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With Firefox 4 gmail stays logged in after Firefox is shut down and restarted and even if Windows is restarted. How do I fix this?

  • 7 cavab
  • 22 have this problem
  • 44 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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In Firefox 4 if you shut down the browser without signing out of gmail you stay signed in, even after a full system shutdown and restart. This was not the case with Firefox 3.x.x.x and it is not secure.

Even stranger, is that the upgrade to Firefox 4 has had the opposite effect with Hotmail: it used to keep you signed in after a browser shutdown (though not a system shutdown) but now when you reopen Firefox you are signed out.

Ideally I would like the browser to not remember that I am signed after shutting down the program.

Additionally, if it's important, I have both gmail and hotmail pinned as App Tabs.

Does anyone know what's up?

In Firefox 4 if you shut down the browser without signing out of gmail you stay signed in, even after a full system shutdown and restart. This was not the case with Firefox 3.x.x.x and it is not secure. Even stranger, is that the upgrade to Firefox 4 has had the opposite effect with Hotmail: it used to keep you signed in after a browser shutdown (though not a system shutdown) but now when you reopen Firefox you are signed out. Ideally I would like the browser to ''not'' remember that I am signed after shutting down the program. Additionally, if it's important, I have both gmail and hotmail pinned as App Tabs. Does anyone know what's up?

All Replies (7)

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Clear your cookies and when signing into your email accounts, do not check the Stayed signed in box.

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Thanks for your reply, but I shouldn't have to clear my cookies every time I log out and I do not tick the stay signed in box. Cheers.

Modified by durand

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I have sort of figured it out, but it is still a problem. It indeed has to do with pinning gmail as an App Tab. If I unpin it and shut down firefox it will signout. So now I need a fix specifically for gmail pinned as an App Tab.

Final piece of information for now: when gmail was pinned as an App Tab and shut down it would come back signed in in the App Tab but Firefox would open another gmail tab which was not signed in... Strange. Is it to do with gmail using https?

How do I fix this?

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This is a huge flaw in my opinion. Not only does it not sign you out as it should, it gives you no warning that you won't be signed out. I find it impossible to believe that testers were not aware of this problem.

Modified by oaklandnatural

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Durand, I have the same problem too. I use the latest firefox 4.01

BUT i have the problem (i.e.e i stay logged in) even if i dont have an app tab. WTF!!

Heres what happens: First let me make it clear that I have no app tabs, and all the other settings are correct (viz. no stay signed in etc etc). Now say one of the open tabs is my mail inbox. If I close and restart browser, I'll be in my inbox!! (Earlier versions of firefox took me to the log in page).

Can anybody confirm that they too observe this? I am creating a new post with this issue at https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/820487

Firefoxs started sucking bigtime man.

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Is there going to be any official response on this? This is a massive security bug (or terrible by-design choice), and still happens to this day, current gmail, and FF7.0.1.

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See also:

(locking this thread)