For the record, @grb is just another user, like you and I. He is not an employee, does not manage the developers, nor does he have access to the developers.
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Sorry to hear that you are having more problems.
Please clarify whether you are talking about the unlock prompt in the Desktop app, or in the browser extension.
To fill in some missing information that was previously requested, please open the Help menu in the Bitwarden Desktop app, and select the menu item “About Bitwarden” (see screenshot here). If you do this, you will see some version information in a pop-up window, which will have a “Copy” button. Please click this “Copy” button, and then paste the copied information into a response in this forum thread.
Next, to assist with troubleshooting, please select “Settings” from the File menu of the Bitwarden Desktop app, scroll down to the section titled “APP SETTINGS (ALL ACCOUNTS)”, and enable the option “Allow screen capture”. Then, please take a screenshot that shows your setting for the first 7 options in the section “APP SETTINGS (ALL ACCOUNTS)” (from “Show tray icon” to “Require verification for browser integration”). Erase any personal information that may be visible in the screenshot, and post the image of the setting in your response here.
&nsbp;
Programmers will not work on this problem unless it can be proven that there is a bug, and not an error in your set-up or in how you are interacting with the app and browser extension. To help establish the source of the problem (and hopefully, to solve the problem), you will have to cooperate with me and provide the information that I have requested above.
If you are not interested in assisting with further troubleshooting, then this problem will likely only be resolved if it turns out to be a real bug, and if some other users affected by the same bug are willing to aid with the diagnostic process in the future.
Hello DenBeste. Thanks for the reminder about the status of grb. I fully understand his situation & have total respect for his efforts to help me, but I hope the developers, use this forum as their sounding board to know what the users think about their product. Adjer.
grb. Both unlock (desktop & extension) do not work for biometric entry, only Pin works.
Version 2025.11.2
SDK ‘main (8ef7951)’
Shell 37.7.0
Renderer 138.0.7204.251
Node 22.20.0
Architecture x64
“Allow screen capture”, was already ticked. Adjer.
Can you remember, if PIN unlock was even (already) enabled on this extension when you encountered what you described here (i.e. that biometric unlock was not possible when you switched on the next day)?
Ah, as long as biometric unlock for the desktop app doesn’t work, it also then can’t work on the browser extension.
So first, if you wanted to fix this, you’d have to make sure that it works for the desktop app again, so that it eventually can work with the browser extension again.
Is “Unlock with Windows Hello” in the settings of your desktop app still enabled - or disabled?
Nail: No pin was not enabled when Biometric fingerprint failed next morning after I switched off my device. I only switched on Pin after the biometric failure, to get some security. Adjer.
@Adjer — @Nail1684 is right: you need to verify that “Unlock with Windows Hello” is still enabled (checked) in the Bitwarden Desktop app (under File > Settings).
And if you get this to work again, and it then stops working again after you reboot your computer, then the first thing you must do is to check (again) if “Unlock with Windows Hello” is still enabled (checked) in the Bitwarden Desktop app. If this setting somehow becomes unchecked with you touching it, that would indeed be a bug, which is something that the programmers might be able to fix.
grb. Unlock with Windows Hello remained checked throughout. See below. Nb. I have family visitors so I am slow to reply. I may not be able to respond further until Saturday due to earlier commitments. I will test Windows Hello function in the meantime several times. Adjer.
grb: 03/12/24 14.00Hrs. I switched off my laptop (Win11 Hello working) last night. This morning 10.17 I tried to log on to B.W using Windows Hello but it did not work. Only had the dreaded red circle when cursor on Hello.
I then switched to BW Extention & again it did not work either. All boxes still checked.
I regret to say I think there is a software bug that needs sorting.
What do you think?
@Adjer First, I edited your first screenshot – redacted your email address – and forgot to mention it in the edit.
Second, if those first two screenshots of yours…
…show your desktop app, then I now think, that the current behaviour you experience is indeed expected. – See, you checked “Require master password or PIN on app restart” in the desktop app settings – and that’s why biometrics don’t work on app restart directly. (and: as long as you don’t unlock the desktop app at least once, it’s also expected, that you can’t unlock the browser extension with biometrics right away either)
If you want to be able to use biometrics right away to unlock the browser extension (and the desktop app), then try to uncheck “Require master password or PIN on app restart” in the desktop app settings.
I think, when you changed that, you should be able to unlock directly with biometrics after the next restart of your computer.
Thanks for deleting my personal info, my error. I have carried out your instruction to uncheck box “Require password or PIN on app restart”. Testing the results.
I have repeatedly closed down B W using x (top R) then switched off my laptop .On restart: app & extension settings have NEVER changed.
extension: > biometric & it asks for the PIN. (A bug?)
App: >app, opens BW. (does not ask for anything) (No security at all)
I repeat: settings are set as I showed last time.
I have spent more than 40 hrs trying to make sense of it all. Sorry, but there must be a software bug, so who reports this?. Adjer.
@Adjer I’m Sorry it still doesn’t work for you… Though - what exactly doesn’t work now? (PS: You probably meant the behaviour of the browser extension, specifically? I wrote something to that in the following…)
When you switch and restart: do you shutdown or just hibernate or get into standby? – From your screenshot, I can see that your desktop app is set to “Lock” “On restart”, so if you just get into standby and switch on your computer again, that might explain why your desktop app was still unlocked. (“does not ask for anything) (No security at all)”)
And your extension asks for a PIN, while there still is no PIN set? I understood, this here:
… shows your extension. It really shouldn’t ask for a PIN, when none is set…
And maybe we asked that before (and you answered it before): but you only opened your browser (!) with the extension in question after the desktop app was up and running, right?
Ah, yes, that sounds awful… but unfortunately, in most cases only those who experience a bug should (or can) report it.
grb & Nail1684. I can now report my Bitwarden PW Manager is working OK. Thank you both so much for your 1st class help. I am using the app & dis-regarding the extension. I still don’t understand why I need both. Seems to me that security is downgraded by providing 2 access points. I very much like the means to encrypt messages. I have other items I would like help with but I will leave that for now, till things settle down as I get use to navigating BW. Adjer,
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Using the browser extension is generally more secure than the Desktop app, because when using the extension, you will be protected against vulnerabilities such as phishing attacks, and clipboard attacks/leaks, and because it increases the likelihood that you will protect your accounts from credential stuffing attacks by enabling 2FA (if you have Premium benefits, which makes 2FA incredibly convenient).
You do not need to use the Desktop app at all unless you wish to unlock your browser extension with biometrics. If you do want to use biometric unlock for the Bitwarden browser extension, then the requirement to run the Desktop app in the background does not make your security “downgraded by providing 2 access points”, because your Desktop app is not a viable attack surface as long as you keep it locked.
If you wish to send encrypted messages, you can use the Bitwarden Send feature, which is available in all apps (including the Bitwarden browser extension and Desktop app).
Please start a new forum topic when you are ready to ask your next question(s).
grb, I have now done what you have suggest & set up the extension as my entry to Bitwarden via Biometrics. It works nicely. Also I have set both to auto lock after 1 minute. of course I will change my extension time out to something longer when working on a site. I will test it out over the next few weeks.
I would like to start using Passkeys to improve security but here in the UK there is little company take up. Only 2 sites are on my BW account & both are big international companies.
Thank you & a happy Xmas to you all. Adjer.
Not sure exactly what you mean by “working on a site”, but please note that the extension timeout period only starts when you are no longer actively working in the browser extension.
And Merry Christmas to you, as well! 
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