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A master password is like the One Ring to rule them all. With this one password, you unlock and have control of every password in your password manager. There’s just one issue: What happens if you lose your master password?
Thankfully, there are some recovery methods you can try before you have to commit the ultimate sacrifice.
1Use a Hint
Popular password managers likeLastPassandBitwardenallow users to create a password hint. If you lose your password, the first step in the recovery process is to view the password hint that you created. If the hint isn’t strong enough, or you never created a hint, it’s time to move on to the next step.
2Recovery Code
Your password manager gave you a recovery code when you first set up the account. The question now is, do you know where it is? A recovery code comes into play should you lose your master password. You can think of this code as a second master password, one you should only use in emergencies.
A recovery code is a long, random string of characters that you should only use if you cannot find or remember your master password.
3Emergency Access
Just like when you’re in an accident, and you’ve indicated who to contact in case of a medical emergency, the same can be done in a data emergency. When this option is enabled, if you cannot remember your password, you can indicate that you want your emergency contact to take over your account. However, not every emergency contact will have full power over your account. The amount of access they have depends on the permissions you granted them when setting up this feature.
They will often have two options: the option to view passwords and the ability to take over your account. In the former, they only have read permissions; in the latter, they can create a new master password. In most cases, to become an emergency contact, a user needs to have an account with the password manager in question and to have accepted the responsibility of being your emergency contact.
4Admin Support
If you’re using a premium or business account provided, an administrator may be able to bail you out. Business accounts can be configured so that if a user forgets or loses a password, a super administrator can create a new master password. However, if you have a free account or one not properly managed by an administrator, you must proceed to the next step.
5Secure to a Fault
Most password managers have a recovery process; however, some offer no way of recovering an account. That means if you lose your master password, you have no chance of accessing your account. If this happens, I recommend deleting the account. You may think that if you can’t access your account, no one else will, but that’s not the case. Given enough time, an industrious cybercriminal may brute force your password. If there’s no chance of recovering or resetting your master password, it’s best to play it safe and delete your account.
