You can quickly unlock Dashlane without having to type your Master Password. This article explains how to enable biometric authentication or a PIN code for selected Android devices.
Biometric authentication
Prerequisites
First, you need to make sure your device supports biometric authentication.
Note that though some Android devices support face recognition, this was disabled for Dashlane on Android 9 and below because the feature didn’t meet our security requirements. We look forward to a more secure solution with Android 10. Similarly, we do not support the fingerprint recognition feature available on older Samsung devices. These include the Samsung Galaxy S5 & Note 4 running Android 6.0.
You should always make sure that you're running the most recent version of Dashlane for your device. Check to see if there's an update available on the Play Store.
Lastly, you need to make sure that your device itself uses a lock-screen (PIN or fingerprint) to be able to enable Dashlane's biometric authentication.
How it works
Biometric authentication allows you to unlock your device and its apps. Instead of entering your PIN – or your Master Password if you did not enable PIN protection – to unlock Dashlane, Dashlane can read your biometrics and unlock the app.
Note that after restarting your device, you will still be prompted to enter your Master Password to open Dashlane and decrypt your data. In addition, you will also be asked to enter your Master Password from time to time as a security measure, as well as to make sure that you remember it!
Also, note that whenever a new fingerprint is added to the biometrics settings on your device, this automatically disables the biometric lock feature in Dashlane. You will have to enter your Master Password at your next login and re-enable the feature. This is done to ensure the security of your Dashlane account.
How to enable the feature
Enable biometrics in the Android settings
In order to enable the feature in Dashlane, you will first need to enable it in the Android settings of your device. To do so, please follow the instructions below to locate the setting:
- Open your phone's Settings and locate the security or biometrics menu
- From this menu, set your biometrics preferences
Your choices will depend on which biometrics your device supports. You may see options for fingerprint, iris, or face recognition, or "Intelligent Scan". Unless you specify otherwise, the default will be fingerprint recognition. Devices running Android 8 or lower may only support fingerprint recognition.
Enable "Biometric Lock" in the Dashlane application
From the main Dashlane menu, tap on Settings, go to the Security menu and tap the button to turn on "Biometric unlock".
Then follow our tutorial to enable the feature.
If you have any problems enabling it:
- First, disable "Biometric unlock" in Dashlane
- Disable and re-enable the feature in your Android settings
- Make sure that the PIN code lock is turned off in the Dashlane settings
- Finally, turn "Biometric unlock" on again in Dashlane.
How to use the feature
Once biometric authentication has been set up, you will be able to use it instead of entering your Master Password when unlocking the app.
Note that the login screen will differ depending on which biometrics you're using.
If biometric authentication fails to recognize your set biometrics, you'll be asked to try again. After three unsuccessful attempts, you will need to enter your Master Password.
Pin code
When you launch Dashlane on your Android device you are asked to enter your Master Password, without which the app could not decrypt your data. Then, once the app is up and running, every time you consult the app, you will again need to enter your Master Password.
You can set up a PIN code to unlock Dashlane, instead of needing to type in your Master Password every time you open the app.
Keep in mind that we discourage you from doing so, because a PIN is necessarily less secure than your Master Password. And if your device has biometrics capability, we recommend that you use the biometrics unlock feature.
How to set up a PIN code
From the main menu, tap on Settings at the bottom of the page, go to the Security menu and tap the button to turn on the PIN code lock.
Then, choose a four-digit number to use as your PIN code and confirm it on the next screen.
Remember that for security reasons you will still periodically have to enter your Master Password instead of your PIN code when signing in to your Dashlane account.
If you forgot your PIN, don't panic. Enter a false PIN three times and Dashlane will ask you for your Master Password in order to unlock the application. You will also be able to disable/enable the PIN again to choose another code.
Why do I still need to enter my Master Password?
When you open Dashlane, you will always need to put in your Master Password in order to launch the app. This is because it is required to decrypt your data. Your Master Password is neither stored in the application nor on our servers, which means that the only way to access your data is to enter your Master Password.
But once you've logged in, you can set up a PIN code so that you don't need to enter your Master Password every time you open the app.
About the Auto-lock and Lock on exit settings
Auto-lock
You can set a timer to your app so that it locks automatically after a certain period of inactivity. This is useful, especially in case your phone is stolen and you want to make sure no one can access your data. You can choose a time between 10 seconds and 15 minutes, after this period of time, you will be prompted to log in again.
You could also disable this by selecting "Never", but we strongly advise against using this setting.
Lock on exit
If you've enabled this feature, then the app will automatically lock whenever you leave it (when going back to the home screen on Android when switching between apps or when locking the screen) and require that you authenticate to unlock it. We recommend that you keep this setting on for more security.
You can find these two features in the Security menu under Auto-lock time.
