s browser list, choose Google Chrome.
- If Firefox displays multiple Chrome profiles, select the profile you identified before starting. Do not assume the first profile is the right one.
- Review the available data categories. Select only the categories you want to copy, such as bookmarks, saved passwords, history, extensions, and form autofill.
- Start the import and wait for Firefox to report completion. Avoid reopening Chrome until the process has finished.
- Open a new Firefox window and inspect the imported locations rather than relying only on the completion message.
Importing is additive: it gives Firefox a copy to work with. It is not a synchronization link between the two browsers, and later changes in Chrome will not automatically appear in Firefox.
Confirm that bookmarks arrived
Check both the menu and toolbar
Open Firefox’s Bookmarks menu and look for the imported Chrome folders. Then check the Bookmarks Toolbar. Firefox may import the bookmarks correctly while leaving the toolbar hidden, which makes the result appear incomplete.
- Open the Firefox application menu and choose the bookmarks view.
- Expand folders with the same names you used in Chrome, including any “Bookmarks bar” or imported folder.
- Open several high-value bookmarks, including a work portal and a site with a long or unusual URL.
- If the toolbar is absent, enable the Bookmarks Toolbar from Firefox’s toolbar customization or view controls.
If Chrome is missing from the browser list
Use Chrome’s HTML bookmark export as a fallback. In Chrome, open the bookmark manager, use its three-dot menu, and choose the export option to save an HTML file. In Firefox, return to Bookmarks > Manage bookmarks > Import and Backup and choose the HTML import option. Select the exported file and then inspect the resulting folders.
An HTML file carries bookmark links and folder structure, not Chrome passwords, history, or extension settings. Use it specifically for bookmarks when the direct browser-to-browser source is unavailable.
Move Chrome passwords safely
Windows and Linux: use the CSV route
Mozilla’s current Chrome import guide says automatic Chrome password import is unavailable on Windows and Linux. On those systems, export the passwords from Chrome and then select the CSV password import option in Firefox’s Import Data wizard.
- In Chrome, open
Passwords and Autofill > Google Password Manager. - Open Google Password Manager’s
Settings. - Choose the password export command and authenticate if Chrome requests your device password, PIN, or other verification.
- Save the CSV file in a private location that other people and cloud-synced folders cannot access.
- Open Firefox’s Import Data wizard and choose the CSV option for passwords rather than expecting Chrome to appear as an automatic password source.
- Select the exported file and complete the import.
- Sign in to several important sites in Firefox, including one that uses a username-plus-password form and one that uses a passkey or two-step sign-in alongside a password.
- After confirming the imported entries, delete the CSV file securely. Do not email it, upload it to a shared drive, or leave it in a downloads folder.
The CSV is sensitive because it contains readable password data. Treat it like a temporary credential dump, not like an ordinary spreadsheet.
Other operating systems
Firefox’s available password-import choices can differ by operating system and installed version. Follow the options shown by the current wizard. If automatic Chrome password import is offered, select it only after Chrome is closed and the correct profile is chosen. If it is not offered, use the CSV procedure instead.
Check imported logins without locking yourself out
Keep Chrome available while testing. Open Firefox’s saved-logins view and search for a handful of essential accounts. Test the sites in a new Firefox tab, but do not sign out of Chrome until you know the Firefox credentials work. If a site uses a one-time code, security key, passkey, or device approval, that second factor is separate from the password import and may still require its normal setup.
Handle extensions as a review, not a blind copy
Firefox does not promise that every Chrome extension will transfer identically. Its import flow searches for comparable Firefox add-ons. Mozilla says matching can consider the same developer, updates within the last six months, recommendations in the Firefox Add-ons site, and equivalent function. Those rules can produce a match, no match, or a different add-on with similar capabilities.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →- Start the extension import from the completion screen or the imported-add-ons prompt.
- Read each proposed match. Check the developer name and the add-on’s stated permissions rather than accepting every suggestion automatically.
- Choose the option to finalize installation when Firefox presents “Finalize the installation of your imported add-ons.”
- Open Firefox’s add-ons manager and verify that each essential add-on is enabled.
