To begin with, the procedure of entering login credentials resembles writing your homework that you did last week. Boring and time-consuming. Plus, there are tons of other things that you would prefer to deal with instead of thinking whether your Netflix password ends with an exclamation mark or some number. Luckily, there is a feature in your browser which is ready to release you from the problem.
This feature is called the Password Manager. As it is clear from its name, it stores your passwords and enters them automatically in the necessary fields, in order to make your life easier. In other words, it is a digital "safe" which is available in such browsers as Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
Magic happens. Just click on the field in which your username should be entered, and voila – it is done. No need to look for sticky notes with your Netflix password anymore. Time-saving effect is evident. Although each login is saved for several seconds only, it adds up quickly every time you switch from TikTok to Discord to school portals and so on.
But here comes the bad news. All passwords that are saved in this feature are stored in one place. That means that once your laptop or your main Google account is compromised, hackers have access to all your accounts in different websites. It is a terrible idea. It means that you must use really strong and unique password in order to protect your main Google account.
It is a trade-off, where security becomes the price of convenience. However, if you are going to be as careful with your main account as with a bank vault, you can consider Password Manager a good choice. You should use passphrase (for example, BlueTacoTruckRunsAt4) instead of such simple password as "password123". Once your main account is protected, the browser-based Password Manager becomes quite a secure place to store your login details.
How to activate the feature? In most cases, it is activated by default, but let us make sure. In Chrome, you need to click on three dots which are located in the top-right corner of the screen. Then, you should go to "Settings", find "Autofill and passwords" and click on "Google Password Manager". It is the management center of your saved logins.
In Safari, you need to perform the same actions. However, if you use Macbook or iPhone, you should go to Settings, tap your name at the top to go to iCloud, and then find "Passwords and Keychain". There, you should toggle "iCloud Keychain".
Once the feature is activated, using it becomes easy. Every time you enter your login details to such sites as Roblox or Spotify, you need to notice a small pop-up which appears near the address bar. It should say something like "Do you want to save this password? ". You should just press "Save". It is done.
Unfortunately, there is one drawback. There are situations when the pop-up does not appear or you accidentally press "Never save" for the website that you wanted to save. However, there is always a way to save login manually. Go to the Password Manager settings that we've discussed above. Usually, there is an option to add a new password. You should just enter the website, your username and your password.
Now, let us talk about how to create a strong password. Unfortunately, humans are not good at it. They use the names of their pets or their birthday. Hackers love this. But luckily, your browser has a tool which helps you with it. Once you create an account, you need to look for an option called "Suggest Strong Password". It generates random characters' combination.
That random characters' combination is good. It is difficult to guess. But what is even more important, there is no need to remember it. The browser stores it automatically. You do not need to type "Xy7#b9!q2". Instead, the browser does this job for you.
Is it as secure as the LastPass or 1Password? No, it is not. Paid password management services provide additional functionality, like storing secure notes or sharing login details with your relatives. But it is enough for basic browsing and streaming needs. And, of course, it is much more convenient than using the same password for every service.
However, there is one issue to pay attention to. This is the "Shared Device" trap. If you log in Chrome on a school computer or on your friend's laptop, be careful. If you save your passwords there, the next person who uses this computer has access to them. You should use "Incognito" or "Private" mode on such computers.
Plus, do not forget to update the browser regularly. Developers work hard to patch any security holes. If you do not update it for days, you might become a victim of some hacker attack. Restarting Chrome and updating it is a two-minute process. Do it.
In conclusion, once you activate this feature, you will wonder how you could ever manage to live without it. The procedure of logging in becomes painless. You do not need to remember complicated codes. You do not reuse the same weak password, because you are too lazy. The browser solves the problem of complexity, while you enjoy the convenience.
It is a small change in settings, which greatly improves your daily digital life. You get several minutes back in your day. And you become more secure at the same time. A very rare win-win situation. So, go to your settings, enable the manager and let the computer do all boring stuff for you. You've got better things to do. 😎
0 Comments