It might be super tempting to keep all of your passwords and personal information in your notes app, but it’s something some tech pros strongly advise against.
The notes app is a great tool that automatically comes with people’s smartphones and provides users a space to jot things down at the last minute, draft texts and emails, make shared plans, and more. Though it can hold a lot of information, and though it might be sitting behind your phone and its passcode, it doesn’t mean you should be putting anything too serious on there. Read more about why tech pros advise against putting your passwords in your Notes app below.
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Why You Should Avoid Keeping Passwords In Your Notes App
One of the most commonly used preinstalled smartphone apps is the notes app, a space where people can keep an unlimited amount of notes pertaining to just about anything, from grocery lists to recipes, creative writing projects, drafts for texts, and more. They can be exchanged with others, locked, highlighted, and edited, etc.
Although the app is super helpful for many, and although a lot of smartphone users will keep all sorts of information in it, there are still certain things you shouldn't store in it, like valuable information such as passwords or credit card details.
"You're making it incredibly easy for someone to access everything," says cybersecurity pro and tech content creator Caitlin Sarian in an Instagram video. "If your phone is lost, stolen, hacked, or someone gains access to your iCloud or Google account, because, let's be honest, that password is probably reused on other accounts, they instantly get access to every password synced to your device."
Caitlin notes in her video that a lot of dangers are hidden behind the Notes app, as it is "not encrypted and wasn't built for security."
"One breach of your Apple or Google account, and your entire online life is free for the taking," she adds.
If you're not sure where to keep your passwords outside of your smartphone's notes app, the cybersecurity pro has a few suggestions, which include looking into a well-reviewed and trusted password manager website or app, as they can "generate and store strong passwords" for every account you have.
However, you can also go a more old-fashioned route, which would be going back to writing your passwords down on paper and keeping them in a secure area of your home. This is an especially smart idea when it comes to passwords that protect extra private information, like banking and health records.
