Switch password managers
Move every password, passkey and two-factor code to a new password manager without losing anything, switch autofill everywhere, and close the old vault last.
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Your plan so far
17things this change touches
- critical2
- high9
- moderate3
- low3
Updates as you answer. Every item will explain why it’s there.
What could break
In a typical password manager plan, these are the most serious things to get right.
Keep the old password manager until the new one is proven
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
If the old account is closed or lapses too early, anything the import missed is gone for good.
1Password: save your Emergency Kit and turn on two-factor
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
A forgotten master password or a lost second factor on the new account could lock you out of everything at once.
Two-factor codes generated by the old manager
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
You'd have the password but no way to produce the code, which locks you out of those accounts once the old vault is gone.
Take stock of what's in your vault
High · Data & files
You only discover that an item type didn't come across when you need it, possibly after the old vault is gone.
Backup codes and recovery keys stored in your vault
High · Sign-in & recovery
If those don't come across, you lose your fallback sign-in for the accounts that matter most.
LastPass: export your vault
High · Data & files
Without a complete export you'd be copying passwords by hand, and some would be missed.
1Password: import your items
High · Data & files
Items can end up in the wrong vault, lose fields, or be duplicated if you import twice.
Delete the export file securely once the import is checked
High · Data & files
A copy left in Downloads, a synced folder, an email or a backup exposes every account you have.
File attachments
High · Data & files
Documents stored only in the old vault are lost when it's deleted.
Passkeys saved in the old manager
High · Sign-in & recovery
If passkeys don't come across, you lose that way of signing in when the old vault is deleted.
Before and after the change
Before you change it
- Keep the old password manager until the new one is proven
- Take stock of what's in your vault
- Backup codes and recovery keys stored in your vault
- 1Password: save your Emergency Kit and turn on two-factor
After the change
- LastPass: export your vault
- 1Password: import your items
- Delete the export file securely once the import is checked
- Two-factor codes generated by the old manager
- File attachments
- Passkeys saved in the old manager
- Payment cards: check they came across
- Secure notes: check they came across
- Password history and older versions
- Chrome: switch to the new extension and turn off built-in saving
- Safari: switch to the new extension and turn off built-in saving
- iPhone and iPad: choose the new manager for AutoFill
Your own plan adds or removes items based on your answers, and explains why each one is there.
The safe order
Doing things in the right sequence is what keeps you from getting locked out halfway through.
Before the change
Step 1: Keep the old manager open until the move is proven
The old vault is your only complete copy until the new one is checked.
- Keep the old password manager until the new one is proven (critical risk)
Step 2: Take stock of what's in your vault
Counts by item type give you something to check the import against.
- Take stock of what's in your vault (high risk)
- Backup codes and recovery keys stored in your vault (high risk)
Step 3: Set up and secure the new manager
Recovery kit and two-factor first, before a single password goes in.
- 1Password: save your Emergency Kit and turn on two-factor (critical risk)
During the change
Step 4: Export or transfer from the old manager
Use the safest route both managers support, and only when you're ready to import.
- LastPass: export your vault (high risk)
Step 5: Import, then delete the export file
Import once, compare counts, and remove any readable copy.
- 1Password: import your items (high risk)
- Delete the export file securely once the import is checked (high risk)
Step 6: Move what the import missed
Attachments, passkeys, two-factor codes and special item types often need extra steps.
- Two-factor codes generated by the old manager (critical risk)
- File attachments (high risk)
- Passkeys saved in the old manager (high risk)
- Payment cards: check they came across (moderate risk)
- and 2 more
Step 7: Switch autofill on every browser and device
Make sure only the new manager saves and fills passwords.
- Chrome: switch to the new extension and turn off built-in saving (high risk)
- Safari: switch to the new extension and turn off built-in saving (high risk)
- iPhone and iPad: choose the new manager for AutoFill (high risk)
- Install the new manager on every device (moderate risk)
Immediately after
Step 8: Recreate sharing and emergency access
Shared vaults and emergency contacts don't come across with an export.
