Your password manager’s hidden powers

Password managers: They’re not just for passwords

Plus: AT&T’s leaked data dump, Apple’s excellent iPhone guides, and another file-sharing tool

Jared Newman
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April 2, 2024

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Some of the best ways to use a password manager don’t involve passwords at all.

Think of a password manager not just as a place for login data, but as a secure, searchable database for important personal info. I’ve obviously been thinking a lot about this after last week’s column about Bitwarden, but no matter which password manager you use, chances are you could be doing a lot more with it.

Here are some other things you can save in a password manager beyond just passwords:

Credit cards

Your web browser and phone may be able to auto-fill credit card details already, but adding card info to your password manager lets you access it from any web browser on any device. That’s helpful if you’re a frequent browser switcher, like me.

Standard form info

Password managers can also store your address, email, and phone number, so you can populate web forms with just a click or two.

As with credit cards, you can always just use your browser’s auto-fill feature for this purpose instead, but browser auto-fill can easily become infested with garbage data, requiring regular maintenance to get rid of it.

Passport numbers

If you travel abroad, you’ll inevitably have to fill out some kind of embarkation form online. Being able to easily look up and copy your passport number will make that process much easier. Consider saving the issue and expiration dates as well, so you can quickly look up when you need to renew.

Library and membership cards

If your local library supports checking out with an account number and PIN, as mine does here in Cincinnati, you can leave the physical card at home. Storing the info in your password manager is also helpful when signing up for apps like Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Freegal, which offer free digital content with your library card.

Software licenses

Instead of digging through your email for desktop software licenses, create a login entry for each product, and enter the license key where the password would normally be. If you save the download link in your password manager’s URL field, that’ll make re-installing the software easier as well. 1Password even has a dedicated Software License item type. (Inspired by Chris H. in the Advisorator chat room.)

Wi-Fi passwords

I used to take pictures of the Wi-Fi password while visiting a friend’s house or staying at an AirBnB, so I could quickly look it up when connecting additional devices. Saving that info to a password manager is a bit more secure, and it’s much easier to reference on subsequent visits.

Related: If you run a home media server or other application that uses a local IP address, consider storing that info in your password manager as well.

Important instructions

A password manager can also help you remember where you (or a loved one) has saved important documents, keys, or other personal items. Create a secure note with the instructions, then label it in a way that’s easily searchable. If your password manager lets you share logins and notes with other users, you can make sure other family members have access to the same info.

Knowing what’s saved where

Tags in 1Password

Here’s a clever idea I spotted on Reddit: For password managers that support tags, you can use them to remember what type of information is saved with each account. For instance, you can tag the accounts that collect your mailing address or your credit card, so if that information changes, you can quickly look up all those accounts and update your info.

1Password, Enpass, and Keepass all have tagging support built-in. For password managers that don’t, you can always add your own hashtags to the notes or title field instead.

More password manager tidbits

In response to last week’s column on Bitwarden, Tammy P. asked whether it’s worth sticking with Google’s password manager, which costs nothing and is built into Android and Chrome. I wrote about this a couple years ago, while also addressing Apple’s and Microsoft’s built-in password managers. The short version:

  • Built-in password managers tend to have fewer features. For instance, you can’t share passwords with other people in Google’s system, or create standalone secure notes in Apple’s system.
  • You’re a bit more locked in with these password managers, so it’s harder to move between browsers (or, in Apple’s case, operating systems) and take your logins with you.
  • That said, any password manager is better than none at all. If you’re not inclined to set up a dedicated password manager, your browser’s built-in version beats using the same weak passwords everywhere.

Also, Rory W. wants Enpass to get more love in these discussions:

[T]he thing I really like about it is that you set-up your own sync (e.g., with iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, Dropbox, NextCloud, WebDAV, etc.) so Enpass never has access to your passwords. So, instead of worrying about Enpass having a data breach, I ‘only’ have to worry about Google having a data breach 😉.