- Recreate settings that did not carry over, such as custom blocked sites, keyboard shortcuts, allowlists, or account sign-ins.
- Test the extension on the pages where you depend on it. A privacy tool, password helper, developer tool, or accessibility aid can appear installed while still needing permission or configuration.
Some Chrome extensions have no Firefox equivalent, and browser APIs can behave differently. Keep a written list of your critical extensions and mark each one as installed, configured, tested, replaced, or intentionally omitted.
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Payment methods on Windows
Do not plan on importing Chrome payment methods into Firefox on Windows. Mozilla says this is no longer supported because of changes in Chrome’s encryption mechanism. Re-enter payment details only through the secure payment page of a site or service you trust, and use the site’s own verification process.
Open tabs
Open tabs are a live browser session, not a normal bookmark collection. Save them to a named Chrome folder before migration if they matter. After importing, open that folder in Firefox and close pages you no longer need.
Extension data and browser-specific settings
An imported or newly installed Firefox add-on may not contain the Chrome extension’s stored settings, local databases, subscription state, or custom rules. Check the add-on’s own export and sync features where available. Never assume that an extension’s icon proves its previous configuration was restored.
Troubleshoot by symptom
Firefox says Chrome is unavailable
- Close every Chrome window and wait a few seconds before retrying.
- Confirm that Chrome is installed for the same operating-system user who is running Firefox.
- Check that you are using the Chrome profile containing the data.
- Restart Firefox and run the import wizard again.
- For bookmarks, use the HTML export/import fallback if Chrome still does not appear.
Bookmarks imported but seem to be missing
- Expand the imported folders in the Bookmarks menu; Firefox may preserve Chrome’s nested structure.
- Turn on the Bookmarks Toolbar if the visible toolbar is empty.
- Search for a distinctive bookmark title in Firefox’s bookmark manager.
- Compare the result with Chrome’s bookmark manager before exporting again.
Passwords are absent
- On Windows or Linux, repeat the process using Chrome’s password CSV export; the automatic route is not available under Mozilla’s current instructions.
- Make sure you exported from the Chrome profile that owns the login.
- Check that the CSV file was selected in Firefox’s password-import step, not the generic bookmark HTML step.
- Test a known account in Firefox before deleting the CSV or signing out of Chrome.
An extension match is wrong or does not work
- Do not finalize a match whose developer, permissions, or purpose does not fit.
- Search Firefox’s add-on catalog manually for the extension’s official developer or a functionally equivalent tool.
- Review permissions and recreate the extension’s settings.
- Keep the Chrome extension active until the Firefox replacement passes a real task test.
The import stops partway through
- Close Chrome again and retry with fewer categories selected.
- Import bookmarks first, then handle passwords and extensions through their separate routes.
- Restart both browsers if the wizard repeatedly reports an incomplete operation.
- Use HTML for bookmarks or CSV for passwords when the direct category fails.
Verification checklist before making Firefox your only browser
Work through this list using the accounts and sites you actually rely on:
- Important bookmark folders are present, and several links open successfully.
- The Bookmarks Toolbar is visible if you use it.
- Essential saved logins appear in Firefox and work on their sites.
- Two-factor authentication, passkeys, security keys, and recovery methods still work.
- Critical extensions have a suitable Firefox add-on, correct permissions, and tested settings.
- Saved tab sessions were converted into a bookmark folder when needed.
- You understand that Windows payment methods were not imported and have a safe plan for any required re-entry.
- The temporary password CSV has been deleted after successful verification.
- Chrome still opens and retains the original data until your Firefox checks are complete.
When to remove Chrome
Remove Chrome only after Firefox has handled your normal work for long enough to expose missing bookmarks, logins, or add-on features. There is no need to uninstall Chrome immediately; keeping it temporarily gives you a reference and a recovery path. If Firefox fails a critical test, return to Chrome, identify the missing category, and repeat only that category’s migration instead of wiping either browser profile.
Once the verification checklist is complete, set Firefox as the default browser in its settings or your operating system’s default-app controls. Keep the exported bookmark HTML or password CSV only as long as necessary, and delete credential files immediately after confirming the import.
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