Microsoft Authenticator is Losing Password Autofill—Here's What To Use Instead
Microsoft Authenticator, a popular app for generating 2FA codes and storing passwords, has supported password autofill for years. However, that is all going by the wayside. Here's how to save your passwords, and what you can use instead.
Microsoft isn't just removing autheticator's ability to autofill passwords, it is completely removing its ability to even store them. Starting in August, passwords previously saved to Authenticator will only be accessible via your Microsoft account.
If you used Authenticator to generate passwords, that generation history will be completely erased. If those passwords aren't backed up somewhere, either in Authenticator, your Microsoft account, or elsewhere, they'll be lost permanently in August 2025.
Microsoft Authenticator will also be deleting any saved payment methods you have.
As inconvenient as that may be, it is probably a good thing—leaving a bunch of sensitive data sitting around in a deprecated service is never a good thing for your security.
Authenticator provided four big services all in one convenient package:
A password manager
A 2FA code generator
A way to save your payment methods
A password generator
In searching for a replacement, I wanted a solution (or combination of solutions) that neatly provides all of those too.
I use BitWarden as a password manager, since it works so well on all of my devices (Android, Windows, and Linux), and luckily, BitWarden can also do 2FA. The regular BitWarden app also includes a password and passkey generator, and supports credit cards.
There is really only one small downside: the free 2FA and password manager apps are separate. If you want them integrated, you'll need to pay 10 dollars annually. I'm all in on BitWarden these days, plus I like the company and the open-source approach, so that is what I went for.
Google's password manager is integrated into every Android phone by default, which makes it an obvious choice for many. Because it is integrated into Android, it tends to have the fewest problems with autofill. On the other hand, it doesn't work on Windows or Linux unless you use Google Chrome.
1Password is an extremely popular password manager that ticks all of my boxes, and will probably meet the needs of almost any user. Like Microsoft Authenticator and BitWarden, it works on all major operating systems, can store and generate passwords and passkeys, can handle 2FA codes, and can save payment methods.
The personal plan for 1Password costs $2.99 per month if you pay annually, or 3.99 per month if you pay on a month-by-month basis.
I gave the trial of 1Password a try and actually quite liked it, but I stick to FOSS software whenever I can.
Once you've decided which password manager app you want to use, you need to export your passwords from Authenticator. The process will be pretty similar regardless of which password manager you choose.
Authenticator lets you export your saved passwords as a CSV file, but BitWarden on mobile can't directly import that. It is easier to use the desktop instead.
First, open up Authenticator and make sure that your passwords are backed up to your Microsoft account. Tap the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner, then go to Settings. Scroll down until you see the toggle next to "Cloud Backup."
Now, go to any PC and launch Microsoft Edge. Once Edge has been launched, log in to the same Microsoft account that you used for your Authenticator backup.
Click the address bar, then paste or type edge://wallet/passwords in the address bar. Click the three-dot icon, then the "Export Password" button. Edge will take you through a few confirmation steps before giving you a CSV file that contains your passwords.
Now, install the BitWarden desktop app on your device, and click File > Import Data.
Select "Edge (CSV)" from the File Format drop-down menu, then click "Import" and select the file you exported from Microsoft Edge previously.
All of your passwords that were previously saved in Authenticator will be moved over into BitWarden and synchronized between all of your devices.
If none of those options are appealing, there are other password managers you could try out instead. Just remember: a piece of paper stuffed in your desk drawer is neither secure nor reliable enough to be trusted with your important passwords.