- Family sharing: recreate shared vaults and invite everyone (high risk)
- Emergency access and recovery contacts (high risk)
Verify
Step 9: Test your important sign-ins and recovery
Prove the new manager works on its own before you rely on it.
- Test sign-in to your most important accounts (high risk)
- Test that you can get back into the new manager (high risk)
Clean up
Step 10: Keep the old vault as a fallback for a few weeks
Missing items tend to surface when you next use a rare account.
- Keep the old vault as a read-only fallback for a few weeks (moderate risk)
Step 11: Delete the old vault and cancel billing
The one step you can't undo, so it comes last.
- Delete the old vault and cancel its billing last (high risk)
Later
Step 12: Strengthen and tidy up
Fix weak passwords and update anything that still mentions the old manager.
- Fix weak, reused and exposed passwords (moderate risk)
- Notes and instructions that mention the old manager (low risk)
- Watch for devices still saving to the old manager (low risk)
Why this change needs a plan
A password manager holds the keys to almost everything else, so moving it is less like switching apps and more like moving house with every key you own.
Most of the move is quick: an export and an import. The risk is in what doesn't come across cleanly. Attachments, passkeys, two-factor codes, custom fields and shared vaults are handled differently by every manager, and a plain CSV export is a readable copy of every password you have.
The safe approach is to run both managers side by side: secure the new one first, move everything, prove it works on every device, and only then close the old vault.
Why it matters
Your password manager is often the only copy of hundreds of passwords, plus recovery codes and two-factor secrets. A careless switch can lose items silently, leave a readable export file lying around, or leave devices saving new passwords to the old vault.
What makes it risky
Risk is highest when your password manager also generates two-factor codes, when you rely on passkeys or attachments, when the old subscription is about to end, and for businesses with shared vaults or single sign-on.
Common mistakes
- Deleting or cancelling the old vault on the same day as the import.
- Leaving a plain CSV export in Downloads, a synced folder or an email.
- Assuming two-factor codes, passkeys and attachments moved because the logins did.
- Importing the same file twice and ending up with hundreds of duplicates.
- Leaving the old extension or the browser's own password saving switched on, so new passwords go to the wrong place.
- Forgetting the phone's autofill setting, so the old manager keeps filling on mobile.
- Moving everything in before saving the new manager's recovery kit.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to export my passwords to a CSV file?
A CSV is a readable copy of every password, so treat it like the vault itself. Use a direct importer, an app-to-app transfer or an encrypted export if both managers support one. If you must use CSV, keep it out of cloud-synced folders, import it straight away and delete it securely.
Will my passkeys move to the new password manager?
Sometimes. Passkey transfer between managers is still new: some apps can move passkeys directly using the FIDO Credential Exchange standard on recent iPhone and Android versions, but many export files leave them out. If yours won't transfer, create new passkeys from the new manager and remove the old ones.
What happens to the two-factor codes stored in my password manager?
They only move if the export includes the one-time-password secrets and the new manager imports them. Check before you delete the old vault. If they don't move, re-enrol two-factor on each account using a current code from the old manager.
Should I keep my old password manager after switching?
Keep it for a few weeks as a read-only fallback, without saving anything new to it. Once nothing has turned up missing, delete the vault and cancel the subscription.
Do I need to turn off my browser's password manager?
Yes, if you're moving to a separate password manager. Turn off the browser's offer to save passwords and passkeys, and remove the old manager's extension, so only one tool saves and fills.
How do I move a family or team to a new password manager?
Set up the family or team plan first, recreate shared vaults and permissions, invite everyone, then move shared items. Pick a cutover date so nobody keeps saving to the old manager.
Do I need to change my passwords after switching?
Not because of the switch itself. It is a good moment to run the new manager's password health check and change reused or weak passwords, starting with email and money accounts.