Password generator dumbed down

HenryAZ

I just went to generate a new password for the first time in a while, and noticed that the options for creating a password are seriously lacking the choices that used to be there. There used to be a choice of how many symbols, how many numbers and now it is just a check box to include symbols/numbers or not. I hope there are plans to return those extra choices to the password generator. Some sites are very specific about what and how many of these things to include.

kwmorrow

I also find the "new improved" password generator to be a step backwards in amount of control. I have to keep generating until I get a result with the numbers and symbols I want. I hope the previous flexibility is returned in a new release.

ag_ana

@HenryAZ, @kwmorrow:

Our Chief Defender Against the Dark Arts talks about the security reasons for the change in this post on the forum, perhaps this will help clarify the updates.

kwmorrow

Hi @ag_ana. The post mentioned is closed so I cannot comment but have input. I work in IT development and have to connect to many customer systems that all have different minimum password requirements, just as we do internally. At the moment the password generator randomly assigns numbers and symbols. Sometime you get both, sometimes not, sometimes you get multiple of the same together. I find myself having to click repeatedly more and more until I get a password suitable to use. If I have to generate something close and then go and edit it I may as well just randomly bang on the keyboard to generate one myself. This reduces the usefulness of the app and creates enormous frustration, especially for those of us using these settings for years. With older releases I simply set the length and number of numbers and symbols required, click once and have a secure password suitable for the system and remembered by 1PW. You need to realize that it is not just publicly accessible web sites that people are using your app for.

Aside the iCloud sync issue introduced in Big Sur and that support seem not to care about, the password generator is making me rethink the value of this application that I have been using and promoting for over 10 years. There should be no reason you can't have a default setting for the casual users but then an advanced settings button to allow fine tuning for professionals that have to fine the password rules multiple times a day. I also agree as someone mentioned with some form of setting for the allowed symbols. That is another point of frustration when it generates symbols that are not in the allowed name space when you have a good password but the symbol is not allowed.

Maybe in advanced settings multiple password rules could be configured to set number of numbers, number of symbols and the allowed symbols and then you simply choose the rule you wish to use for the password instance you are creating. I left out length because the same rule could be used with different length passwords. The main screen simply has the password length and a drop down for the rule. Default (current default setting) is all that appears if you have not created a new rule and passwords can then be created based on the rule and length settings.

ag_ana

Thank you for the feedback @kwmorrow! I have let our security team know about your post, we will post back here as soon as we have an update :)