Question & answer

What happens if you forget your master password?

The short answer

With most password managers nobody, not even the company, can recover a forgotten master password; that is the flip side of zero-knowledge security. So set up a safety net in advance: a printed recovery code, emergency access for someone you trust, or 1Password's family recovery.

Zero-knowledge literally means the provider knows nothing: your vault is encrypted with your master password, and without it there is no back door. That is exactly what you want against hackers, but it also means a forgotten master password can, in the worst case, mean a lost vault.

Every serious manager therefore offers safety nets you must set up beforehand. Bitwarden and Proton Pass give you a recovery code to print once and store somewhere safe. Bitwarden Premium has emergency access: a trusted person can request access to your vault after a waiting period. With 1Password Families, a family member can recover your account, and you also get the printable Emergency Kit.

If you use a manager, do this today: print the recovery code or Emergency Kit, keep it with your passport, and tell one trusted person where it is. Five minutes of work, and the forgotten-master-password scenario stops being a disaster.

Relevant to this question

Our picks
1Password logo1Password
AgileBits Inc.
Best overall
1Password

AgileBits Inc.

Top picks4.7
From $3.99/moView
Free
Bitwarden logoBitwarden
Bitwarden Inc.
Best free option
Bitwarden

Bitwarden Inc.

Free & open source4.7
FreeView
Free
Proton Pass logoProton Pass
Proton AG
Proton Pass

Proton AG

Free & open source4.4
FreeView