DAE think password managers are overrated? Had a nightmare scenario last week

So my password manager (Bitwarden) just locked me out without warning. I was trying to log into my bank account on my phone and it needed my master password again even though I had the app set to stay logged in. Ended up locked out of everything for like 4 hours trying to reset through email verification which was a whole other mess. On one hand it's great having all those random passwords and not reusing them everywhere. But on the other hand if that one master password fails or the service goes down you're totally stuck. Has anyone else had a similar lockout or am I just the unlucky one?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_mitchell18d ago

Did you have two-factor authentication turned on for that Bitwarden account? Because what you described sounds more like a session timeout issue with the browser extension rather than Bitwarden itself locking you out. Most password managers will ask for your master password again if the app updates or if you haven't used it in a few days. I keep my master password written down on a piece of paper in my wallet just in case. It's not perfect but it beats being locked out of everything.

jenny4718d ago

yeah i actually just read something about how Bitwarden handles browser extension sessions and it mentioned they have a new timeout feature that can auto-logout if the browser restarts or goes idle too long. so it's totally possible that charles just hit a timeout issue rather than the account itself locking up. honestly writing down the master password somewhere safe like that is pretty smart even if it feels old school.

ruby_jones17d ago

ngl I used to be one of those people who thought writing stuff down was outdated, but hearing about these lockout nightmares changed my mind. honestly, after reading this I'm seriously thinking about keeping my master password on a sticky note somewhere safe.