My 87-year-old mother-in-law often gets locked out of her laptop and online accounts because she types her username or password incorrectly. Although she keeps a record of them in a book, she's still struggling to remember them. I'm considering getting a USB thumbprint reader for her laptop so she could just use her fingerprint to log in instead of typing. Would this actually simplify her login process, or am I just dreaming of an easy fix to avoid the constant panicked phone calls?
5 Answers
If she has a Mac, then the Touch ID feature along with browser autofill makes it super easy for her. It could simplify her login experience quite a bit!
You might want to look into using a password manager with browser autofill instead of just a thumbprint reader. It could save her a lot of hassle by automatically filling in usernames and passwords when she visits her favorite sites. A device like a YubiKey could also work, but it all depends on what sites she uses and their security settings.
Just a heads up, even with a fingerprint reader, she’ll still need to type in her password now and then. It's good for convenience, but it won't completely eliminate the need to remember some passwords.
In my experience, a simple 3x5 card listing her passwords usually works best for those who aren't tech-savvy. Fingerprint readers often cause more confusion than they help, and using advanced tools like password managers can be complicated for some. If she’s facing memory issues, consider handling her account management directly.
Using a password manager with a fingerprint reader can be a solid option. With a password manager, she only needs to remember one master password to access all her other passwords. Bitwarden is a great free option and very secure!
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