Mozilla transitions Pocket to use Firefox Accounts exclusively

Pocket users who are still using a non-Firefox account to sign-in have about two months left before Mozilla is removing the options and requiring them to sign-in using a Firefox account.

Mozilla, maker of Firefox and owner of Pocket, announced the change on the official blog of the organization. Pocket is available as a free and commercial service. It allows users to save articles that they find on the web, categorize them, and read and listen to the articles. Premium users get an ad-free experience, a full text search option and more.  Pocket includes discovery and recommendation features next to that.

Currently, Pocket users have four options to sign-up for the service. They may use a Firefox account or create one, sign-in with their Apple or Google account, or use any email address to sign-up. The option to sign-in with third-party accounts is removed in the coming months, leaving Firefox accounts as the only option.

Mozilla states that transitioned Pocket users benefit from a better privacy policy and that they still get additional security benefits such as two-factor authentication for sign-ins, which Firefox Accounts support. The security features may also be supported by third-party services.

Pocket users who sign-in with a third-party email address will be informed about the transition starting July 11, 2023. Users may transition to using a Firefox account right then and there, or continue signing in with their current accounts.

Google or Apple users are migrated automatically according to Mozilla. They may continue signing in with their Apple ID or Google login, but it will be a Firefox account that they are using from that moment on.

Users who have been using a third-party email to sign-in to Pocket need to select "upgrade my account" to start the transition to using a Firefox account to sign-in to Pocket. Users may select "I'm not ready" to skip this during this initial period.

Changing the account that is used to sign-in won't affect the saved articles, any other saved information of the Pocket account, or the Premium state of an account

Starting August 15, 2023, sign-ins with Google, Apple or third-party email accounts are no longer supported. Users need to switch to using a Firefox account at that time to continue accessing their data.

Mozilla published an extensive FAQ that answers popular questions that Pocket users may have about the transition.

Closing Words

The transition to allowing Firefox accounts only on Pocket cuts the tie to Google and Apple account services. Users who use third-party emails to sign-in to Pocket do not really gain anything by the transition. While it may be quick to create a new Firefox account or use one to sign-in, it still requires that they become active to complete the transition before the deadline day in August.

The organization did not reveal how many of Pocket's users are affected by the decision.

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