Hi all, can any experienced Bitwarden users tell me if i need both the apps and chrome extension or if i can just use which ever one is best.
I currently have chrome extension and apps installed on both Android phone and PC
Thanks James
The browser extensions are not supported on a phone. There, you should only be using the android/ios app.
The windows/mac desktop apps are needed to give the browser plugins access to biometric login. If you do not need that, it is not necessary to install the desktop app. On win/mac, you should generally use auto-fill (available only in the browser extension) instead of copy/paste so your passwords do not end up in clipboard history.
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@jamesdourish Welcome to the forum!
On mobile devices, just use the mobile app.
On non-mobile devices (e.g., your PC), if most of your passwords are for websites, then you should install a browser extension. You would only need to install the Desktop app on your PC if you wish to use the biometrics unlock feature in the browser extension.
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Thank you both for the replies, would you say the biometrics is a feature worth using ?
I have also read a bit about passkeys with bitwarden, but seems likw it would take a lot of time to setup
Just in general: it has some advantages (e.g. the encryption would be better with biometrics than a simple PIN) - but it depends also on what you like to use as your unlocking method… maybe have a look here Unlock with Biometrics | Bitwarden Help Center and here Unlock with PIN | Bitwarden Help Center
… depends on what you mean… Using passkeys with Bitwarden (= storing them in your vault and using them from there) is not that complicated (in general… mobile usage has some requirements like iOS 17+ or Android 14+). Here is a good overview of the thing: Storing Passkeys | Bitwarden Help Center
Just a tip for the usage of the terminology: in a way, all Bitwarden “applications” are the “apps”, so often it is better to speak of the BW app you mean
- desktop app
- mobile app
- browser extension (also an “app”)
- web vault = web app (= logging in via browser on the sites vault.bitwarden.com or vault.bitwarden.eu)
- Authenticator app (the dedicated TOTP app)
Yes, but I would add, that might change (probably in the next months?!), at least for Windows and MacOS, if this announcement on the current January roadmap materializes:
How would implementation of native autofill from the Desktop app would allow you to unlock the browser extension with biometrics without installing the Desktop app?
Oh, Sorry, bad choice of words again. I meant that the “would only need for biometrics” part would change with the desktop app, if the desktop app get’s more functionality itself (= the desktop app might get more “attractive” for usage than at the moment).
I didn’t mean that the biometrics unlock feature for the browser extension would change.
To the extent that that the convenience of biometrics increases your willingness to tighten up security in other areas, absolutely.
For example, since you are typing your master password less often, perhaps you would be willing to add TOTP to logging in, cutting the risk of replay attacks. And, by setting up biometric unlock, maybe you would be willing to shorten your “lock vault after” setting.
Sorry I forgot earlier, but “welcome to the community”.