Password managers: the basics
A password manager remembers all your passwords for you, so you only have to remember one strong password. It can also create long, random passwords and fill them in when you sign in. Used well, it is much safer than reusing the same password everywhere.
How it works
Your passwords are kept in an encrypted store, called a vault. You unlock it with a main password, often along with a fingerprint, face scan or a code. The manager then fills in details on websites and apps.
Choosing one
- Pick a well-known, well-reviewed manager from a reputable company.
- Install it only from the official website or your device's app store.
- Avoid unknown free tools and browser add-ons with few reviews.
Setting it up
- Install the app or browser extension.
- Create your main password. Make it long and unique, such as three or four unrelated words, and never use it anywhere else.
- Write the main password down and keep it somewhere safe at home, away from the computer.
- Turn on two-step sign-in for the manager, if offered.
- Save the recovery information the manager gives you.
Moving your passwords in
Start with the most important accounts: email, banking and shopping. Let the manager save passwords as you sign in. Change weak or repeated passwords gradually, one at a time, and keep the old one until the new one works.
Good habits
- Never share your main password.
- Do not store the vault's recovery codes in your email.
- Check the web address before the manager fills in a password. If it does not offer to fill in, you may be on a fake site.
Please be careful
If you forget the main password and have no recovery option, you may lose access to the vault. Do not delete the old password list until you have checked the new one.
When to get more help
Contact us if you want help moving over from a notebook or a browser, if you have forgotten your main password, or if you are worried a password may have been exposed.