Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Can I get already synced bookmarks off of a dead device? And other syncing issues...

more options

This involves Firefox on Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. I have been using Firefox on my MacBook since 2012, and been syncing to my Android phones since 2015-ish (a Huawei, then Samsung, then another Samsung, replacing them as they broke). I never had any problems. I can't remember if I was able to access already synced bookmarks from broken phones, but since I move my mobile bookmarks into desktop bookmark folders pretty often, I was never bothered enough to check. Last October, my MacBook's logic board broke. Not long after, my phone broke. I got a secondhand iPhone, and signed into sync, but nothing synced up. I assume because my devices are already dead and no longer syncing? Is there anyway for me to access my laptop bookmarks? I still have the hard drive from the MacBook.

I finally have access to a computer again, this time a Windows desktop, and logged in to my Firefox sync to see if I could find any of my disappeared bookmarks. Nope, but something weird happened. I have about 200 bookmarks on my iPhone, and the first 139 migrated to the desktop. They show up under the 'Mobile Bookmarks' folder on the desktop, but I can no longer see them on my iPhone. The most recent 20 or so bookmarks are still available on my iPhone, but don't appear on the desktop. What just happened?

While going through all the help pages, I discovered that I do have a second Firefox profile, though I opened it up and there isn't anything on it. Not sure if that matters.

Thank you!

This involves Firefox on Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. I have been using Firefox on my MacBook since 2012, and been syncing to my Android phones since 2015-ish (a Huawei, then Samsung, then another Samsung, replacing them as they broke). I never had any problems. I can't remember if I was able to access already synced bookmarks from broken phones, but since I move my mobile bookmarks into desktop bookmark folders pretty often, I was never bothered enough to check. Last October, my MacBook's logic board broke. Not long after, my phone broke. I got a secondhand iPhone, and signed into sync, but nothing synced up. I assume because my devices are already dead and no longer syncing? Is there anyway for me to access my laptop bookmarks? I still have the hard drive from the MacBook. I finally have access to a computer again, this time a Windows desktop, and logged in to my Firefox sync to see if I could find any of my disappeared bookmarks. Nope, but something weird happened. I have about 200 bookmarks on my iPhone, and the first 139 migrated to the desktop. They show up under the 'Mobile Bookmarks' folder on the desktop, but I can no longer see them on my iPhone. The most recent 20 or so bookmarks are still available on my iPhone, but don't appear on the desktop. What just happened? While going through all the help pages, I discovered that I do have a second Firefox profile, though I opened it up and there isn't anything on it. Not sure if that matters. Thank you!

Izmjenjeno od strane kblazesync

All Replies (3)

more options

kblazesync said

Is there anyway for me to access my laptop bookmarks? I still have the hard drive from the MacBook.

If it was a PC drive, you could pop it into your computer. Since it was a Mac drive, I think you may need some kind of intermediary gadget to read it. But yes, your Firefox data as of that time would be in a hidden folder on the drive.

I have about 200 bookmarks on my iPhone, and the first 139 migrated to the desktop. They show up under the 'Mobile Bookmarks' folder on the desktop, but I can no longer see them on my iPhone. The most recent 20 or so bookmarks are still available on my iPhone, but don't appear on the desktop. What just happened?

I don't know. Some users report that Sync gets stuck from time to time and the data becomes available later. However, it is worrying that bookmarks disappeared. On your Windows PC, you might consider copying all the visible mobile bookmarks into a folder in your desktop bookmarks.

more options

Ok, I will backup a copy of the bookmarks and see if it sorts itself out in a few days. That is the most worrying part- I assume Some just jumped to the desktop, but I wouldn't notice right away if some disappeared into the ether!

Thank you for the help. Do you know what that hidden folder would be called/where I could find it?

more options

Oh, I was thinking of the Mobile Bookmarks category in the Library window, Ctrl+Shift+b on Windows, Command+Shift+b on Mac.

Then you can backup/export your bookmarks using the steps in these articles: