Whether you want to change your password management just because, or if you are a LastPass user affected by the service’s launch recent changes to its free series, it’s a good option to switch to the much – loved (and free) Bitwarden service. Bitwarden is now the best free password manager for most people – as it works across all your devices to add convenience and security to your logs – and it’s easy set up quickly.
To begin, head to Bitwarden site and create an account. It’s free to do, and all you have to do is worry about yourself hard master password. Do it well, and one that you won’t use anywhere else, because it will be one of the gateways for your other passwords that you store on the service. Once you have created your account and logged in, be sure to verify your email address using the option in the top right hand corner.
If you come from another service – like LastPass, for example – you will want to find a tool that you can use to export your passwords. On LastPass, this is removed below Advanced Options connection at the bottom; export your passwords by default to a simple .CSV list.
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You then copy the list (I don’t take screenshots, for obvious reasons) directly into Bitwarden via Tools menu > Import data.
All your passwords will appear in your main screen, and should also sync with your various Bitwarden apps the next time you use them. To edit any of your passwords, simply click on the hyperlink for a specific site or service. You can also use the gear icon that appears when you go over each listing to copy your username or password directly to your video board.
Those are the basics of Bitwarden, but you haven’t done it yet. Click on the profile icon in the top right hand corner and select My account. From there, click on it Two-step login in the largest left-hand bar.
Here ‘s where to set up two – factor authentication for your account – this is not necessary until you can practice Bitwarden, but it is highly recommended to keep your account secure from unauthorized login. You can choose to email 2FA codes to you to confirm login attempts, but I recommend that you use authentication app instead. They seem easy to set up, and as a password manager for your two-factor authentication tokens.
You may want to visit the Options a link on the lefthand sidebar, which allows you to change your Vault timeline – as it stands, how long it has been open since you last accessed it. Beyond that time, and you will need to re-enter your password. Turn this down if you are on a shared computer, and consider turning it up a bit if you feel particularly secure in your situation.
After that, get a hold of all Bitwarden apps and extensions you will need your tools and browsers. They are easy to install, and will give you access to everything you have stored in your Bitwarden room. For your browser, for example, simply clicking on a password to pull up your Bitwarden autofill:
And that’s it. Bitwarden ‘s free version doesn’t offer a ton of features – no password tracking for leaks, for example – but it does give you a quick and easy way to synchronize passwords over all your devices. What is not like?