How to Use a Password Manager
What this helps with: Keeping all your passwords safe in one place, so you don’t have to remember them or write them on sticky notes.
What is a password manager? It’s a secure, locked list of your passwords on your phone. It can create strong passwords for you and fill them in when you sign in. You only need to remember one thing: your phone’s passcode, or one main password.
Your phone already has a free one built in. You don’t need to buy anything to start.
On an iPhone (Passwords app)
- Open the Passwords app. (On iPhones with older software, open Settings and tap Passwords.)
- What you’ll tap: A gray icon with a white key.
- Unlock it with your face, fingerprint, or passcode.
- Tap All to see your saved passwords. Tap a website or app to see its password.
- To save a new password: When you sign in to a website or app, your iPhone asks “Save Password?” Tap Save.
- When making a new account: Your iPhone may offer a Strong Password. Tap Use Strong Password. It’s saved for you.
On an Android phone (Google Password Manager)
- Open Settings, then search for Password Manager, or open the Chrome app, tap the three dots, then Passwords and autofill (or Password Manager).
- Unlock it with your fingerprint, face, or screen lock.
- Tap a website to see its saved password.
- To save a new password: When you sign in, your phone asks if you want to save it. Tap Save.
If something goes wrong
- I can’t find a password I saved. Make sure you’re looking at All. On iPhone, also check Deleted. Saved passwords stay there for a while.
- It warns me a password is “compromised” or “weak.” That means it may have leaked online or is easy to guess. Change it on that website when you have time, starting with email and banking.
- What if I lose my phone? Your passwords are backed up to your Apple Account or Google Account, so they come back on a new phone when you sign in.
- Should I pay for a different password manager? You don’t have to. The free built-in ones work well for most people. If you’d like another, CISA suggests reading reviews from trusted sources first.
- Someone asks for my password manager’s main password. Never share it. No real company will ask.
Official sources
- Apple: Find saved passwords and passkeys on your iPhone
- Google: Get started with Google Password Manager
- CISA: Use Strong Passwords
Last checked: Oct 15, 2026
This is general help, not personalized tech support. Steady Tap doesn’t recommend any particular paid product.