14 DAY TRIAL // Firefox Sync can be a very useful tool and is a great way of keeping all of your bookmarks, history, settings and so on in sync between different computers and devices. But it hasn't been that widely adopted, Mozilla itself admits.
The most likely reason is that it's rather complicated and convoluted and involved passing a long key between devices.
Mozilla plans to revamp Firefox Sync to make it much easier to use by following Google's footsteps on the matter. Soon, just like in Chrome, you'll be able to "log into" Firefox by creating a new Firefox ID.
You'll then be able to use that ID to keep your data in sync between different installs and the cloud. This next gen Firefox Sync is currently in the works and is targeted at landing Firefox 20, though there's no guarantee.
Key to this new system is Mozilla Persona, which is going to be the basis for the Firefox ID. Persona is Mozilla's new authentication/identity service which has just hit beta.
Being built straight into Firefox should give Persona a big boost, which is a good thing since Persona is shaping up as the only legitimate alternative to using your Google or Facebook credentials to sign up or log into other sites or apps. It's still got a long way to go before it can be considered a threat though.
Applied to Firefox Sync, using a Persona ID should make it much easier to use for most people. All they have to do is create a Persona ID for the first time and remember their credentials.
All of their data, the same as the current Sync feature, will then be stored in the Mozilla cloud and available on any other device.
For more security conscious users, those that are fans of the current system, the next-gen Sync will offer the option of encrypting all the data with a local key, making it impossible for Mozilla or anyone else to peek inside.