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] Biometric for multiple accounts 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:

Windows

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] Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 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.

macOS

Set up unlock with biometrics for macOS via Touch ID. To turn on biometric unlock:

  1. Turn on Touch ID in your device’s system settings.
  2. Open the Bitwarden desktop and go to Bitwarden → Settings.
  3. Under Security, check Unlock with Touch ID and confirm the update when prompted.
  4. (Optional) Check Ask for Touch ID on app start to use Touch ID when the desktop app first opens, skipping the initial unlock screen.

Linux

Unlocking the Bitwarden desktop app with biometrics is supported in Linux when your system has a polkit agent. All available Linux versions of the Bitwarden desktop app support unlock with biometrics.

[!NOTE] Linux-biometrics compatibility by package We recommend installing the Snap or Flatpak versions of the Bitwarden desktop app, because both fully support biometric unlock and automatic updates. Both also support biometric integration with Bitwarden browser extensions:

  • Flatpak: Supports biometric integration with sandboxed and un-sandboxed browser extensions.
  • Snap: Supports biometric integration with un-sandboxed browser extensions.

Learn more about desktop app feature support.

Snap, AppImage, .deb, and .rpm

To turn on biometric unlock:

  1. Turn on system authentication on your machine.
  2. Open the Bitwarden desktop and go to File → Settings.
  3. Under Security, check Unlock with system authentication and confirm the update when prompted.

[!NOTE] Log in before biometrics-Linux After biometrics are configured for the Linux desktop app, you still need to log in with a master password or PIN. Once logged in, use biometrics to unlock your vault.

Flatpak

To turn on biometric unlock:

  1. Copy this policy to /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.bitwarden.Bitwarden.policy on your machine, for example:
sudo wget -O /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.bitwarden.Bitwarden.policy https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bitwarden/clients/main/apps/desktop/resources/com.bitwarden.desktop.policy
  1. Change the ownership of the downloaded file:
sudo chown root:root /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.bitwarden.Bitwarden.policy
  1. Change the security context of the file:
sudo chcon system_u:object_r:usr_t:s0 /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.bitwarden.Bitwarden.policy
  1. Turn on system authentication on your machine.
  2. Open the Bitwarden desktop and go to File → Settings.
  3. Under Security, check Unlock with system authentication and confirm the update when prompted.

[!NOTE] Log in before biometrics-Linux After biometrics are configured for the Linux desktop app, you still need to log in with a master password or PIN. Once logged in, use biometrics to unlock your vault.

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:

Chromium-based & Firefox

There are two steps to enabling biometrics for browser extensions:

Enable biometrics on the desktop app

To turn on biometrics for the desktop app:

  1. Set up unlock with biometrics on the Bitwarden desktop app.

Activate extension biometrics

[!NOTE] Allow access to file URLs 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] Communicate with cooperating native applications 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. (Optional) Check Ask for biometrics on launch to use biometrics when the browser extension first opens, skipping the initial unlock screen.

Safari

To turn on biometric unlock:

  1. Select the ⚙️ Settings icon.
  2. Select Account security.
  3. If a confirmation window appears, enter your device’s password and click Always Allow.
  4. Check Unlock with biometrics.
  5. When prompted, enter your Touch ID.
  6. (Optional) Check Ask for biometrics on launch to use biometrics when the browser extension first opens, skipping the initial unlock screen.

[!TIP] Require verification for browser integration To ask for fingerprint verification every time the integration between the desktop app and browser extension is activated:

  1. Open the desktop app and go to Bitwarden → Settings.
  2. Check Require verification for browser integration.
  3. When turning on biometrics unlock in the browser extension, you’ll be asked to enter your fingerprint during setup.

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] Android Class Requirement 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

Windows & Linux Desktop

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] Biometrics greyed out 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.

macOS Desktop

If you checked Ask for Touch ID on app start during setup, you’ll immediately be prompted to enter your Touch ID.

If you did not check Ask for Touch ID on app start during setup:

  1. Log in with a master password or PIN.
  2. Select Unlock with Touch ID:

Unlock with Touch ID 3. Enter your Touch ID.

Browser extension

To access your vault with the browser extension:

  1. Log in to the Bitwarden desktop app and unlock your vault.
  2. With the desktop app still running in the background, open the Bitwarden browser extension.
  3. (Optional) If you previously turned on Require verification for browser integration in the desktop app, enter your fingerprint when prompted.

  4. Depending on if Ask for biometrics on launch was checked in the desktop app during setup:

  5. If this setting was checked, you’ll immediately be prompted to enter your biometric.

  6. If this setting was notchecked, select Unlock with biometrics and enter the biometric you configured:

Unlock with biometrics browser

[!NOTE] "Action was cancelled by the desktop application" browser error If an “Action was cancelled by the desktop application” error appears, confirm that:

  • Your desktop app is compatible, such as installed from the Mac App Store.
  • The desktop app is open and you’re logged in.
  • Biometrics are set up for your desktop app before turning them on in the browser extension.
  • If you’re on macOS, shorten your username if it causes your directory path (e.g./Users/your_username/Library/...) to be over 104 characters.

Mobile

When the Bitwarden mobile app first opens, enter your fingerprint or face ID when prompted.

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.