Of note is that you can buy a one-time Enpass license instead of subscribing.

Lastly, a correction from Doug F.: Dashlane does offer a free tier, but it’s limited to 25 passwords on a single device. Try it out if you like, but I’m sticking with Bitwarden for reasons previously discussed.

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Need to know

AT&T’s leaked data dump: AT&T has admitted that the personal data for 73 million of its current and past customers has leaked on the open web—including names, addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers—though it won’t say how the data was stolen in the first place. The original breach dates back to 2021, and while AT&T denied responsibility at the time, the company now says it doesn’t know whether the data “originated from AT&T or one of its vendors.”

As Karl Bode notes, wireless carriers have a long history of mishandling users’ personal info (see also: T-Mobile getting hacked nine times since 2018) but face no meaningful repercussions for doing so. Sadly, that means it’s on users to be vigilant for phishing schemes or other cyberattacks that make use of the stolen data.

Amazon’s palm scan push: Amazon really wants people to digitally scan their palm prints as a way to pay for things at retail stores. While it previously performed those scans at Whole Foods and other supported venues, its new Amazon One app can scan people’s palms at home.

Not that you need to. Contactless payments are a solved problem already with the likes of Apple Pay and Google Pay, neither of which require you to file biometric data in a centralized online database. While Amazon says it doesn’t store raw palm prints and makes all sorts of other security assurances, it’s still a bigger leap of faith than using face or fingerprint data that never leaves your phone—and with not much to gain in return.

Tip of the moment

RTF(A)M: Whenever someone asks me how to accomplish something on an iPhone and I don’t know the answer off-hand, here’s how I almost always find it: Type in a web search for the issue in question, then add “Apple support” to the end, so the first result leads to Apple’s own documentation.

While you might not expect much from an official manual, Apple does a fantastic job, with clear instructions and illustrations that cover practically every system-level app and feature. If you’re new to the iPhone, or just wish you knew a little more, try heading to the iPhone User Guide and clicking the “Table of Contents” link, or just search for any topic.

It only took me a minute or two of perusing to learn something new: Did you know that you can quickly share a photo in your Camera Roll using Siri? Just say “Hey Siri, send this to (contact name),” and you’ll get a pop-up for filling out a text message with the photo attached.

Kudos to Apple for getting it right. Meanwhile, Google’s illustrated Pixel Guidebook is non-searchable, and Samsung is still doing PDFs.

Now try this

Secure password maker: Proton has put out a handy tool for generating secure passwords, with a variety of adjustable parameters. Normally your password manager would handle this for you—the tool itself is an ad, of sorts, for Proton’s own offering—but a freestanding cool could be helpful if you’re trying to come up with a new master password, plus the design is kind of fun. Try playing with the “Memorable” option until you find something that resonates.

Share files locally: LocalSend is a free, open-source app for sending files to other devices on the same Wi-Fi network. Install the app on any two devices, and you can quickly transfer files between them. It’s available on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.

I’ve previously recommended Pairdrop and Payload for local file sharing, but the former only works in a web browser, and the latter doesn’t support mobile devices. I also like LocalSend’s “Quick Save” mode, in which the receiving device automatically downloads the files without making you accept them first—though you should never enable that outside your home network. Whichever tool you use, it beats emailing files to yourself. (Via the Tech Productivity newsletter.)

I’ve just added these tools to my list of more than 300 awesome apps—exclusively for Advisorator subscribers.

Further reading

Spend wisely

Want to turn your iPad into a desktop PC? B&H has Kensington’s StudioDock on sale for $70, down from its original $399 asking price and $10 less than the historical low on Amazon. The dock is compatible with the 11-inch iPad Pro and 2020-onward iPad Airs, and it has ports for USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, an SD card, wired ethernet, and 3.5mm audio. The base of the stand can also wirelessly charge a phone and earbuds. Here’s a good review.

Other notable deals:

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