Bitwarden password manager adds support for emergency sharing if you get locked out of your account

Bitwarden, the upcoming open-source password manager that competes with the likes of established players like LastPass and 1Password, now supports a feature designed to get rid of the biggest worries of using a password manager - “what if I forget my password?” The feature will help you get back into your account and access your data if you get locked out, according to a report.

The password manager may be late to the party in terms of having the feature, but as the company has open sourced the app’s code, it had no qualms in revealing just how securely the feature was implemented. It sort of brings to mind the philosophy of another increasing popular open source app - Signal, which follows the same principle when it comes to adding features.

To use the feature, you’ll have to sign up for the premium subscription for $10 a year (or around ₨ 730) which is far cheaper than most password managers available - definitely cheaper than the top five services. You then invite another (existing) Bitwarden user (say, your spouse or best friend) to become a trusted emergency contact - this expires in five days.

Also read: Microsoft Edge update adds password generator and breach monitor

After the spouse or friend accepts the invite, you can confirm them as an emergency contact. Your master key (main password) is then encrypted (or scrambled) in a way that only your emergency contact can unlock. When an emergency occurs, they can ask for emergency access or wait for a specific amount of time before they are granted access.

The waiting for a specified period of time is useful, say, if you were in an accident or in a coma or physically incapacitated after a stroke, where the system will authorise it after a specified period. Based on the level of access you give your trusted emergency contact, they can either view the items in your vault, or receieve a prompt to ‘takeover’ your account by setting a new master password.