The hard part of switching to a password manager was never picking one — it's the migration. If moving your passwords over feels like a weekend project, you'll keep putting it off. Here's a version that takes about half an hour and doesn't require you to manually retype a single login.

Step 1: Pick one, and stop researching

Any major password manager with a good security track record — the kind that supports two-factor authentication on your vault itself and syncs across your phone and computer — is a large upgrade over reusing passwords or storing them in a browser with no master password. Feature comparisons matter less than actually starting. Pick one, install the browser extension and the phone app, and move on.

Step 2: Import what your browser already has

Chrome, Safari, and Firefox have all been quietly saving your passwords for years. Most password managers can import directly from your browser's saved-password list in a couple of clicks — look for an "Import" option during setup. This alone usually fills your vault with 80% of your accounts without you touching a single password field.

Step 3: Let it generate new passwords as you go

Don't try to replace every password in one sitting. Instead, as you naturally log into sites over the next few weeks, use the extension's "change to a generated password" option when it appears. This spreads the work out and means you're strengthening the accounts you actually use, first.

Prioritize three accounts immediately, even before anything else: your email, since it can reset almost everything else; your bank; and whatever account you'd be most upset to lose. Give those unique, generated passwords today.

Step 4: Turn on two-factor authentication for the vault itself

Your password manager becomes a single point of failure if its own login is weak. Set a long, unique master password you don't use anywhere else, and turn on two-factor authentication for the vault. Write down or securely store the recovery codes it gives you — losing both your master password and your recovery method can mean losing everything inside.

Step 5: Deal with your browser's old saved passwords

After importing, go into your browser's password settings and clear the saved list, or at least stop it from offering to save new ones. Having passwords live in two places defeats the point — you want one source of truth that's actually secured.

A quick setup order