Apple releases iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox, but only for macOS Sonoma

[harlan4096]

Apple has finally released the iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox, well over a year after it was launched for Chrome and Edge. But, there is a catch.

iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox is a macOS exclusive

I was really excited when I heard the news and installed the add-on to test it on my Windows laptop. When I clicked on the button to access it, a pop-up said, "The iCloud Passwords extension is compatible with macOS Sonoma or later." And the extension's page on the AMO mentions that it is not available for Windows at this time. Oh, well. It doesn't support Linux either.


 
The pop-up also mentions that the add-on is available for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on Windows. It's kind of silly to promote those versions via the Firefox extension, I suppose it is there to educate users about options they could consider.

Why is the iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox exclusively available for macOS Sonoma 14, and not on Ventura, or Monterey? I'm guessing it has something to do with the new Passwords app that debuted with Sonoma, it's a pretty impressive app that has additional options for generating and managing passwords that are not available in older versions of iCloud Keychain. Some users may prefer using Firefox on their Mac instead of Apple Safari, so the iCloud Passwords extension can be really invaluable for such users.

But, it is likely that there are a lot more users who have an iPhone or iPad and a Windows PC, than those with an iPhone/iPad and a Mac. I hope Apple will eventually add support for Firefox on Windows in the future, just like how Apple Podcasts on the web was updated to support Mozilla's browser.

What's interesting is there has been no official word about the Firefox add-on from Apple. Here's more. The Cupertino company has taken over the iCloud Passwords extension from a third-party developer called Aurélien. The GitHub repository of the old add-on now states that the ownership of the extension's listing has been transferred to Apple Inc, and that the GitHub page is no longer related to the new version.

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