Setting up a password manager
One strong password you remember, and a different one for everything else that you never have to.
What's usually going on
Most account break-ins happen because the same password was used in more than one place. A password manager fixes that by creating and remembering a separate password for every account. The built-in ones from Apple and Google are fine. The standalone ones add family sharing and work across every kind of device.
Worth trying first
Pick one and only one.
Apple's Passwords app if everything you own is Apple, Google's if you live in Chrome and Android, or a standalone manager if the household is mixed. Two managers at once is how passwords get lost.
Make the main password long.
Four or five unrelated words are stronger and easier to type than a short jumble. Write it down once and keep it somewhere safe at home.
Turn on two-step sign-in for the manager itself.
It holds the keys to everything, so it deserves the extra lock.
Move the important accounts first.
Email, banking, and your Apple or Google account. Change each to a new password the manager creates. The rest can follow as you use them.
Set up emergency access.
Most managers let a spouse or family member request access if something happens to you. Set it up now.
When to hand it over
If passwords are scattered across browsers, notebooks, and memory, or the whole family needs to share some and keep others private. We'll gather everything into one place and make sure nobody is locked out along the way.
Your own technologist, on call.
Tell us a little about your setup. We'll take it from there.