Bitwarden is an open-source password manager that has all the features you need (and some you had no idea you needed). But, like many software titles, you’re probably not using it to its fullest potential. There are features you might not know about and ways you can use the app to better serve you.
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I’ve been working with Bitwarden for years and have found it to be an absolute must to help keep my credentials stored safely and my passwords strong. Over the years, I’ve found a few things that have helped make it even better.
Let me share some of those tips with you.
1. Use the random password generator
Bitwarden has a built-in random password generator that you should use every time you create a new account or change your password on an existing account. Bitwarden’s random password generator allows you to choose between a password or a passphrase, as well as decide the strength of the password, the length, and the minimum amount of numbers or special characters required.
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I’ve had Bitwarden set to create twenty-one-character passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters for a few years now, and it has served me well. The reason why you should use this feature is because creating truly strong passwords isn’t as simple and/or quick as you might think. This feature ensures your passwords are much stronger than what you are currently using.
2. Use folders effectively
Bitwarden allows you to create folders to better organize your vault entries. You might think this is silly, given there’s a search feature that can help you find what you’re looking for with speed and accuracy. Well, here’s a cool tip. You probably have vault entries for email account credentials, while at the same time, you probably use your email address as a username for a lot of accounts. Say you have to set up your email account on a new device and you need to find your password. If you search for your email address, every entry with that address will show up in the results.
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Because I have several email accounts, I create a special folder that contains only entries for email accounts. When I need to find a password for an email account, I just have to go to that folder, and there they are. Use folders wisely, and that mess of a vault will become an organized thing of beauty.
3. Create secure notes
Bitwarden allows you to create secure notes that contain just about any information you need. Say you want to save your safe combination, your personal data, your Social Security number, and just about any other type of sensitive information. Create a Secure Note in Bitwarden, add the information and save it. You’ve now ensured that information is safe within a vault entry, and only those with your master password can view it.
One thing I like to do, just to be safe, is to apply the Master Password Reprompt in all of my secure notes because this will prevent any random person from editing those notes. If I were to accidentally walk away from my desk with Bitwarden unlocked, anyone could open the app, find a secure note, and edit it to change the information.
4. Share with Organizations and collections
Collections are a great way to share a group of vault items. For instance, you have several accounts (such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.) that you want to share with your family. First, create an Organization (call it Family) and then add your family members. Once you’ve done that, create a collection and add it to the organization. Now those members of your family who need those login credentials can easily access them. It’ll probably take you a bit of time to learn the ins and outs of using Organizations and Collections, but it’ll be worth it if you have a family or team with which you need to share account credentials.
5. Set the vault timeout
By default, Bitwarden isn’t configured to automatically lock your vault after a set time. In my opinion, this is the first thing you do when installing Bitwarden. If you don’t set the vault timeout, your vault will remain unlocked until you manually do so. I always set the vault timeout to five minutes — that way I don’t have to remember to lock it. You can also set the timeout to one minute, but that might get frustrating after a while. This feature can be set in Settings under Vault Timeout.
6. Unlock with biometrics
If you use Bitwarden on a phone or a laptop with a fingerprint scanner, I highly recommend you enable Unlock with Biometrics. By doing this you won’t have to type your password every time you need to unlock the vault. This has a secondary benefit. By not always typing your master password, you can be certain no one will watch over your shoulder as you unlock your vault. Should they do that, they wouldn’t be able to access your vault when you step away from your computer or phone.
7. Use the browser extension
By using the Bitwarden browser extension, you won’t have to type usernames and passwords in your browser. All you do is go to the site for which you want to log in and unlock the browser extension. It will display the account information. Click the Fill button and the extension will autofill the username and password so logging in is almost as quick as it is if you’ve had your browser save your login credentials but without having your browser save your password (which you should never do).
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The Bitwarden browser extension is available for several browsers and can be found on the official Bitwarden page.