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WIRED
23 minutes ago
- WIRED
Faithful Companions: The Best Printers We've Tried
Skip to main content It's a boring tool, but you need one. Here are the best home printers we have tested, from ink tank to lasers. All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Everybody prints. At least everyone I know. Yet as digital tickets and phone camera scanning become increasingly common, more homes are operating without a printer at all. For those who have realized they do need to print stuff from time to time, or who just moved to a home office and really need a workhorse, I've got you covered. In addition to writing for WIRED as a freelancer, I have a side hustle selling trading cards online. I'm printing packing slips, shipping labels, and even scanning cards on a daily basis. A printer is a commonly used tool in my life, so I can understand how frustrating it is when they don't work right. I've spent hours printing out countless labels, slips, coloring book pages, and full-color photos of my dog on every printer I could get my hands on. Below are my favorites based on their printing quality, cost efficiency, and how often they gave me a headache. While I prefer laser printers for their ease of use and consistency, ink tank options are quickly becoming more appealing, and I have great options for both, as well as your classic ink cartridge-based devices. Looking for more of the best home office gear? Be sure to check out our guides to the Best Computer Monitors, Best Standing Desks, Best Office Chairs, and Best Laptops. AccordionItemContainerButton Before anything else, you'll have to decide between ink and laser. I'll get into the details when it comes to each model, but the most important consideration is paper type, because it's a limitation rather than a benefit. Laser printers use heat in the bonding process, which means if you regularly print on windowed envelopes or photo paper, you'll need to either use an ink printer or change to a thermally-safe alternative, which can be cost prohibitive if you print a lot. Inkjets are the most common flavor of home printer, and they work like you might expect, by boiling ink until it splatters through a series of tiny holes. You didn't expect that? Me neither! Pretty exciting stuff. Inkjet printers come in two flavors, with either pre-filled cartridges or built-in tanks. The latter is quickly becoming more popular thanks to better pricing, more convenience, and a massive reduction in wasted plastic. If you're buying a new printer in 2025 you should opt for an ink tank, if not a laser printer. They're a little more work to setup and maintain, since you have to keep the tanks topped off, and they should remain in one place on a flat surface to avoid leaks. I can't imagine many situations where a printer would be constantly moving and tilting, but it's a consideration. You thought InkJets were cool? Laser printers work by blasting a tube full of dried plastic particles, then fusing them to the paper with heat. They tend to cost more upfront, but the cost per page is overall much lower. Where a $20 ink cartridge might print 200 pages, a $60 toner cartridge could print 2000. They tend to be a lot faster than inkjet printers, and you don't have to worry about them drying out. Plus, the pages come out of the printer nice and warm, and you can't really put a price on that. Laser printers are my preferred type, as long as your paper type and budget can support them. AccordionItemContainerButton While Wi-Fi is increasingly common, especially on high-end printers, it isn't a given. If your home has a dedicated desktop, you can often plug in the printer through USB and share the connection over the network, but otherwise you may need to find a spot with an Ethernet cable. If you don't have a desktop or a convenient spot next to the router, Wi-Fi will make your life a lot easier. You'll also want to keep an eye out for different interface options. Basic models may have no screen at all, or a single line of dot-matrix characters. Upgrades often include a color LCD for clearer error messages, or even a touchscreen for advanced configuration without an app. I generally find these are most important during the initial setup, and become less useful over time. The exception here is on machines with copying and scanning features, where a good interface can save you time shuffling through settings. AccordionItemContainerButton I can't tell you definitively whether you need a scanner, but if you've used the feature in the last two years, and your phone camera hasn't sufficed, it's worth the upgrade. You don't want to have to shop for a standalone scanner, or buy an entirely new printer just to make copies twice a year. Most models come in scan-ful and scan-less varieties that are otherwise identical, so it shouldn't complicate the decision much. Document feeders are really only necessary for situations where you're regularly scanning stacks of pages, like signed invoices for digitizing. A flatbed is more than sufficient for occasional forms, preferable for photos, and will often produce a higher quality scan anyway. Photograph: Brad Bourque Even though the Brother HL-L2460DW runs nice and quiet, it was one of the faster printers in my testing, making it a great choice for a home office or classroom that doesn't need color. If you're printing out dozens of pages per day, all of them in black and white, and never scanning, you'll save a lot of cash going with the laser option. Setup isn't entirely intuitive. There's only a single line readout, and limited buttons for entering a Wi-Fi password, but I only had to struggle with it once. Once it's running, it requires little to no upkeep or changing settings. It's fast, cheap to run daily, fits cleanly onto any shelf, and just needs a power cable. Photograph: Brad Bourque As long as you don't need a scanner, I'd check out the Brother HL-3280CDW. It printed slower than the black and white model, but still fast for the group, with a nice crisp detail level, and it isn't too noisy. The touchscreen makes setup and adjusting options straightforward, and I was able to set it and forget it. This no-frills printer is great for mostly black and white with occasional color printing, with a fairly compact footprint and a second manual feed paper tray. The only downside here is that it's fairly new, so the updated toner cartridges haven't had a chance to come down in price yet. Setting up and maintaining an ink tank printer adds a few extra steps, and I was a little wary of them at first. This Epson EcoTank ET-2980 was the most straightforward and non-threatening I tested. The ink bottles mount right into keyed holes, so you can't mix them up, with no extra drips or dribbles, and there were no extra bits to install or configure, just a one-time scan sheet to check the alignment. It was also the easiest to secure if I needed to move it without getting ink everywhere. Print quality is excellent, and slower than the laser printers, but quick enough for most home use. It also includes a flatbed scanner, making it one of the best equipped printers for the price, particularly when you take into account the savings from refillable ink. 