this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2025
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What do you prefer to use for a password manager?

How well does it work on mobile? (specifically, using autofill on android 14)

I'm currently using Vaultwarden; but the android app, which is where I'm using it 95% of the time, has always been a bit flakey getting autofill to popup. Now it's decided to stop working entirely; so I'm going to look around at some alternatives for now.

/edit:

Well, idk what happened.

I spent about 30min trying different things: switched androids autofill settings to another app, changed them back, cleared app data, force stopped everything relevant, re-installed bitwarden, restarted the device, messed with accessibility; nothing seemed to work. Bitwarden adamantly refused to popup for autofill in anything I'd tried. (4-5 different sites in chrome, firefox, and duckduckgo. The openvpn app, Jerboa, my bank. Nothing worked. Absolutely 0 sign of autofill anywhere.)

I made this post and went for a walk.

Now suddenly autofill is working again.

I hate technology sometimes.

/edit again:

The best option I've seen so far: There is an 'autofill' QuickSettings button you can add to the notification tray that opens the vault and asks which item to fill with. (just like the 'open vault' inline autofill option). If inline isn't popping up, use that.

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[–] [email protected] 58 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Vaultwarden is pretty much the standard if you're talking about self-hosted.

I've honestly never had a single issue with the Android app, or mobile extensions for Firefox. What's your setup, and have you tried completely evacuating local storage and redoing your login and sync from scratch? There are a lot more mobile updates that can cause locally stored versions of things to cause problems.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The native rewrite of the Android app is butter smooth. I think it's still technically in beta, but I've been using it for more than a year.

Also, I don't think I ever use the pop-up on mobile. Instead, I use the button on my keyboard. Gboard and FUTO Keyboard both show bit warden buttons at the top when I'm on a logon page

[–] [email protected] 50 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I use keepass+syncthing.

One of those things that has been there for years, works flawless, to the point that I've stopped thinking about it.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago

Same here, and I don't really suffer from the sync conflicts all that much (as I have seen someone else mention in this this thread) as I mainly make changes from a single device, with the exception of TOTPs that only let you scan a QR code.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 month ago

I use KeePassXC. I have to sync it myself between devices (I use pCloud, syncthing and rclone). They have an android app that works great and there is an iOS app as wellapp, Strongbox. I’ve looked at replacing it a few times but nothing gave me the customisation Keypass offers.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's androids fault. Their login input detection is spotty, and has been for a while now. https://9to5google.com/2024/10/06/android-autofill-password-manager-problems/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That makes sense. I've seen the same behavior as OP. Usually when it happens, I open the Bitwarden app manually, and naturally when I switch back the detection is working normally again.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Usually that does the trick for me too; but this morning it just would not cooperate no matter what I tried.

Seems to be playing ball again, for now.

I have a feeling this is more to do with Android/Google not wanting to give up control more than anything. If googles stuff always works, but third party stuff is mysteriously always glitchy; users are going to gravitate to google and their ever growing monopoly...

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Depends.

Do you want to share passwords with other users? Vaultwarden.

Anything else? Keepass and Syncthing.

I personally host it for my family to share the netflix password or the password for our energy provider. So I use Vaultwarden.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is not normal, that is not working at all. Repair instead of switching to other manager

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I tried. I couldn't get it to work again, so wanted to look at other options alongside looking for help/solutions.

But just as it decided to stop working, despite my efforts; it's suddenly started working again.

Sigh...

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

keepass

it's technically no password manager but an encrypted file format.

there are dozens of apps that will work on any platform, including soft keyboard with "password" button for smartphone that will just work everywhere and browser extensions, static website, apps that allow you to use your yubikey to unlock and anything else. you can host your vault anywhere including a google drive or your own webdav or ftp server and keep local copies on your devices synchronized...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Wait so I use keepass too. Why is it not technically as password manager

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Its an encrypted keyring idk what they're talking about

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I believe they're argueing, as it can store more than passwords, it's not purely a password manager.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

i mean each of the individual programs that can load your keepass keyring is a password manager.

the keyring itself isn't a password manager and the main reason why i use it is because each of the individual programs that i actually use to open it (keepassxc on windows, keepassdroid on my phone, keeweb hosted on my vps on other devices...) can use the same file with the same specification that is shared everywhere.

i'm not bound to any particular program with a particular set of features. just use anything that can open that file format from a place where i choose to host it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Oh, I run the KeePass program on windows. I guess that’s why I’m confused.

But yes, I use keepassXC on Linux and keepassium on iOS

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Agree with others, Vaultwarden is probably your best bet. I've found the default app to be a little flaky, but ended up using Keyguard, which I've found really good.

