Account AccessLog In & UnlockMore Unlock Options

Unlock With Biometrics

Quickly and securely access your vault with biometrics in the desktop app, browser extension, and mobile app. After logging in with your standard method, like a

master password
or
trusted device
,
unlock your vault
 with biometrics.

Biometric features are part of the built-in security in your device and/or operating system. Bitwarden never receives your biometrics data, because the feature uses native APIs to perform the validation on your local device.

tip

Security settings are set per account. To turn on biometric unlock for

multiple accounts
, like individual and organization accounts, repeat these steps for each one.

Set up biometrics for desktop app

To set up biometrics in the desktop app:

Set up unlock with biometrics for Windows via

Windows Hello
using PIN, facial recognition, or other hardware that meets
Windows Hello biometric requirements
. This option is supported in the Windows desktop app when it’s installed from
Bitwarden Downloads
. If the desktop app was installed from the Microsoft Store, biometrics will not work.

To turn on biometric unlock:

  1. Turn on Windows Hello
    in your device’s system settings.

    note

    If you are unable to turn on Windows Hello in your device settings, install

    Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
    .

  2. Download the Bitwarden desktop app from

    Bitwarden Downloads
    (if you haven’t already). Bitwarden desktop app installs from the Microsoft Store do not support biometric unlock.

  3. Open the Bitwarden desktop app and go to File → Settings.

  4. Under Security, check Unlock with Windows Hello.

  5. (Optional) If you want to use biometrics to unlock your vault when the desktop app restarts, uncheck Require master password or PIN on app restart. You will be prompted to confirm your biometric in a pop-up window. If this setting remains checked, you will need to enter your master password or PIN every time the desktop app restarts.

Set up biometrics for browser extension

The ability to unlock your vault with biometrics is supported on these browsers:

  • Chromium-based browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Brave

  • Firefox 87+ (Firefox ESR is not supported.)

  • Safari 14+

To set up biometrics on the browser extension or a mobile device:

There are two steps to enabling biometrics for browser extensions:

activate the integration
and
activate extension biometrics
.

1) Activate the integration

First, open the Bitwarden desktop app and update the settings:

  1. Turn on unlock with biometrics in the

    Bitwarden desktop app
    .

  2. Open the Bitwarden desktop app Settings. (For Windows and Linux, go to File → Settings. For macOS, go to Bitwarden → Settings.)

  3. Check Allow browser integration.

    warning

    On macOS, you may encounter an error if your username directory (e.g. /Users/your_username/Library/...) is longer than 104 characters. If you encounter this. error, shorten your username.

  4. (Optional) Check Require verification for browser integration to ask for fingerprint verification every time the integration between the desktop app and browser extension is activated.

2) Activate extension biometrics

note

Some browsers, notably Chrome and Chromium-based browsers like Edge and Brave, may require an additional permission for biometrics to work properly:

  1. Using the web browser address bar, navigate to the extensions manager (e.g. chrome://extensions or brave://extensions).

  2. Open the Bitwarden entry on this page and toggle on Allow access to file URLs.

Next, remain logged in to the Bitwarden desktop app and open the Bitwarden browser extension. To turn on unlock with biometrics for the browser extension:

  1. Select the Settings icon.

  2. Select Account security.

  3. Check Unlock with biometrics.

  4. You may see a prompt asking permission for Bitwarden to “communicate with cooperating native applications.” Select Allow.

    note

    This permission is required for the browser extension to unlock with biometrics. If you decline, you can continue using the browser extension, but unlock with biometrics will not work.

  5. Go to the desktop app and there:

    1. Select Approve to verify the browser connection.

    2. Enter your biometric when prompted.

  6. (Optional) If you previously turned on Require verification for browser integration, enter your fingerprint when prompted.

  7. (Optional) Check Ask for biometrics on launch to use biometrics when the browser extension first opens, skipping the initial unlock screen.

Set up biometrics for mobile

Unlock with biometrics is supported on iOS via

Touch ID
and
Face ID
 and on Android (Google Play or FDroid) via
fingerprint unlock
 or
face unlock
.

note

On Android, Bitwarden requires your biometric factor to be

Class 3
. Fingerprint readers will most often be Class 3, however the class of facial recognition systems will vary based on device manufacturer and model

To set up unlock with biometrics for your mobile device:

  1. Turn on the biometric method in your device’s system settings, like the iOS Settings app.

  2. Open the Bitwarden app and tap the Settings icon.

  3. Tap Account security.

  4. Tap Unlock with Face ID or Unlock with Biometrics. (What’s available is based on your device’s hardware capabilities and what you previously turned on in your device’s system settings.)

  5. Enter your biometric when prompted, like your face or fingerprint. The toggle will fill in when unlock with biometrics is successfully set up.

Use unlock with biometrics

To access your vault with the Windows or Linux desktop app:

  1. Log in with a master password or PIN.

  2. Select Unlock with Windows Hello or Unlock with system authentication:

    Unlock with Windows Hello

  3. Enter the biometric you configured.

note

When you first open or restart the Windows and Linux desktop apps, the biometrics option will be greyed out. Unlock the vault with your standard method, like the master password or PIN. After that first log in and unlock, you can use biometrics to unlock your vault.

Troubleshooting

If a “Biometric unlock disabled pending verification of your master password” error appears:

  1. Temporarily turn off autofill in Bitwarden.

  2. Follow the steps above to set up biometrics in Bitwarden.

  3. Turn autofill back on within Bitwarden.