Save time setting up browsers on multiple devices with options that can synchronise your data
Now that most people use more than one device to browse the internet, such as computers and mobile phones, sharing data between platforms is a very useful ability. Previously, information like favourites, logins and passwords needed to be set up separately on each device, but now there are options that can automate this for us, providing already entered information or set up preferences to other devices. This avoids repeated data entry and makes using multiple devices much easier and more convenient.
Aside from the initial setup, this also makes everyday use better, as new bookmarks or login details can also be shared across more than one device, so logging into a new online service on your phone can be shared with your PC and so on.
How is this done? You may ask. The answer is synchronisation and it's found in some web browsers, that have the option to sync your user account across various devices, be it different platforms, like the aforementioned PC and phone, or simply among multiple computers. Using this feature, you can use a browser on one platform, switch to another and carry on as if nothing had changed, with all your details, passwords and favourites intact.
Chrome Plated
We'll begin with a look at the most obvious choice for this synchronisation: Google Chrome. Being from Google, Chrome has the benefit of already being tied to a cloud-based account system. Google's online services are more interconnected than ever before, with the likes of Gmail, Google's range of online apps and YouTube all being tied to the same online account. Simply by logging in with your details, you access a range of online information pertinent to you, and this extends to Chrome.
Although you don't actually have to log into Chrome with a Google account (and many don't), doing so can grant you a great deal of useful sync options. By logging in, you can allow Google to share details across multiple devices and this includes bookmarks, history, apps and login details. This information can be synchronised across your computer, iOS device, Android phone and tablet.
This sharing may worry some, who don't really want all their details floating around on multiple devices, but there are a range of security features in place, such as encryption on mobile devices, which can use either your Google account password or a custom passphrase. This should keep your data safe. After all, most people wouldn't think twice about locking their mobile device these days.
You can also choose what to sync between devices, meaning you don't have to synchronise everything. For example, within the Chrome browser on PC, you can enter the advanced sync settings and pick the option to choose what to sync. You can choose from Apps, Extension, Settings, Autofill, History, Themes, Bookmarks, Password and Open Tabs. So if you only want to synchronise your bookmarks and passwords between devices, you can. Security conscious users may prefer not to sync passwords, leaving this as a manual entry on multiple devices, and that's fine.
Other Options
Chrome is one of the most obvious choices for browser synchronisation, but is it the only one? No, of course not. With every browser trying to compete for coveted installations, and with more and more people using multiple devices in their usual daily routine, other browsers also offer this ability. This means you don't have to limit yourself to Chrome. Indeed, your favourite browser may already have this option for you.
Firefox is arguably the most popular browser around, and it also lets you synchronise your data. This previously required a separate plug-in, but this feature now comes as standard as part of the browser. You'll find this option within the Sync section of the Options window.
Like Chrome, Firefox allows you to sync a range of data, and you can choose which information you want to share between devices. Also like Chrome, this synchronisation spans multiple operating systems, so it can be used on most devices, including Android phones and Linux. It doesn't support iOS, however, so Apple device users won't benefit.
Firefox uses encryption to secure this share data, which can consist of bookmarks, passwords, preferences, history (the last 60 days) and tabs. To access this data, you'll need a copy of the Firefox encryption key, and you really don't want to lose this, so ensure you make a backup of it, otherwise you'll be unable to retrieve the data in future.
Opera is another popular browser, and it supports synchronisation via its Opera Link. This is a special account that can be used to sync data between systems running the Opera browser. It'll allow the synchronisation of bookmarks, history (typed), speed dial pages, passwords, notes, search engines and content blocker rules. These span multiple devices.
This is supported on all platforms, including mobile and iOS. However, mobile device synchronisation is limited and only supports bookmarks, speed dial and search engines. You can also access some data via the website link.opera.com.
Safari, being Apple's own browser, is the obvious first choice for iOS and Mac users. Like Chrome, Safari already has the synchronisation infrastructure behind it in the form of Apple's iCIoud. It uses this to sync all of your data between other iOS devices, including Windows. The Windows option isn't as good as other alternatives, however, as the Windows support for the browser was discontinued a couple of years ago.
Crossing The Line
Even if your browser of choice doesn't support synchronisation of data (such as Internet Explorer - see Internet Explorer box), there are options. This falls to third-party tools, which can feasibly share your data regardless of your chosen browser. One of the most popular third-party options is LastPass (lastpass.com). This is a very powerful synchronisation tool that can share data between a large number of browsers and software, as well as multiple platforms, both fixed and mobile. There's also a free version, which is always welcome.
