How to enable Bitwarden master password prompt?
I am very careful about passwords and online security. Why? I’ve seen a lot of people have their accounts hacked or their identities stolen, and it’s not fun to see your loved ones go through that struggle.
I try to add as much security as possible. I use a simple layer in the Bitwarden password manager. Bitwarden, an open-source tool, offers several features that enhance its usefulness and security. One feature is the password re-prompt. Allow me to illustrate this feature using a scenario.
How does Bitwarden work?
You have accessed your Bitwarden Vault and opened an item. To use your password, copy it and then paste it into the login prompt. You walk away from your desk and forget to turn off or lock Bitwarden. A sneaky person comes near your desk, sees Bitwarden open, sees your password by clicking on the eye icon, writes it down and walks away. Now, that person can log in to any account you have saved in Bitwarden.
If the password prompt option is enabled in the Vault entry, the crook must click the eye icon and enter their Bitwarden master password before seeing the password.
In short, if you enable the password re-prompt option, anyone (including yourself) who wants to view the password will have to re-enter your Vault master password. Yes, this is one more step to access the password, but it adds additional security to protect your accounts from unauthorized access. The other good thing is that when you want to view the password you do not have to retype your vault master password.
Here are some things to remember:
Password re-prompt does not prevent someone from copying and pasting the password in clear text elsewhere. You can enable password re-prompt on new or existing entries.
Password re-prompt is not a perfect solution as it does not prevent copying the password. They can copy the password, paste it into an email, and send it to themselves. Alternatively, they can copy and paste the password into a document for easy viewing in plain text. However, this will prevent others from seeing your passwords. I would recommend enabling an extra step for required passwords like bank account information, even if it’s better.
How to Enable Bitwarden Password Re-Prompt
All you need is a working instance of Bitwarden on a desktop or mobile device. This process also applies to the web-based version. I’ll show you how to do it on the desktop app, but the steps are the same across all platforms.
1. Open Bitwarden and Unlock Your Vault
To get started, open the Bitwarden app and unlock your vault.
2. Open a Vault Item for Editing
To enable the password re-prompt, find and select the specific item in the Vault. After you’re done, click on the pencil icon to open the thing and make the necessary edits.
3. Enable Password Re-Prompt
To find the master password re-prompt option, scroll down after opening the Vault item for editing. Check the box to turn on the cheese feature. Once you’re done, click the Save icon to finish.
To view the password, enter your Bitwarden Vault password when prompted. If someone doesn’t know your password, they won’t be able to see what’s inside. Go ahead and add the re-prompt feature to any or all Vault entries that you feel need an extra layer of security.
Last Word – Bitwarden Master Password Re-Hint
Although this may not completely prevent people from copying and pasting your passwords, it will prevent them from seeing them. Set your desktop lock and vault timeouts to shorter periods for better security. To keep your desktop secure, you can set it to lock after 5 minutes of inactivity. Similarly, you can select Bitwarden Vault to lock after only 1 minute of inactivity. With extra effort, you can make your password much more secure than the default.