Most people know they shouldn't reuse passwords, and most people do it anyway — because remembering dozens of long, unique passwords isn't realistic. A password manager solves that problem by remembering them for you. The obvious worry is whether putting every password in one place is a good idea. For the vast majority of people, it is, as long as it's set up properly.

How a password manager works

A password manager is an encrypted vault for your logins. You unlock it with one master password, or with your fingerprint or face once it's set up, and it fills in usernames and passwords on websites and apps for you.

Generates passwords — creates long, random passwords so you never have to invent one

Fills them in — enters your login automatically on the right site

Syncs across devices — the same vault works on your phone, laptop and browser

Flags problems — many highlight reused or weak passwords, and some warn when a login appears in a known breach

Are they actually safe?

Reputable password managers…