Considering smartphones have become such an integral part of everyone’s lives over the last decade, the internet, including all of its websites, services, and applications, commonly come with user log-ins and passwords that have to be remembered. There was a time when people would actually write them down somewhere on a piece of paper, but now there are just too many, so most opt to store them in their phone, but is it safe?
You can store passwords on your phone as long as you ensure your phone’s physical safety while also making sure you’re using built-in security features on your phone. There are more details you should know about using password managers.
Depending on how much you use your phone and internet services, you might find yourself in a position where you have literally dozens upon dozens of user log-ins and passwords that have to be remembered. Most manufacturers have caught onto this, and as such, have included in-built features that record them for you. However, you should know a little bit more about them before taking this route.
How Your Phone Stores Passwords
Most websites ask that users create accounts with passwords so they can log in. Nowadays, with the numerous social media apps, dating websites, online banking, and online shopping, that adds up to a lot of passwords that can be really difficult to manage. And while many websites allow you to create an account using Google or Facebook, it’s still a lot to worry about when it comes to being able to access all of the accounts you use on a daily basis.
Smartphones have options for saving passwords to make logging into different accounts easier. Google Chrome also has options to save passwords too, which can work on smartphones as well. Thankfully, there are other tools that you can use to save passwords, including applications like 1Password.
Storing Passwords Using 1Password
1Password is a password management app that you can download on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. You can organize your secure information and save and fill in passwords in your web browser. You can even use it to fill and save passwords in the Safari browser on your iPhone, effectively making this formerly complicated task a lot easier.
You can use it while multitasking on an iPad as well. Simply open 1Password while you’re working in other apps, and you can drag and drop information from 1Password over to the app where you are trying to log in. These options for password management are highly effective both on computers and mobile devices.
Using Built-In Password Managers
Android and Apple devices have built-in password management options, as well. If you own an Android device like a Samsung Galaxy S20 (on Amazon), Samsung Pass is a great option to help manage your passwords. It can use your biometric data to log into a website or app on your smartphone. You sign up for Samsung Pass using your Samsung account, and you can access it in the Settings menu on your phone under Biometrics and Security.
Samsung Pass can be used on up to five mobile devices, and it is quite secure because it encrypts your biometric data. Biometric data, like fingerprints, tends to be much more secure than passwords because fingerprints are unique to individual smartphone users, although some people might be concerned about telecommunications companies harboring this very sensitive data.
What is iCloud Keychain?
The password manager for Apple devices like the iPhone 12 (on Amazon) is called iCloud Keychain. iCloud Keychain does basically the same thing as Samsung Pass. It remembers your passwords for you, so you don’t have to. It auto-fills your usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, Wi-Fi passwords, and social media log-ins. You can find your saved passwords using iCloud Keychain as well.
To turn on the iCloud Keychain on your iPhone, go to Settings, tap on your name, and select Keychain. You will be prompted to enter your passcode or Apple ID to get this set up. Using a password manager is a much better idea than using the same password across all platforms, which can easily leave you vulnerable to identity theft. But ultimately, the safety of these password managers comes down to how safe you keep your mobile devices.
Is Your Password Manager Safe?
A password manager is convenient because it means you won’t have to continuously memorize complicated usernames and passwords across all your online accounts. If you don’t have a passcode on your device itself, you definitely should not store passwords on your phone. And, of course, you can also have some sort of biometric authorization turned on, like using a fingerprint to unlock your phone or Apple’s Face ID.
These are especially important to have in place in the event that you might lose your phone or have it stolen. Having a strong passcode or biometric authorization in place can reduce the risk of someone accessing your secure information, such as banking information or credit card numbers. This is one of the main reasons why people choose such software, in addition to the added convenience.
Conclusion
Ultimately, as long as your phone is secured with a passcode or biometric authorization, there is no reason not to take advantage of the convenience of a password manager on your mobile device. Password managers cut down on the time and hassle that it takes to remember passwords and come up with unique ones for each new account that you create, and they do help to increase security as opposed to using the same password for each account you create.