Passwords: the simple method to never forget one again

You have 3 passwords that you use everywhere, including one variation with your date of birth. You know it: it's not great. But you can't see how to do it any other way without going mad.

I'm going to show you the simple method that all the pros use, which takes 30 min to set up and which will make your life easier afterwards (yes, really).

The real problem: we all have 50+ passwords

Your bank, the tax office, Améli, Doctolib, Amazon, Netflix, Gmail, Facebook, your work email, your mobile provider's site, your health insurer's, your doctor's app... If you count them up, you quickly reach 50-80 accounts. Nobody can memorise 80 strong, unique passwords.

The result, which I see every day on call-outs:

• Either the same password everywhere (a security disaster)
• Or Post-it notes under the keyboard (better than you'd think, actually)
• Or a Word document or a paper notebook (acceptable but impractical)
• Or resetting at every login via "forgotten password" (exhausting)

The 3 bad methods most people use

1. The same password everywhere. It's the equivalent of having a single key that opens your house, your car, your safe and your letterbox. If it's stolen, everything falls. And there are regular password leaks on consumer sites — when your Carrefour password leaks, hackers try it on your Gmail and your bank.

2. The "clever variation" (Netflix2024!, Amazon2024!, etc.). An automated algorithm guesses that in a few seconds. No real protection.

3. Saving them in the browser with no lock. If someone gains physical access to your PC (a stolen computer, a curious teenager, an ex-partner), they get into ALL your accounts in 30 seconds. The browser asks for no master password by default.

The right method: a password manager

The principle: a single, very strong master password (which you memorise) that unlocks an encrypted digital vault containing all your other passwords.

Practical day-to-day benefits:

• You no longer type anything: the manager fills it in for you, in one click.
• Synced everywhere: your vault is accessible on PC, smartphone and tablet.
• Each account has a unique, strong password generated automatically.
• You know what has leaked: good managers alert you if one of your passwords has appeared in a leak.
• Also stores sensitive notes: carte Vitale numbers, Wi-Fi codes, secret PINs, etc.

Which one to choose in 2026?

Three recommendations depending on your profile:

Bitwarden (free, my recommendation for most people). Open-source, free in an unlimited version, regularly audited. Works on everything (Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, browsers). Very good. If you only want to think about it once, choose Bitwarden and never look back.

iCloud Keychain (free, if you're 100% Apple). If you have an iPhone + Mac + iPad and nothing else, the built-in keychain works very well. Downside: hard to use from a Windows PC or Android.

1Password (paid, ~€3/month). More polished, a nicer interface, very well-designed family support. If you want to share passwords as a couple or a family cleanly, it's worth the price.

How to set it up simply

Steps to follow, ~30 min:

1. Choose your master password. Very important: this will be the only one to memorise. Pick a phrase of 4-5 words that you'll remember: "dog-blue-volcano-table-42" is a thousand times safer than "Pa$$w0rd!".
2. Create your account on Bitwarden (or another). Write the master password on a piece of paper kept in a safe place (a safe, a locked filing cabinet) — it's your only safety net.
3. Install the browser extension (Chrome / Firefox / Edge). Log in once.
4. Install the mobile app on your smartphone. Enable unlocking by fingerprint/Face ID.
5. Each time you log in to a site over the following days, let the manager save the password. Within 2-3 weeks, your vault fills up naturally.
6. When a site asks for a new password: generate it via the manager (20 random characters, you don't have to remember it).

After a month, you no longer type any password by hand. You almost forget the manager exists, except once a week when it asks for your master password to unlock.

What about passkeys? Should you switch?

Passkeys are the new generation: no password at all, just identification by fingerprint or Face ID linked to your device. It's the future, safer and simpler.

In practice, in 2026: adopt them when a site offers them (Google, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon support them), but don't rely on them everywhere. The transition will take years. Keep using a password manager alongside — in fact, good managers handle passkeys too.