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My only minor complaint here is that the document feeder up top likes to crunch documents if you don't get the holders positioned exactly right, so just make sure to use the flatbed for anything important. While I think Ink Tank and laser printers offer a better value and user experience, I can understand feeling more comfortable dealing with classic ink cartridges. This upgraded HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e is the newer model of the printer that powered my business for the last year or so. It's fully featured, with both a flatbed and document scanner, and it was one the speedier printers I tested with full color printing. It also boasts the widest support for paper types and sizes on the list, although it doesn't always grab the right number of pages when working with thicker stock, something I noticed on the older version as well. 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Android Authority
29 minutes ago
- Android Authority
I can't believe how far Switch emulation has come in the year since Nintendo killed it
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority It's been a few weeks since the Nintendo Switch 2 hit shelves, but if we're being perfectly honest, there's not much reason to buy one yet. I've been revisiting my OG Switch to stave off the FOMO, but I was sad to learn that my left Joy-Con now drifts so badly that Link runs in circles like he's drunk in Breath of the Wild. Instead of shelling out $40 for another Joy-Con with a ticking drift timer, I reached for something I hadn't touched in a while: Switch emulation on Android. I had largely given up on the scene after the events of last year, but what I found honestly blew me away. Not only is Switch emulation alive, it's evolved in ways I didn't see coming. I still love playing on real hardware, but let's just say the emulator grave Nintendo tried to dig didn't stay filled for long. Hard reset: The Yuzu shutdown Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority For those of you who haven't followed Switch emulation closely, it's been a crazy few years. 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The devs are throwing around big ideas for performance tweaks, UI improvements, and more features. The first public build of Eden dropped barely a month ago, and it's still half-baked in spots. But even so, it's the most exciting Switch emulation project I've seen since Yuzu's heyday. No matter which Yuzu variant you choose, performance still depends heavily on the turnip drivers. These unofficial, community-built GPU drivers are a labor of love, and they've also steadily improved over the years. Pick the right one, and you can squeeze out framerates the Switch itself might envy. Meanwhile, a new challenger appeared in a different corner of the emulator universe: Kenji-NX. Built on Ryujinx's codebase, it trades performance for accuracy. On older phones, that tradeoff doesn't pan out, but if you've got a Snapdragon 8 Elite, it's another story. The right emulator and driver can outperform even original Switch hardware. 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Forbes
37 minutes ago
- Forbes
Platform Engineering At A Crossroads: Golden Paths Or Dark Alleyways
Following the golden path to platform engineering success is not without its pitfalls and pernicios ... More passageways. getty Automation equals efficiency. It's a central promise that's now permeating every segment of the software application development lifecycle. From robotic process automation accelerators that work at the user level, through encapsulated best practices applied throughout the networking connection tier used to bring applications to production… and onward (especially now) to the agentic software functions that can take natural language prompts (written by developers) and convert them to software test cases and, subsequently, also write the code for those tests. Automation represents a key efficiency play that all teams are now being compelled to adopt. As an overarching practice now carrying automated software development tooling forward, platform engineering is widely regarded as (if not quite a panacea) an intelligent approach to encoding infrastructure services and development tools in a way that means developers can perform more self-service functions without having to ask the operations team for backup. Platform engineering encapsulates the deliberate design and delivery of internal software application development tools, services and processes that define how software engineers build software. It's a holistic approach that covers the underlying processes, people and (perhaps more crucially of all), the cultural workflow mindset of an organization. At the keyboard, platform engineering is not necessarily all about implementing new technologies (although the omniscient specter of agentic AI will never be far away); it's about fostering consistency and a shared understanding across diverse teams. Devotees who preach the gospel according to platform engineering talk of its ability to lead towards so-called "golden paths" today. These can be described as standardarized workflow routes where infrastructure and configuration parameters for software development are encoded, ratified and documented. Often referred to as an 'opinionated' software practice (i.e. one that takes a defined path and does things one way, not the other way) that help individual software engineers stay close to tooling and processes that will be used by all other developers in a team or department. 