---
title: Firefox Sync
slug: Archive/Mozilla/Firefox_Sync
tags:
  - NeedsTranslation
  - Sync
  - TopicStub
translation_of: Archive/Mozilla/Firefox_Sync
---
<h2 id="Components_and_Services">Components and Services</h2>
<p>Sync refers to a family of related components and services which provide synchronization of data between Mozilla application instances. These components and services include:</p>
<dl>
 <dt>
  Firefox Sync Client</dt>
 <dd>
  The Sync client bundled with Mozilla products. It exists as a core JavaScript module providing generic functionality and UI components for each product.</dd>
 <dt>
  Server</dt>
 <dd>
  A server implementation of the Sync HTTP protocol. Clients communicate through it.</dd>
 <dt>
  Firefox Home</dt>
 <dd>
  An iOS application that functions as a Sync client.</dd>
 <dt>
  Mozilla Server Instance</dt>
 <dd>
  An instance of the server deployed and maintained by Mozilla. If you use Sync in your browser, this is what it talks to by default.</dd>
</dl>
<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>
<p>There are numerous specifications concerning Sync. These include:</p>
<ul>
 <li>An HTTP API for client-server interaction</li>
 <li>Storage formats used by the the clients</li>
 <li>Cryptographic model for encrypting client data</li>
</ul>
<p>The definitive source for these specifications is <a class="external" href="http://docs.services.mozilla.com/" title="http://docs.services.mozilla.com/">http://docs.services.mozilla.com/</a>.</p>
<h2 id="Running_a_Server">Running a Server</h2>
<p>It is possible to run your own Sync Server instance. Full instructions are available at <a class="external" href="http://docs.services.mozilla.com/howtos/run-sync.html" title="http://docs.services.mozilla.com/howtos/run-sync.html">http://docs.services.mozilla.com/howtos/run-sync.html</a>.</p>
<h2 id="Getting_Involved_and_Status">Getting Involved and Status</h2>
<p>For information on the current development status of Sync including how to get involved, see <a class="link-https" href="https://wiki.mozilla.org/Services/Sync" title="https://wiki.mozilla.org/Services/Sync">https://wiki.mozilla.org/Services/Sync</a>.</p>
<h2 id="Related_Info">Related Info</h2>
<ul>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Firefox_Sync/JavaScript_Client_API" title="en-US/docs/Firefox Sync/JavaScript Client API">JavaScript Client API</a> (useful for interacting with Sync from Mozilla applications, including developing extensions against Sync)</li>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Firefox_Sync/Syncing_custom_preferences" title="en-US/docs/Firefox Sync/Syncing custom preferences">Syncing Custom Preferences</a> (useful for extension developers)</li>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Firefox_Sync/Code_snippets" title="/en-US/docs/Firefox sync/Code snippets">Code snippets</a> (demonstrates common actions with the JavaScript API)</li>
</ul>