Big Love: How To Be a Dual-Browser Power User

Nowadays, web browsers are like virtual homes — after all, we watch TV, read the news, and catalog information into bookmarks for later use, all in one place. That's why it's only natural we tend to get a little attached to our browser of choice, whether that be Firefox or Chrome. But who says you need to use one or the other? In fact, it's dead simple to use both.
 
Each have their own advantages, from Firefox's Greasemonkey scripts to Chrome's lightning fast javascript engine. But just as you don't use the same tool on all your gadgets, not all situations warrant the same browser. In fact, as any web designer knows, it's a good practice to keep both browser on hand, giving you the best of the web without compromise. To make switching between the two as seamless as possible, here are a few tips to help Chrome and Firefox coexist.

From passwords to browsing history and even extensions too, it's easy to keep both current, synced and ready for use on a whim.

Extensions

Because of the way both Chrome and Firefox work, there's no way to keep extensions properly synced between the two. However, because of the popularity of each browser, developers have begun to develop extensions with versions for both. Adblock Plus, the popular Firefox ad blocker, now has a version available for Chrome, while extensions like Last Pass can even share saved passwords and web-form information between the two browsers. Considering the growing popularity of Google's browser, chances are it has a Firefox equivalent of its own now too.

Bookmarks

We've covered this in the past, but its worth mentioning again. While both Firefox and Chrome have their own respective bookmark sync tools, Xmarks is the only service to sync them between both browsers at the same time. Not only do you get browser sync, but tab sync too, which makes it easy to maintain multiple browsers across computers, or even on the same machine. Very handy if you're attempting to test or debug browser issues too.

Browsing History

This one's a little trickier. Both Chrome and Firefox have a way to import each other's browsing history, but no way to do so automatically. If you want to keep your history current, you'll have to wander into Chrome or Firefox's preference and trigger the function from there. However, if you watch as many Lady Gaga videos on YouTub as we do, that might not be information you want to keep synced.  

Usernames and Passwords

If you're already using Xmarks, then keeping your login settings synced is just a click away. Like the extension's tab and bookmark sync, Xmarks promises to keep your info current between Chrome and Firefox, ensuring you'll never lose access to that novelty Reddit account again. And of course, you can use the aforementioned Last Pass to keep that info synced between browsers as well.

Combined, both Firefox and Chrome will feel so familiar you may even forget what browser you're in. If you have any other smart tips for keeping your browsers synced and current — including Safari, Opera, and others we haven't mentioned — be sure to let us know!