As a software engineer (yeah, that’s right), I’m constantly asked to “hack” accounts. Some people say,”Hey man I forgot the password to my Facebook ‘coz it was logged in for like 4 years”. And I’m like, “Dude have you tried resetting the password via email?” “Err the thing is I forgot my email password too”. I just can’t count how many times I had to deal with this problem. At the end I recommend them one of the Android Password Manager Apps and just walk away. Note: This article is going to be different from the rest in two ways. One, the apps don’t allow you to take screenshots for security reasons so the pictures you will see are taken from the Google Play Store. Two, I will only include apps which have more than 5000 ratings, this too for security reasons. I don’t want you to hand all of your passwords to some shady new app.
1. Dashlane Password – Free with In-app Purchases
Dashlane is simple and Dashlane is secure. The app comes with one of the best interfaces I have seen on any password manager app for Android. The app does require a mandatory login which sometimes is kind of hindering but hey, you need your passwords safe don’t you? Once inside, the app really blooms into something really impressive. The app lists most popular apps with big icons right on the main screen and you can add passwords to them easily. I loved that the app shows the actual logos of the sites rather than bland lists. The app really changed the way I managed my passwords and I personally recommend this app. I pushed this app on my friends and family like a vendor too. It is not just an Android password saver app though, it fill forms for you and auto login to sites you visit frequently. The app also allows you to give some limited access to family members too. In-app Purchases: $19.99 – $99.99 per item Features:
Can secure any type of information. Create strong passwords for your apps. Auto filling is surprisingly seamless.
Notable Feature: This android password manager allows you to protect your data with AES-256 encryption. For those who are not familiar with tech gibberish, this means the app saves your passwords by using the leading industry standard encryption.
2. LastPass – Trial and $12/Year Subscription
LastPass would have been the number one app in the Android password manager apps list if it weren’t for the almost mandatory subscription fee. Don’t get me wrong, I will pay a subscription fee if the service is top class but in this case I don’t think it is that amazing. A flat fee would have been much better for those who just want to save passwords. But for those who want a lot more from their password manager app on Android, LastPass has a lot to offer. Obviously you can save your passwords on the app with ease but that’s not just the app does. You can save and auto fills passwords along with user names for all of the online accounts. You can auto fill forms easily; well at least most of the information is filled automatically. This app started as a desktop one and now is branching into mobile devices so it is at least trustworthy. Features:
An easy to use and simple interface. Go to a site, the app gives in the password. You only need to remember one master password.
Notable Feature: The app comes with a strong password generator which will help you in generating competent passwords. You know most people use very predictable passwords. One time in university I guessed my math professors password (didn’t change my grade though…OK I did it).
3. aWalletPassowrd manager – Free with In-app Purchases
aWallet password manager for Android is simple and it remains simple throughout. If you only need a good password manager, this is the most hassle free app there. You can store credit card information, web accounts or even e-banking details with ease. If you need to update the password, the app also has a neat editor for that. This app is great if you usually require the use of the best To Do list apps for Android to help you remember things. That’s not all though, if like me, you have a ton of accounts, you will really appreciate the categories feature of this app. With this app you can make custom categories and bundle in the passwords together. For example I made a category called Social Media and stored the passwords to Facebook, Twitter and whatnot there. Similarly you can do the same with categories named office or work. In-app Purchases: $1.99 per item Features:
You can backup and restore your passwords. You can move unencrypted data in CSV format. The auto lock feature can be a life saver.
Notable Feature: While the app has many great features one of the best things I loved that there are no ads on this app. That’s right; this free password manager app comes with absolutely no ads and only relies on in-app purchases. This is why I would recommend the premium version which comes with CSV import and a good password generator.
4. Password Safe – Free with In-app Purchases
This is a name which instills confidence in the user. This app is a little complicated but comes with an amazing looking interface. I really like the teal and white color scheme the app has which is a big deviation from other mainstream ones. The app of course allows you to save passwords on it. This free password manager for Android allows you to make categories beforehand and then assign them the passwords. This makes it easier to identify the passwords and locate the ones you need the most. Mark shopping passwords with purple color and they will become immediately identifiable when they are needed. In-app Purchases: $3.29 per item Features:
Categorizing the entries is very easy. Only need to remember one password. Comes with a password generator.
Notable Feature: The app provide easy backup and restore features. This makes it easy to save the passwords in case you may need to change a device.
5. Keepass2Android – Free
If you want a password manager which can attach itself to any good browser on Android, then this is the app made for you. The app can seamlessly integrate with almost every browser and auto fills passwords for you. Now you don’t have to fiddle around the keyboard entering special characters just to gain access to your account. The app also allows you to access files from iCloud like apps on Android. Features:
Simple and easy to use. Quick unlock feature is a nice touch. Some advance entry editing features are included.
Notable Feature: The app comes with its own secure keyboard which intends to keep you safe from third party password sniffers.
Conclusion:
Now that you know which Android password managers are great to use, there is no need to save them on note taking apps. I advise you to change passwords every year, this way you will remain safe from any guesswork-hacker. You should also use a healthy password with at least one upper case letter, a number and a special character. This is the best way to ensure no brute force hack can work easily on your accounts. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below.
