How to restore bookmarks and open sessions in Firefox for Android

Last update: 6 July 2026
  • Automatic synchronization via Mozilla account to have the data available on any device.
  • Recovering local JSON files from the AppData folder on Windows computers.
  • Use of local automatic backups that Firefox stores for the last 15 days.
  • Manual export of bookmarks in HTML format to ensure universal compatibility.

Restore Firefox data

I'm sure it's happened to you before that, when you open the browser on your mobile phone, you're frozen to see that Your favorite lashes have disappeared Or that those bookmarks you had so carefully organized are nowhere to be found. It's quite a frustrating feeling, especially if you had saved crucial information that you hadn't backed up anywhere else and now you feel a bit lost.

The good news is that, even though it may seem that everything has gone wrong, there are still hopes. various routes to recover your informationDepending on whether you use the Mozilla cloud, have access to the device's internal files, or were lucky enough to make a backup, there are solutions that can save your skin and give you back control over your Android browsing.

Mozilla Synchronization: The simplest solution

To avoid going crazy with complicated processes, the most effective thing is to take advantage of the Mozilla accountBy registering for this free service, the browser ensures that your history, passwords, and bookmarks are always available, regardless of whether you're browsing from a tablet, PC, or smartphone.

The most noteworthy thing is that the data travels fully encrypted to the serversThis ensures that no one, not even the company itself, can snoop on your links. Furthermore, Mozilla maintains a very strict privacy policy and does not sell your information to third parties, something that is greatly appreciated these days, especially if you use a Firefox built-in VPN for added security

If you need to quickly move content between devices, there's a feature to send tabsIt's ideal for when you find a recipe or an interesting article on your mobile and prefer to read it more calmly on the big screen of your computer when you get home.

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Manual recovery using the AppData folder on PC

If for some reason you didn't have synchronization enabled and you've lost your data, but you still have access to the computer where you used the browser, there's a trick up your sleeve. Firefox generates local files in JSON format that store the structure of your bookmarks and browsing history.

To access them, you must navigate to the route C: \ Users \ Nombre de usuario \ AppData \ Roaming \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \ xxxxxxx.defaultNote that the AppData folder is usually hidden, so you will need to enable the option to show hidden files and folders in the File Explorer to be able to enter.

Once you locate the corresponding .json file, simply open Firefox on your desktop, go to the Bookmarks menu, and select Manage bookmarks and, within the Import and Backup option, choose the Restore function to load that specific file.

Critical cases: Formatting and lack of root access on Android

When the situation gets complicated, as happens after a system format or update, things get ugly. On Android, session files are stored in protected paths like /data/org.mozilla.firefox/which are completely inaccessible if the phone is not rooted.

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If you've also erased your PC's hard drive and no longer have the AppData folder, the only viable option is to resort to professional data recovery softwareTools like FonePaw can scan the C drive looking for traces of JSON or HTML files that haven't been overwritten yet.

The process involves performing a deep scan of the drive, locating the Firefox profile folder, and retrieve the bookmarks fileOnce recovered, it can be imported into the browser following the usual data restoration steps.

How to avoid surprises: Manual backups and exports

To avoid going through this stress again, the smartest thing to do is to create regular backupsThere's no need to complicate things: from the Bookmarks menu and the Manage Bookmarks section, you can choose the Copy option to generate a JSON file or Export Bookmarks to obtain an HTML file.

It is highly recommended to save these files in the cloud, in an email, or on an external drive. HTML format is especially useful Because it's universal and you can import it not only into Firefox, but also into Google Chrome without needing to perform conversions.

Furthermore, Firefox is wonderful because performs daily backups automatically. If you accidentally deleted a folder, you can open the Library with Ctrl + Shift + O (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + O (Mac), go to Import and Backups, and choose a restore date. The browser saves snapshots of the last 15 daysThis allows you to fix synchronization errors in the cloud since these copies are local and independent.

To keep everything under control, the ideal solution is to combine automatic synchronization of a Mozilla account with manual backups in HTML or JSON saved externally. This ensures you can recover your browsing even after critical system failures or accidental storage formatting.

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