{"id":6681,"date":"2024-04-02T14:52:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T14:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/?p=6681"},"modified":"2025-01-24T13:03:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T13:03:57","slug":"4-2-2024-your-password-managers-hidden-powers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/2024\/04\/02\/4-2-2024-your-password-managers-hidden-powers\/","title":{"rendered":"Your password manager’s hidden powers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Password managers: They’re not just for passwords<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plus: AT&T’s leaked data dump, Apple’s excellent iPhone guides, and another file-sharing tool<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/div>
Jared Newman<\/div>
|<\/div>
April 2, 2024<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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Some of the best ways to use a password manager don’t involve passwords at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some other things you can save in a password manager beyond just passwords:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Credit cards<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standard form info<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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

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<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passport numbers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Library and membership cards<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>, Hoopla<\/a>, Kanopy<\/a>, and Freegal<\/a>, which offer free digital content with your library card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Software licenses<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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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<\/a>. (Inspired by Chris H.<\/strong> in the Advisorator chat room<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wi-Fi passwords<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important instructions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing what’s saved where<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Tags in 1Password<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a clever idea I spotted on Reddit<\/a>: 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

More password manager tidbits<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In response to last week’s column on Bitwarden, Tammy P.<\/strong> 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<\/a>, while also addressing Apple’s and Microsoft’s built-in password managers. The short version:<\/p>\n\n\n\n