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Start using a password manager

20 min · essential
Why this matters. When one website is breached, attackers try the same email and password everywhere else. That's how reused passwords turn one leak into many hacked accounts. A password manager creates and remembers a different strong password for every site and fills it in for you, and it won't fill a password into a fake look-alike site.
1

Pick one

Bitwarden Free works on every device and browser, with no limit on passwords or devices. All-Apple families can use Apple's built-in Passwords app (iOS 18 / macOS Sequoia and later). Android-and-Chrome families can use Google Password Manager. Any of these beats reusing passwords.

2

Protect it properly

Choose a long master password (a few random words works well), write it down and keep it somewhere safe at home, and turn on two-step login for the password manager itself.

The master password is the one password you must never reuse anywhere.
3

Move your accounts over gradually

Start with email, banking and shopping. Each time you sign in somewhere, let the manager save it, and change reused passwords to generated ones as you go.

4

If you used Microsoft Authenticator for passwords

Microsoft retired password autofill in Authenticator in 2025. Saved passwords moved to Microsoft Edge through your Microsoft account, or you can import them into your new password manager.

Check your understanding

Why is reusing a password dangerous even if it's strong?

When one site leaks it, attackers try that same email and password on every other site.

How does a password manager help against phishing?

It only fills a password on the real website. On a look-alike fake site it stays empty, which is a warning sign.

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Checked against: Bitwarden: Password Manager plans · Apple: Use the Passwords app · Microsoft: Changes to Microsoft Authenticator autofill · last reviewed 2026-09