The program is a hybrid of cloud storage and local data management, it uses strong 256-bit encryption to store all your sensitive passwords and data locally. This is shared via the cloud, so it's there when you need it, on whatever device you need it on. The program can also help generate strong passwords and can fill out forms automatically. Couple this with the sync ability, and you've got a very useful tool.
The program supports all major browsers, with add-ons for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera. Mobile device support includes Android, iOS, Windows, BlackBerry, Symbian and webOS. On local computers, it supports Windows, OS X and Linux. This means there's little chance you'll ever be without some form of sync ability.
There are other tools that offer this third-party support too, and if you don't want something as in-depth as LastPass and simply want to synchronise your bookmarks, you may want to check out Bookmark Sync (bookmarksync.com).
This is a simple tool that'll sit happily in your System Tray, where it monitors the bookmarks in your chosen browser and uploads them to a central server. This allows access to any of your bookmarks anywhere, on virtually any browser. It's a free service and can be very useful, even if it's less complex than other options.
Another similar option that also specialised in bookmark storage is SiteBar (sitebar.org). Like Bookmark Sync, this uses online storage to handle your bookmarks, and all it needs is a SiteBar Client installation. Once you sign up for the service and install the client, you simply import your bookmarks, and you're off.
Finally, we have Xmarks. Owned by LastPass, this is another bookmark sync tool, and it can easily back up and share bookmarks between major browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. It's praised by users for its ease of use, and it's available in both free and premium guises. According to the company's statistics, it's very popular and currently hosts more than 3.1 million bookmarks.
Browser synchronisation is much more common than you may think, as we've covered here, and for anyone who uses the internet constantly, across multiple devices and systems, it's a very handy trick to make use of. Give it a go and see for yourself.
Internet Explorer
Microsoft's browser has become something of a running joke, with plenty of criticism and even memes popping up around the internet. It's often ridiculed due to its lack of speed and poor overall performance, not to mention its lack of features when compared to other browsers.
In terms of synchronisation, IE lives up to this reputation, as it has none. Inherently, the browser has no synchronisation options in its current version, so if you wanted to share your IE data across multiple devices, you're out of luck. Well, mostly.
If you're using Windows 8 or above, you can actually sync some data between Windows. This is handled by Windows itself, and you can find this option in PC Settings within the OneDrive section. There you'll find the option to sync your settings, which includes browser settings, including history and passwords. This data is shared via your Microsoft account. Windows 10 also features this, but the process has been streamlined a little, and it's found in user accounts.
Sadly, this is very limited at the moment and only supports PC and devices running the same version of Windows with the same user account. You won't be able to sync to mobile phones, not even Windows models, making this much less useful.
Is It Safe?
As with any online storage service, it's common for people to have reservations regarding storing their data online. This is understandable, especially when it comes to sharing passwords and user account data, which you'll often share if you choose to synchronise your browser data.
Most services that offer this function will take important steps in terms of security, and all will use some form of encryption to store your data. This is important, and if you do decide to use such a service but you're concerned about security, always ensure your chosen option uses a good level of encryption.
Most services like this will also require a password, and not all will use your main account login, such as Microsoft or Google, so always choose a password that's different to any of your stored data. Also, ensure it's very strong - more so than you may usually do.
If you're really concerned about security, don't store anything sensitive. You can still get a lot of use out of synchronisation services if you do this, and even the simple sharing of bookmarks can be a great help. If you're not comfortable, keep the data stored locally.
Lesser Known Options?
We've covered the major browsers, because these all have some form of synchronisation function, even if it's via its host OS, as in IE's case. However, that doesn't mean you need to stick to these browsers; there are other, less well-known options.
SeaMonkey is one example, and its own SeaMonkey Sync function allows users to sync data between systems, including bookmarks, history and passwords. This synchronisation even extends to bridging the gap over to Firefox, so it's useful if you use SeaMonkey at home and Firefox elsewhere. You can find more information about this at www.seamonkey-project.org/doc/sync.
Another browser with its own sync abilities is Pale Moon (www.palemoon.org). This has its own sync tool in the form of Pale Moon Sync, and this is a service designed specifically for Pale Moon users. Using it, you can sync data between computers, as well as other devices, such as tablets and mobile phones.
The data you can sync here includes bookmarks, tabs history, form history, passwords and more. It's a free service for Pale Moon users, but due to its free nature, there's no guarantee of service availability. If you need a more reliable service, you'd be best off sticking to one of the other options we've covered here.