Password suggestion (also) suggesting passphrase

goedt · May 30, 2025, 8:57am

Current case;

when you currently make a new account bitwarden automatically suggests a password.

Feature request;

let the user choose if they want a password or passphrase suggestion.
or suggest both password and passphrase.

I’m trying to switch to passphrases instead of passwords, but currently only passwords are suggested

Nail1684 · May 30, 2025, 9:59am

@goedt Welcome to the forum!

In the “New login” dialog, if you click on “generate password”:

… by default you get offered a password. But then, you can already choose between password and passphrase:

But your suggestion is, you want an option to make “passphrase” the default suggestion?

Why do you want to do that? - In short, passphrases should only be used, if you have to (regularly) write/type or “say” and therefore have to memorize it (such as for the Bitwarden master password for example) – in all other cases, a password is always “stronger” and recommended.

grb · May 30, 2025, 3:20pm

@goedt Welcome!

The settings configured in the browser extension generator (password vs. passphrase, length, etc.) are supposed to be used when a password/passphrase is generated within the browser using other means (e.g., suggestions made in the inline pop-up menu, which you seem to be referring to).

However, there is currently a bug that is preventing this from happening:

github.com/bitwarden/clients

Generator settings not honored by "context menu" and "export vault with password" flows

opened 03:21PM - 02 Feb 25 UTC

bwbug

bug browser

### Steps To Reproduce Perform _both_ **Test A** and **Test B**. ##### Test A:… 1. Open Generator view in the browser extension. 2. Set generation option to **"Password"**. 3. Modify the settings (e.g., number of characters, character classes, etc.). 4. In the browser, use the right-click context menu option **Bitwarden > Generate password (copied)**, then paste the clipboard to examine the generated password. 5. In the browser, use the keyboard shortcut <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>9</kbd>, then paste the clipboard to examine the generated password. 6. In the extension, go to **Settings > Vault > Export Vault**, select the ".json (Encrypted)" format and the "Password protected" type, click the generate icon :arrows_counterclockwise: in the "File password" field, and then examine the generated password by clicking the toggle visibility icon :eye:. ##### Test B: 1. Open Generator view in the browser extension. 2. Set generation option to **"Passphrase"**. 3. Modify the settings (e.g., number of words, character separator, etc.). 4. In the browser, use the right-click context menu option **Bitwarden > Generate password (copied)**, then paste the clipboard to examine the generated password. 5. In the browser, use the keyboard shortcut <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>9</kbd>, then paste the clipboard to examine the generated password. 6. In the extension, go to **Settings > Vault > Export Vault**, select the ".json (Encrypted)" format and the "Password protected" type, click the generate icon :arrows_counterclockwise: in the "File password" field, and then examine the generated password by clicking the toggle visibility icon :eye:. ### Expected Result In _both_ **Test A** and **Test B**, the three generated passwords obtained in Steps 4–6 should conform to the settings that had been configured in Steps 2–3. ### Actual Result _Either_ **Test A** _or_ **Test B** fails, such that none of the three generated passwords obtained in Steps 4–6 honor the settings that had been configured in Steps 2–3. If **Test A** works, then **Test B** will incorrectly generate passwords instead of passphrases; if **Test B** works, then **Test A** will incorrectly generate passphrases instead of passwords. ### Screenshots or Videos _No response_ ### Additional Context This behavior is recent, although I do not know the exact version in which it started. My tests used a Chrome browser, but other users have reported the same issue occurring in other browsers, in [this Community Forum thread](https://community.bitwarden.com/t/context-menu-password-generation-ignores-parameters/80264/). ### Operating System Windows ### Operating System Version Windows 11 (23H2) ### Web Browser Chrome ### Browser Version _No response_ ### Build Version Version: 2025.1.2; SDK: 'main (28c7e29)' ### Issue Tracking Info - [x] I understand that work is tracked outside of Github. A PR will be linked to this issue should one be opened to address it, but Bitwarden doesn't use fields like "assigned", "milestone", or "project" to track progress.

Please confirm that I have correctly interpreted what you were describing, and that your “feature request” will be satisfied when the above referenced bug is fixed.

P.S. I have changed your topic’s “app” tag to “app:browser”, since this issue is restricted to the browser extension.

goedt · May 31, 2025, 6:55am

@grb
That is indeed, what I meant. I wasn’t aware of that bug report.
I now see that my initial description was too vague, sorry

grb · May 31, 2025, 2:11pm

Thanks for confirming. I am closing this feature request now, since your proposal is for a feature that already exists (although it is temporarily unavailable due to the above-referenced bug).