Install the Firefox extension (beta)

Updated

Reading Rewind works in Firefox as a beta. The extension isn't signed by Mozilla yet, so Firefox only runs it as a temporary add-on: you load the .zip from about:debugging, and Firefox removes it every time it restarts. After each restart you load it again and reconnect it. Your saved pages and synced bookmarks stay safe in your account the whole time. For an install that stays put, use Chrome.

Before you start

  • Firefox 140 or later on a computer.
  • A Reading Rewind account. Create one and confirm your email address. It's free to use, with no credit card.
  • The extension file. Go to the extension section of the homepage and click Download for Firefox. You get reading-rewind-firefox-plugin.zip. Don't unzip it: Firefox loads the .zip directly. Keep it somewhere easy to find, such as your Documents folder, because you'll need it after every restart.

Step 1: Load the extension

  1. Type about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox in the address bar and press Enter. You can also open about:debugging and click This Firefox.
  2. Click Load Temporary Add-on….
  3. Select reading-rewind-firefox-plugin.zip and click Open.

Reading Rewind: Save to Read Later appears under Temporary Extensions. Mozilla's Extension Workshop explains how temporary add-ons work.

Step 2: Pin the button to your toolbar

  1. Click the Extensions button (the puzzle-piece icon) in the toolbar.
  2. Click the gear icon next to Reading Rewind: Save to Read Later and choose Pin to Toolbar.

Hover over the new button and Firefox shows Save to Reading Rewind.

Step 3: Connect the extension to your account

First, copy a pairing link from Reading Rewind:

  1. Sign in and click Settings in the sidebar. It opens on the Sync tab, or go straight to Settings > Sync.
  2. Under Pair a Browser, check that Browser is set to Firefox. It starts on the browser you're using, and the pairing link updates if you change it.
  3. Click Copy Link. The link works once, for 30 minutes.

Then open the Reading Rewind sidebar and paste it:

  1. Right-click the Reading Rewind toolbar button and choose Open Reading Rewind panel. If you don't see that option, open the View menu and choose Sidebar > Reading Rewind. On Windows and Linux, press Alt to show the menu bar.
  2. Under Connection, type https://readingrewind.com in App base URL.
  3. Paste the link into Pairing URL. Optionally, add a Source name.
  4. Click Connect and sync, and allow access to readingrewind.com when Firefox asks.

The sidebar shows Connected. Initial bookmark snapshot sent. Connecting also copies this browser's bookmarks (titles, links and folders) into your account and keeps them in sync. The privacy policy has the details.

Step 4: Save your first page

  1. Open an article you want to read later.
  2. Click the Reading Rewind toolbar button. The popup shows Saved to Read Later, and the page goes to the top of that list.
  3. Optional: type a tag in Add a tag and click Add.

Open Read Later and select the page to read the clean copy. Your Firefox bookmarks are in Bookmarks, with this browser listed as its own source.

After Firefox restarts: load it again and reconnect

When Firefox closes, it removes temporary add-ons along with their settings. The next time you open Firefox, the toolbar button and the connection are gone. Nothing in your account is lost: your saved pages, tags and synced bookmarks are all still there.

To get the extension back:

  1. Load reading-rewind-firefox-plugin.zip again from about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox, as in Step 1. Pin the button again if it's missing from your toolbar.
  2. In Settings > Sync, check that Browser is set to Firefox and copy a fresh pairing link.
  3. Open the Reading Rewind sidebar, type https://readingrewind.com in App base URL, paste the link into Pairing URL, and click Connect and sync.
  4. Under Reconnect this browser, choose your previous Firefox source. It's marked Likely match when its bookmarks match this browser.
  5. Click Reconnect and sync.

The sidebar confirms with Reconnected. Previous saved links were preserved during this snapshot. That first sync after reconnecting only adds and updates links. It won't mark anything you saved before as deleted. Normal syncing resumes after that.

Only choose Create a separate source if this is a different Firefox profile or computer. Picking it for the same browser gives you a second, duplicate Firefox source.

Why does Firefox remove the extension?

Firefox only keeps an extension installed for good once Mozilla has signed it. The Reading Rewind extension isn't signed yet and isn't listed on Firefox Add-ons, so a temporary add-on is the only way to run it in Firefox today. Until that changes, Chrome is the recommended browser for an install that stays put.

Troubleshooting

Firefox won't load the add-on

Check that you're on Firefox 140 or later (menu > Help > About Firefox) and that you selected the reading-rewind-firefox-plugin.zip file you downloaded.

There's no "Open Reading Rewind panel" option

Open the sidebar from the View menu instead: Sidebar > Reading Rewind.

The popup says "Could not save this page"

The extension isn't connected. That's normal straight after a restart. Load it again and reconnect it as described above.

The pairing link doesn't work

Links work once and expire after 30 minutes. If the sidebar says This pairing link was already used. Generate a new link in Sync Settings., or the link has expired, open Settings > Sync, click Generate New Link, check that Browser is set to Firefox, and copy the whole link again.

FAQ

Do I lose my saves when Firefox restarts?

No. Saved pages, tags and synced bookmarks live in your Reading Rewind account. Firefox only removes the extension and its connection.

Do I have to reconnect after every restart?

Yes, while the Firefox extension is in beta. Load the .zip, paste a fresh pairing link, and pick your previous source.

Should I use Chrome instead?

If you can, yes. In Chrome the extension stays installed and connected when the browser restarts. See Install the Reading Rewind extension in Chrome.

Is the Firefox extension free?

Yes. Reading Rewind is free to use, and you don't need a credit card.