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How to deal with Mom who CANNOT learn how to use a password manager, but demands I "fix it" (lemmy.world)

submitted 3 days ago by weeeeum@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I've become the tech guy, and family are extremely entitled to my services. My mom especially. BTW I can't cut her out, because I still live with her and she EXPECTS me to fix anything computer related. She won't take no for an answer.

I've tried to keep track of her passwords with a password manager, I've spent literally 8 hours in a single day filling out captchas and replacing passwords, and I've spent even more time trying to teach my mom how to use the manager.

She CAN'T learn it, and always makes a new password, which she doesnt keep track of and expects me to fix it. What the hell do it do? She uses firefox, with auto refill on, but it doesn't autofill on her iphone.

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[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

This isn’t great, but it’s what I ended up resorting to for my mom who refused to use any service, browser setting, or saved file:

Make a “master” password with upper-case characters and digits (e.g., M45T3R). Memorize it or write it down.
Interleave the characters with those of the domain the password is for (e.g., for google.com: gMo4o5gTl3eR). She can type the master password first, then put the cursor at the start and type each letter of the domain name hitting the right arrow after each letter.

As long as she remembered the master password, she could reconstruct the others on the fly. A human could still look at the result and figure out the pattern, but at least it protected her from automated tools.

[–] weeeeum@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

She can get past the master password, but she can't comprehend finding the password for the correct service, copying it, and pasting it. I don't really know why she can't scroll down the list to find "CVS" and copy the password, but she can't.

I'm looking for a system that a baby could use.

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[–] Irelephant@lemm.ee 1 points 2 days ago

Maybe setup a mozilla account and setup firefox on her phone, i'm pretty sure it would sync.

[–] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago

Chrome Password Manager is easily the most intuitive I've found. Tons of people use it without even realising it exists. Auto synced via Google account on android and you don't have to worry about it. Idk if she uses iOS what would be comparable.

[–] AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I set up LastPass for my parents but they refuse to use it. My mom got locked out of her Facebook account and can't regain access because she doesn't know the password, doesn't know the email it was registered with, and her phone died so she can't prove any prior access. Too bad so sad. Still won't use LastPass.

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[–] lemming741@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I use vaultwarden, and I stumbled upon the generated password history. It's awesome.

[–] jqubed@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Maybe try a different password manager and see if its interface is easier for her to use? There are lots of options, not all of them FOSS but this might be a time to accept a well-regarded commercial solution. Or, since she has the iPhone, try using their password solution. They integrate that pretty thoroughly in their apps and OS, and I think with this year’s OS releases across the board they have turned it into more of a fully-fledged password manager with its own apps. I know very little about it, but there might be a way to integrate it with Firefox on desktop now.

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