My mac's Firefox keeps logging me out of sites

[DougieCooper95]

Since I'm using Firefox on mac, thought it would make sense to make a thread here.
I'm using the most up to date Firefox with Mac OS 10.15.6 Catalina. I'm constantly logged out of websites around the afternoon for no reason. Cleared cache but didn't seem to help. Delete cookies and site data when firefox is closed is already unchecked, Firefox is already open for quite a few hours before it decides to log me out of sites.

 

[krs]

Do you mean you are actually on the site and you get logged out while browsing the site? Or am I misunderstanding the problem.
I have been using FF as my main browser for years an had the odd issue, but never anything like what I think you mean.

 

[DougieCooper95]

Do you mean you are actually on the site and you get logged out while browsing the site? Or am I misunderstanding the problem.
I have been using FF as my main browser for years an had the odd issue, but never anything like what I think you mean.

Sorry, should've been more specific.
So like I have tabs open such as facebook, hotmail, instagram, youtube. It always seems to happen around 2pm where suddenly I'm logged out of each site and it asks me to accept cookies. It's been like this for about a week, happening every day.

 

[pigoo3]

Are you sure you're not closing/quitting FireFox...then reopening at a later time? Many of the reports on the internet of being logged out of sites...seems to happen when users quit FireFox...then reopen (either immediately or at a later time).

- Nick

 

[DougieCooper95]

Are you sure you're not closing/quitting FireFox...then reopening at a later time? Many of the reports on the internet of being logged out of sites...seems to happen when users quit FireFox...then reopen (either immediately or at a later time).

- Nick

Nope, always open. Today, for example, I was watching a film bought on youtube and it happened.

 

[krs]

Are you sure you're not closing/quitting FireFox...then reopening at a later time?

Along those lines......
I wonder what would happen if the internet connection drops for a very short while?
That because it seems to happen at roughly the same time and because it affects all logged on sites.
For regular browsing, even downloads and even streaming (because of buffering) one would not notice a connection drop of a second or two.

I would try a different browser to see if the problem is still there.

Or run something like this:
https://peakhourapp.com/

 

[DougieCooper95]

Along those lines......
I wonder what would happen if the internet connection drops for a very short while?
That because it seems to happen at roughly the same time and because it affects all logged on sites.
For regular browsing, even downloads and even streaming (because of buffering) one would not notice a connection drop of a second or two.

I would try a different browser to see if the problem is still there.

Or run something like this:
https://peakhourapp.com/

Doesn't seem to be network performance. Could it be something about the cache or cookies?

 

[krs]

Doesn't seem to be network performance. Could it be something about the cache or cookies?

How do you know it's not an issue with the internet connection - not necessarily with the network itself but icould be an issue with the router or WiFi if you use that.
I had a router with my old cable internet that used a chipset that had a design flaw where it would reset occasionally - didn't affect any normal browsing or streaming but played havoc with on-line gaming
I don't see how this issue can possibly have anything to do with the cache or cookies.

Firefox cannot log you out.
The log out comes from the site - could be because of inactivity or a glitch.
Firefox can possibly crash or lock up - but it won't log you out of a website after you log in.

I think a more detailed description of exactly what us happening would help.
Maybe the log out is perfectly normal because of inactivity on the site

 

[DougieCooper95]

How do you know it's not an issue with the internet connection - not necessarily with the network itself but icould be an issue with the router or WiFi if you use that.
I had a router with my old cable internet that used a chipset that had a design flaw where it would reset occasionally - didn't affect any normal browsing or streaming but played havoc with on-line gaming
I don't see how this issue can possibly have anything to do with the cache or cookies.

Firefox cannot log you out.
The log out comes from the site - could be because of inactivity or a glitch.
Firefox can possibly crash or lock up - but it won't log you out of a website after you log in.

I think a more detailed description of exactly what us happening would help.
Maybe the log out is perfectly normal because of inactivity on the site

So there's not much in terms of details. It's very simple. Around 2pm, I get logged out of websites for no reason. Not EVERY website, mind you. For example, today I was logged out of hotmail and google, but reddit and facebook were fine. Another day, I was logged out of reddit and facebook but hotmail was fine. There's not much else to it, it also asks me to accept cookies again when it logs me out of these sites. It's bizarre and frustrating.

 

[MacInWin]

Sounds like inactivity logouts to me. Nothing to be done for it, if it is, because the logout comes from the providers.

 

[DougieCooper95]

Sounds like inactivity logouts to me. Nothing to be done for it, if it is, because the logout comes from the providers.

Which is bizarre since, for example, hotmail is set to stay signed in and this has NEVER happened to me before.

 

[krs]

Which is bizarre since, for example, hotmail is set to stay signed in and this has NEVER happened to me before.

Providers "fiddle"with their software all the time.
Google used to be really bad for that.

I would suggest you try a different browser to see if you have the same problem.

 

[pigoo3]

Agree with member krs...try testing with different browsers. This way you can "tease" out whether the issue is browser related or individual website related.

But if you're routinely being logged out of multiple websites at exactly 2pm each day...this would seem to be some sort of non-website related thing (unless all of these websites are doing exactly the same thing at the same time).

- Nick

 

[ferrarr]

Have you gone though all of Firefoxs' Preferences? It sounds like something to do with Privacy/Security. Does Firefox offer a "Private" window, and are you using that?

 

[krs]

Firefox does provide a "Private Window" but that wouldn't (or shouldn't) log one out.
I have used it with no problems.
On Firefox it says:

You’re in a Private Window

Firefox clears your search and browsing history when you quit the app or close all Private Browsing tabs and windows. While this doesn’t make you anonymous to websites or your internet service provider, it makes it easier to keep what you do online private from anyone else who uses this computer.

 

[DougieCooper95]

Have you gone though all of Firefoxs' Preferences? It sounds like something to do with Privacy/Security. Does Firefox offer a "Private" window, and are you using that?

Don't know about private window but my privacy/security is fine. This problem seemed like it went away until just a few days ago where it started happening again. Really not sure what's going on and nothing here seems to be helping.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

It sounds like something that an extension or other software could be doing. For example, I use Cookie, a privacy app that manages cookies across browsers. It has a timer option to run its tasks, and while I don't use it, that sort of thing may be something going on in your case that triggers at 2pm every day. Maybe it's an ad blocker in your case, I don't know. Can you tell us what add-ons you have installed for Firefox? Any system software that runs in the background that manages web browser cookies, caches, etc?

 

[krs]

Don't know about private window but my privacy/security is fine. This problem seemed like it went away until just a few days ago where it started happening again. Really not sure what's going on and nothing here seems to be helping.

I lost track of what has been tried and what not.

First ting I would do is use a different browser like Safari or Chrome to see if the problem comes back.
That would tell us if it is browser or website related.
Firefox has been my default browser for along time, but lately I'm finding that I have more and more problems with Firefox - seems their design team is not as good as they used to be or their testing and verification process is lacking.
The most recent BIG issue is that macOS downloads fail when using FF, they work fine with Chrome or Safari - I'm also occasionally either getting blank pages or this morning, when I tried to download a CARFAX report, Firefox just got stuck on the payment page.
Tried twice, gave up, then used Chrome - no problem.