Passwords

Access this feature from: Privacy ▸ Passwords

Passwords is a password manager that allows you to use one Master Password to quickly and safely log into your online accounts and complete web forms. Passwords encrypts and securely stores your sensitive information, and enables you to synchronize your data across all your devices.

Using Avast Antivirus to store your passwords is a safer alternative to storing passwords in your browser. The passwords you save in your browser are stored on your device along with the information necessary to decrypt them. Avast Antivirus stores your passwords with a much more secure level of encryption, and protects all your data with a password known only by you.

Note: To ensure your privacy, we do not store your Master Password locally or on any server. This means that nobody, including Avast representatives, can access your Passwords data and recover or reset your Master Password if you forget it.

Set up Passwords

When you run Passwords for the first time, you need to set your Master Password and install the Passwords extension onto your browsers to secure your login details. Follow these steps to configure Passwords:

  1. Click Start now.
  2. Create a strong Master Password by following these steps:
    1. Type a Master Password that complies with the on-screen requirements. The text box is underlined with a color indicating the password strength — red if the password is weak, and green if the password is strong.
    2. Retype your Master Password. The text box is underlined in red if the password does not match the Master Password from the previous step.
    3. Tick the box to acknowledge that we are unable to restore or reset your Master Password if you forget it.
    4. Click Set password and continue.
  3. Click Activate in Google Chrome, and follow these steps in your browser (if you do not use Google Chrome, skip these steps):
    1. Click Install.
    2. Click Add extension in the dialog that appears. A confirmation screen indicates that the extension is Installed.
  4. Return to the Passwords screen in Avast Antivirus.
  5. Click Activate in Mozilla Firefox, and follow these steps in your browser (if you do not use Mozilla Firefox, skip these steps):
    1. Click Install.
    2. Click Allow, then click Install in the dialog that appears. A confirmation screen indicates that the extension is Installed.
  6. Return to the Passwords screen in Avast Antivirus.

When you activate the Passwords extension, the passwords saved in your browsers are automatically imported to Passwords. If you do not have any passwords saved in your browsers, you need to click Add manually and provide the login details for your online accounts one by one.

After configuring Passwords, you can:

  • Click Analyze passwords to check the strength of your passwords. Read more...
  • Click Add account to secure a new account with your Master Password. Read more...
  • Click Add note to secure a new note with your Master Password. Read more...

Note: The Passwords extension is currently available for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, and is included in Avast SafeZone Browser by default. Importing passwords does not automatically delete them from your browser. When the import is complete, we recommend you manually delete any saved passwords from your browser. For more details, refer to your browser documentation.

If you do not install the Passwords browser extension during the initial setup, select your preferred browser from the drop-down menu above the account tiles, and click Install. Alternatively, go to Settings ▸ Passwords and install the extension from the Browser integration section.

Manage accounts

After setting up Passwords, any passwords you previously saved in your browsers are automatically added to Passwords in Avast Antivirus.

Note: Passwords that are imported from your browsers when you set up Passwords are not automatically deleted from your browsers. We recommend you manually delete all passwords from your browsers.

Each time you log into an online account for the first time, the Passwords extension recognizes the new login attempt and offers to save the account details to Passwords.

Alternatively, you can add the details of an account manually on the Passwords screen by following these steps:

  1. Click Add account.
  2. Optionally select a color for the account (this color appears in the account icon), then provide the following details:
    • Account name: a name that will allow you to easily find and recognize your account.
    • Web address: the website address of the account, for example, https://www.example.com.
    • Username: the username (often an email address) that you use to log into the account.
    • Password: the password that you currently use to log into the account.
  3. Click Save to confirm the data.

A tile representing your newly added account details appears on the main Passwords screen.

To edit or delete previously added account details, follow these steps:

  1. Click an account tile to open the related details.
  2. Click Edit, then:
    • Modify the data for the existing account, and click Save to confirm your changes.
    • Click Delete to completely remove the account.

Note: Account details cannot be restored once you delete them.

Manage notes

The Secure Notes section is a place where you can safely store notes in Passwords. All notes are encrypted and protected by your Master Password to ensure maximum security. This feature protects your confidential information from unauthorized access. Add a new note by following these steps:

  1. Click Add note.
  2. Optionally select a color for the note (this color appears in the note icon), then provide the following details:
    • Title: a title that will allow you to easily find and recognize your note.
    • Note contents: any data that you want to keep secure, such as PINs and contact details.
  3. Click Save.

A tile representing your newly added note appears on the main Passwords screen.

To edit or delete a previously added note, follow these steps:

  1. Click a note tile to open the note contents.
  2. Click Edit, then:
    • Modify the existing note, and click Save to confirm your changes.
    • Click Delete to completely remove the note.

Note: Notes cannot be restored once you delete them.

Analyze password strength

After you have added account details to Passwords, we recommend you click the Analyze passwords button on the main Passwords screen to check the security of your passwords based on how difficult they are to decipher. If any of your passwords are deemed 'weak' or 'reused', they appear on the next screen.

Follow these steps to increase the strength and complexity of a password:

  1. Click an account tile to open the related details.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Type a new password containing a combination of lower and uppercase letters, numbers, and special symbols into the Password box.
  4. Click Save to confirm your changes.

Manage Passwords settings

To manage your Passwords settings, go to Settings ▸ Passwords. This tab is only visible after you set up Passwords in Privacy ▸ Passwords.

The following options are available for Passwords:

  • Security: change your Master Password, and specify when and how often Avast prompts you for your Master Password.
  • One Touch Login (paid feature): use your mobile device to log into your online accounts.
  • Synchronization: sync your Passwords with your Avast Account so that you can use Passwords across all your devices.
  • Browser integration: select the internet browsers that you want to use Passwords with.
  • Import passwords: import passwords from your browser or Avast EasyPass (discontinued).
  • Export password: export passwords from Avast Passwords.

Read more...

Activate Passwords premium features

Upgrade to the paid version of Passwords to unlock the following additional features:

  • One Touch Login: allows you to quickly access the data on your PC by tapping the screen of your mobile device whenever your PC and mobile device are within close proximity.
  • Passwords Guardian: notifies you if any of the passwords you save to Passwords become compromised.

If you upgrade to the paid version of Passwords via the Avast Antivirus, your activation code is automatically applied. If necessary, you can insert your activation code manually by following these steps:

  1. Go to Settings ▸ Subscription.
  2. Scroll down to the Avast Passwords section, and click Insert activation code.
  3. Copy the activation code from your purchase confirmation email, paste it into the Insert Activation Code box, and click Next.
  4. Click Yes to confirm your subscription details.
  5. Click OK to close the confirmation dialog.

Use the Passwords browser extension

Once you have installed the Passwords extension onto your internet browser, a Passwords (key) icon is visible next to the search bar in the browser. Click the key icon to access the following options:

  • Passwords: click to open the main screen of Passwords.
  • Secure notes: click to open the Secure notes section of Passwords.
  • Settings: click to open Passwords settings.
  • Website settings: adjust the following settings:
    • Autofill on this website: turn on to enable Passwords to automatically input your login details for the currently opened website.
    • Prompt to save passwords: turn on to enable Passwords to offer to save your login details each time you access a new online account.

If you experience issues with the Passwords browser extension, click Report problem to provide details of the issue.

Troubleshoot issues

To change how frequently Passwords prompts you for your Master Password, go to Settings ▸ Passwords and click a bar to indicate how often you want to be prompted for your Master Password (On reboot, Once a week, Once a day, or Twice a day).