I used to use Keypass+Syncthing, but found sync conflicts too often (due to Syncthing support for Android), hence the switch.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

That's an interesting option. It's the Bitwarden app I've been having issues with; though I'm not sure how much of that is Bitwardens fault vs Android itself.

I'll give that a look, thanks :)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I've been using keyguard for a while now its much smoother then the native bitwarden app and allows multiple vaults which is nice when syncing personal/work vault for example.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I also use keepass and syncthing

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Keepass with the android app that syncs over OneDrive. That way I have my passwords anywhere, also when I sit by my old Windows laptop from time to time.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I use Unix Pass connected over Tailscale to a git server I host myself. The interface options for various devices are a bit clunky, but it basically “just works” outside of that.

Edit: I used to use KeePass and syncthing, which I think is probably the best (balance of simple and effective) combo for most users.

[–] eletes 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Vaultwarden over tailscale has been good to me.

I do have a qualm with how easy it is to accidentally close bitwarden before saving a password and losing the password you just generated. But that's just taught me to not zip through the process

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I believe you can view the generated password history

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Too bad it auto-generates a new one in the same menu :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There's a "password history" menu on the same generator page that saves a comprehensive history of generated passwords for reference.

Its available in both the app and the browser extension

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yes.
But the menu is after you generate a new password (at least in the extension)
Thus you might not know if the password is a new one or the one you generated. And that might confuse some.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That is true. Personally I rely on the timestamps to make the differentiation. But I can see how that might be confusing if one were using the product for the first time. Definitely could use some polish.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Even if you arent sure and gemerated double entries.
IMO there should be a "Generate" button

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Switched from 1password to vaultwarden, no looking back.

[–] howlingecko 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I did the same, as soon as 1Password started migrating to centralized subscription model.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I was grandfathered to a lifetime sub so I sort of let it slide for a few years. But they really have 0 advantages over OSS. Another company turned to garbage.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The autofill popup has always been unreliable for me on Android (with Bitwarden)

I use the quick settings tile most of the time instead

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Thank you! You gave me the hint I needed.

I didn't know there was a quick setting button (the buttons in the notification tray) and have been struggling to find the accessibility options people have mentioned.

That button in the tray seems so much more reliable. Thanks again!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Same for me, and I use the button in my quick settings as well.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I use Bitwarden, which I'm fairly sure is the same product. Perhaps the issue lies with the app you're using to login rather than the manager? For example, Bitwarden works well on at least Chrome and Brave, but rarely on Ecosia.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Bitwarden and Vaultwarden are different products. Vaultwarden is API-compatible with the Bitwarden client apps, but it's a completely separate project.

Both are self hostable. Bitwarden is designed for large deployments (like companies with tens of thousands of employees) so the design is very different to Vaultwarden which is designed for small deployments.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Vaultwarden is just a self-hosted server for Bitwardens clients. It's Bitwardens android client I've been having issues with.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

psono password manager from germany, you can self host it and it's open source

they also give you really good, free support, even when you don't pay them anything

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Interesting, I had not heard of Psono before, cool to see a European alternative that is fully open source. I'm currently self-hosting Vaultwarden but I might give this a try to see how it holds up.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I used to self-host Bitwarden but switched to Vaultwarden a while back.

In the Bitwarden Android app, make sure all the autofill settings are enabled, including accessibility (which helps with autofill in apps that don't officially support it). Sometimes, system updates seem to disable them.

Also note that Android apps need to explicitly support autofill. Not all apps do. The "use accessibility" option is supposed to help with apps that don't officially support autofill.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Keyguard, which works on Bitwarden-compatible servers like Vaultwarden

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Been selfhosting the official Bitwarden stack for the last 7 years now and it's been running great.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

You can open the browser extension menu and press the fill button. The autofill never seems to have worked here on my mobile Firefox 🤷

In theory you can also self-host Firefox sync, but well... there seem to be issues with that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I use Bitwarden (as far as I know these are basically the same) and have had issues with the app too, from long delays before it autofills, to the popup jumping around the screen or vanishing after 1ms, to just never showing up on some screens. I would recommend trying some of the other autofill options they provide in settings to see if they work better for you. I have had much more luck with "inline autofill" than the accessibility-based autofill, but currently keep them all enabled and the experience is much smoother than it was a year ago.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I've been using "passwords" on nextcloud for a few years now. Minimal issues with the app, moving apps, and browser extensions. Not perfect, but hey it's self hosted and reliable.

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