security

How to create a strong password

A simple, practical guide to creating passwords that are harder to guess and easier to manage safely.

Published: 5/13/2026 · Updated: 5/13/2026

Tested on: Bitwarden, 1Password, Chrome, Firefox

Quick answer

Use a long, unique password for every important account. The easiest safe method is to use a password manager and generate passwords with at least 16 characters.

What makes a password strong

A strong password should be:

• unique
• long
• hard to guess
• not reused on other websites

Best practical method

Use a password manager such as Bitwarden, 1Password, iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager or another trusted option.

Then generate a password like this:

Minimum length: 16 characters
Letters: yes
Numbers: yes
Symbols: yes
Reuse: never

What to avoid

Avoid passwords based on:

• your name
• your birthday
• your pet
• your city
• common words
• old passwords with one number changed

Extra safety tip

Turn on two-factor authentication for important accounts such as email, banking, cloud storage and social media.