Hands-On Tech 230 Transcript
Please be advised this transcript is AI-generated and may not be word for word. Time codes refer to the approximate times in the ad-supported version of the show.
Mikah Sargent [00:00:00]:
Coming up on Hands On Tech, let's take a look at some suggestions for a cross platform password manager once you've made the switch to a new machine. Stay tuned.
Hello and welcome to Hands On Tech. I'm Mikah Sargent and as is always my way, I am taking your tech questions and answering them here on Hands On Tech. The question this week comes in from Jim, who writes in with the following now that I have my new Mac, it's time for a new and better password manager. I was still using LastPass on my PC. Yeah, I know you and Leo urged us to switch after LastPass had been hacked, but I never got around to it.
Mikah Sargent [00:00:49]:
Now is finally the time I and I bet most people need one that works across platforms. And in my case I want it to work seamlessly on my Mac, iPad, iPhone and my wife's iPhone. If my wife wants to check our bank statement on her iPhone, she shouldn't have to wonder what the password is just because I created it on the Mac. And no way can anyone correctly hand enter one of those long, ugly, complicated, strong passwords that password managers love to create. Bonus points if the password manager can work with Roku. So a Netflix password created on my iPad will automatically log me into Netflix on my tv. So let me talk about some password manager options. I for years now, probably since like 2011 maybe at least since 2011 I think have been using 1Password.
Mikah Sargent [00:01:49]:
1Password has been a sponsor on the network. So just putting that out there, it's $36 a year for families I think is the current pricing and so that's a really good price. It works across Mac, it works with iOS and we'll talk about how it can work with Roku as well. I think one of the best things about it is the family sharing portion of it. Once it's set up on your wife's phone, it's very easy to use on iOS it will kick up those passwords as are need in the background. And this is the way that it would work with Roku. The app, just like any third party password manager that has this functionality built in, will suggest the password on Roku's mobile app which can then forward those credentials along to the television where the Roku is installed. Very, very strong security as far as we know, never meaningfully breached.
Mikah Sargent [00:02:52]:
And it has a really nice set of tools built in to help you migrate from LastPass specifically. So a little bit more expensive than free and a little bit more expensive than the next option which is bit warden and they of course have also been a sponsor on the network, free for basic use. And it works on and with everything that you mentioned, it does have family sharing options available. It it is an open source password manager and so that has its positive implications as well. And again, it works on iOS in the same way with those integrations of allowing you to put in your password in the Roku mobile app and then have that be forwarded along to the television where the Roku is plugged in. And also has a nice import feature from LastPass. That said, I also want to mention that you've got a free option built in. Apple has its passwords app that uses icloud keychain to sync between your different devices.
Mikah Sargent [00:04:04]:
With the passwords app you can share passwords with other people. It works across all of your Apple devices in the same way that these third party options work in terms of working specifically on Apple platforms. If you were ever stepping out of Apple platforms, that's where things aren't going to be as easy and clean. You can download an app from Apple in Android in the Google Play Store that will work. And you can also download an app from Apple for Windows that will work with your passwords. But it's not as clean and slick as being able to use Apple passwords across all of your Apple stuff. So if you, Jim, are a complete Apple household, then I think you could probably get away with just using Apple passwords. For one thing, I found that it's very easy for less technical users given that it will automatically suggest to save passwords and has that built in functionality of just kind of running in the background and saying okay, this is an account you're trying to log into.
Mikah Sargent [00:05:21]:
Are you ready to log in? Face ID or you know, touch or type in your pin, whatever, it just kind of works. And that's helpful. And what you would do Jim, is you would create a group is what it's called and we'll we have a link in the show Notes that talks about this a group. And you would add your wife to that group and then you would share specific passwords from your passwords to that group and that group will include your wife and so on her device. Then she would get suggestions for being able to connect as well. Now in this you would probably have to as long as you're using the Roku app, then once again you should be able to get that suggestion and have it be forwarded along to the Roku device. So bear in mind that Roku itself obviously doesn't support browser extensions. It's not a traditional browser in any means the device itself.
Mikah Sargent [00:06:31]:
And so you're not going to be able to just install one password on Roku or install Bitwarden on Roku. But again those mobile apps are what make it easy to just copy and paste those passwords and then send those credentials to your Roku connect connected to your television. I think that the family sharing options and the cross platform meaning Linux, Android, Windows, Mac usability of 1Password make it my choice. Having used it for so many years now and not having had any had issues with it. That's why I recommend it. It does cost more than Bitwarden so that's something to bear in mind. The thing that I would suggest to you Jim, more than anything else is don't force your wife or anyone else to try out multiple options that is going to make someone not want to participate in password management at all. That's been my experience.
Mikah Sargent [00:07:46]:
At least provide the least amount of friction as possible for someone who is not interested in digging into the techie stuff by doing that hard work yourself. So if you want to see if Bitwarden is good enough, if you want to see if 1Password is the one you want to go with, if you want to see if Apple passwords is good enough, try to do as much of that testing yourself first and then when it's time you can very easily help your wife set up that password autofill and everything. If you're using Apple passwords or if you're deciding to go with 1Password and that way it's not like okay, we're going to try this password manager, download this and then you got to go in here and you got to do this and you got to do that and you got to do this and then oh no, this doesn't work. You're going to get a new email and it's going to be coming from this instead of no, don't do that, figure out which one you want to go with and then go from there. I very much a 1Password user, have been for years, highly recommend it, think it's great. That's my suggestion. Jim, thank you for writing in. I am very curious to hear what solution you end up going with, so please let me know.
Mikah Sargent [00:08:58]:
hot@twit.tv is how you get in touch with me and I can't wait to hear from you everyone. Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of Hands On Tech. I'll be back next week for our final episode of August. Bye bye.
Leo Laporte [00:09:12]:
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Leo Laporte [00:09:51]:
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