How to manage passwords with KeePass

A password manager is a locked notebook for your passwords. You remember one strong password, and the manager remembers the rest.

The apps

• KeePassDX works on your phone.
• KeePassXC works on a computer. The AnarSec guide says it is often the better choice for app passwords.

Both keep your passwords in a single encrypted file that only you hold.

What you should memorise

Do not put these in the manager, because you need them before you can open it:

1. The Owner password that unlocks your phone when it starts.
2. The password for your Default profile.
3. If you use them, the passwords for apps like Cwtch or Molly.

How to get started

1. Install KeePassXC on your computer, or KeePassDX on your phone. See how to install apps.
2. Create a new database and choose a long master password. A sentence of four or five random words works well.
3. Add an entry for each website or app: a name, the username and a password. Let the app make a long random password for you.
4. Save the file and keep a backup copy (see how to back up).

Habits

• Never reuse a password on two websites.
• Do not email the file to yourself.
• Change the master password if you think someone saw it.

This guide is based on the public AnarSec guide "GrapheneOS for Anarchists" (anarsec.guide), rewritten in plain language. Their guide is written for people at high risk, so some advice is stricter than most people need. Use what fits your situation.