Five ways a password manager will make your online life easier

Passwords sit somewhere between the daily annoyance and necessary evil of the digital age. Once upon a time, most of us had that single, easy-to-remember six-digit password that we used for every site and app. But those naive days of digital innocence are long gone: The near-daily deluge of data breaches, hacks and ransomware requires passwords of such complexity that they’re beyond memorization.

Thankfully, there's an easier way: Use a password manager. Below, we’ll list five reasons why switching to a password manager adds simplicity to your life, and makes your data more secure, too.

1. Never forget your passwords

Many sites now require compliance with more rigorous security standards before they'll sign off on your password of choice. The upside of those complex passwords is they’re harder to guess, or even hack. The downside? Unlike "password123" or your pet's name, they're also impossible for you to remember. But with a password manager, you don't have to: the app will store all your passwords, regardless of complexity. (That also goes for passkeys, the newer alternative to passwords.) Some password managers can even securely store additional critical data, such as credit card information and passport numbers. Paired with multi-device support, password managers allow users to synchronize their credentials across all their devices so they can always access them.

Of course, you'll need to create and remember a single mission-critical password: That of the password manager itself. Thankfully, you can also pair that to a fingerprint or face recognition biometric ID on your device for faster access, too.

2. Create and store strong passwords

We mentioned it above, but it's worth saying again: moving away from common passwords is mission one for better security. Any password like “iloveyou” or “sunshine” that's easy to remember is also easy to crack through methods like so-called dictionary and brute-force attacks. These common cracking methods are essentially trial-and-error-style attacks that use complex software to generate a wide variety of username and password combinations. The more common and basic your password, the easier it is to crack.

Cybersecurity experts recommend having at least a 12-character-long password that mixes letters, numbers, and special characters to protect your account information. While those can be hard for a human to even formulate, the better password managers will generate them automatically and store them in their databases securely. And again, that's all hidden behind the single main password — the only one you need to remember.

3. Automatically fill in passwords when logging in

Advanced password managers generally have compatibility with the major operating systems (phones and computers) as well as a bevy of plug-ins and extensions for most major web browsers. With the proper password manager app and extensions configured and installed, auto-fill feature will be enabled. Once you enter the login page for the website, the password manager will simply fill in your previously saved username and password (having already verified you're the user via that main password or biometric unlock). This will save you time and effort as you don't need to fill in long and complex phrases manually, or even worry about copying and pasting them.

4. Encrypt passwords and other key documents

A key selling point for password managers is that each user's password is secured by AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit encryption. This form of encryption is common in government agencies, mega-corporations, VPNs, and other institutions that require top-tier security.

AES 256-bit encryption is almost impenetrable by the masses, as it includes 14 rounds of 256-bit keys. Each round includes processing steps that transpose, substitute, and mix plaintext into cyphertext. All that means is that a hacker would require technology that hasn't been invented yet and decades of processing time to brute-force information locked behind AES 256-bit encryption.

Is that overkill? Not really. The extra security is transparent on your end, because the software is doing the heavy lifting. And utilizing the very best encryption available means that even if the password manager vendor itself is breached — as LastPass was in late 2022 — the bad guys make off with a hard drive full of encrypted files that are essentially worthless.

It’s important to note that no matter the security or encryption you use, you can still fall victim to a phishing attack, where you're effectively tricked into giving up your username or password (via a fake support call or website, for instance). Therefore, it's best to remain diligent regarding where you enter your passwords.

5. Share and manage passwords with your family

If password managers are a great convenience for individuals, that goes double when you establish a family plan. Finally, sharing access to services ranging from Spotify to Amazon to the utility company no longer involve sharing via Google Docs, text messages, email or hard copies — all of which are frustrating at best and terribly insecure at worst. Most services include a share button that provides a copy of your password to whomever you send it, even if they don't have a subscription.

This sharing functionality lets you maintain your whole family's complex and strong passwords in one encrypted database. And that works whether it's a group in a single-family home or students or elderly relatives spread across the country or around the globe. In today's connected world, it's crucial to involve everyone in the best online safety practices.

Our top password manager pick

1Password continues to be Engadget's choice for best password manager. The service can create complex and hard-to-crack passwords and store them in its AES-256 encrypted databases for easy access across your full panoply of devices. It autofills these passwords or passkeys with browser extensions to make logging in to websites easier and faster.

Furthermore, 1Password's makes sharing and managing passwords among family members far simpler and manageable than whatever workaround you may be using right now. And its Watchtower feature flags suspicious websites, alerts you of security issues, and notifies you if your password has been involved in a data leak.

Now through September 15, 1Password is offering 25% off first year subscriptions of its family plan, too. That's $45 for a year of making logins easier for up to 5 family members with unlimited devices. (If you only need a single user account, those start at $35 per year.) Even better, you can try it free for 14 days before you commit.