Tried a free password manager and it locked me out for two days

I finally gave in and tried Bitwarden last month after hearing about it online. Set it up, let it import all my old passwords, and felt pretty good. Then my phone died and I needed to log into my bank on my laptop. I couldn't remember the master password I'd just created. The recovery process took 48 hours because I hadn't set up the backup codes properly. The lesson was obvious but I missed it: a tool is only as strong as your setup. Has anyone else had a rough start with a password manager and found a simple way to avoid this?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesf2617d ago

Master password is the one thing you have to remember. Write it down somewhere safe at first. I keep mine in a fireproof lockbox. The backup codes are just as important, treat them like a spare key.

haydenbutler16d agoTop Commenter

My fireproof box has a printed copy of my master password too, along with my backup codes. I even put my mom's important documents in there so I remember to check the box every few months. It just makes the whole system feel way more solid, you know?

blair_dixon11d ago

Oh that's smart! I read somewhere that a lot of people forget to update their paper backups when they change a password. Tying it to something you check regularly, like those documents, fixes that.