'One way to think of a golden path is to imagine baking a cake. The steps required to bake a cake include pre-heating the oven to a specific temperature, gathering the right baking tools… and having the necessary ingredients. It's more than following a recipe, it's also making sure you use the right tools and techniques. If you want more people to bake the same cake, you find ways to become more consistent and efficient, explains Red Hat , on its DevOps pages. According to Derek Webber, VP of engineering at AI-enabled software quality engineering company Tricentis , platform engineering does have the potential to be golden, but it can also lead teams down a dark and dusty track into the Wild West. Why The Wild West? 'Yes, the promise of platform engineering lies in creating golden paths for software delivery. However, the absence of a traditional structured approach to software development often leads to what can only be described as the 'Wild West' of software development, particularly within large, scaling enterprises,' stated Webber. 'In such environments, each product team might independently craft their own unique pipelines, tools and processes. While this might afford initial autonomy, it inevitably leads to fragmentation. As organizations grow from a few dozen to hundreds or thousands of engineers, the tight-knit integration and level of shared understanding that characterizes a startup are lost. Developers become isolated, building 'unique snowflakes' of software pipelines that are difficult to maintain, understand and transfer knowledge across.' This fragmentation might be argued to severely hamper an organization's ability to be flexible and nimble, with an ability to move fast (remember the pandemic, yeah, that kind of change). Why would this be so? Because every new feature, every bug fix and even basic team reorganization becomes a slower and more laborious task. This can happen because of cross-team dependencies when everything is so formally encoded, it can happen because developers see their work as a project, rather than it being a product… and it can happen simply as a result of poorly documented tools in the platform engineering firmament. A fragmented coding landscape also obviously presents challenges to an organization's security posture, making it more difficult to ensure consistent compliance and vulnerability management across all services. DevEx, The Software World On Time 'The true power of platform engineering, especially when championed by a dedicated developer experience (DevEx) team, comes when it is able to balance two critical, often conflicting, objectives: speed and quality. This can be achieved by providing the necessary checks and balances that promote operational consistency and efficiency at scale,' said Webber. 'A core tenet of effective platform engineering is, therefore, the integration of testing from the outset to ensure quality is inherent, not an afterthought. While the industry has long advocated a 'shift left' approach, empowering developers to take on more testing responsibilities earlier in the development lifecycle, it's vital not to overcorrect.' Shifting everything left without considering the end-to-end product can lead to a different kind of fragmentation further down the line. The suggestion here is that platform engineering, via, through and under the auspices of a DevEx team, enables a more holistic approach. Webber says he's convinced that the DevEx team plays a pivotal role in creating a consistent testing framework when applied in the realm of platform engineering. It works by providing developers with readily available, uniform tools and processes. It bridges the gap in domain knowledge that often plagues large organizations, ensuring software engineers have the context needed to build robust solutions that actually work and actually scale. By providing pipeline automation, self-serve tools, environment management and established practices for observability and compliance, the DevEx team frees developers from the burden of figuring out how to build the pipeline and hook in tools. They can instead focus on what they build: the core product functionality. 'This shift in responsibility is transformative,' enthused Tricentis' Webber. 'When developers aren't forced to create their own 'special flavour' of every operational component, they gain immense speed and agility. They can move faster, knowing that the underlying platform provides reliable, secure and quality-assured foundations.' It appears that the consistency instilled by platform engineering, not just in tools, but in processes and mindset, becomes the bedrock of what this approach means. Webber and others agree that this could be particularly critical in an era where advancements like AI (and the future allure of can rapidly generate code, necessitating robust and consistent guardrails to maintain quality and security. CNCF Overview View 'We're seeing real traction in the CNCF ecosystem where platform engineering, when paired with strong developer experience practices, helps teams improve efficiency and avoid fragmented tooling. The goal isn't rigid standardization; it's creating shared, supported paths that scale with the organization. Especially as AI speeds up engineering development, having consistent, observable and secure platforms in a cloud-native fashion is what keeps innovation sustainable,' said Chris Aniszczyk , CTO, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, a global non-profit dedicated to promoting open computing standards and platforms. Will Fleury, VP of engineering at enterprise AI coding agent company Zencoder sees platform engineering as an opportunity and a challenge. "One squad [developer team], one technology stack each? That's a tax on every software development sprint," he observes. 'The real price of skipping platform engineering isn't the complexity it might add, it's the chaos that fills the gap if we do it wrong. Building and running an internal developer platform takes effort, but letting every squad roll its own infrastructure, compliance hooks and operational plumbing burns far more time, money and ultimately complexity.' Golden Path, Tunnel Vision? It's important to remember that the focus on internal workflows can miss a critical dimension. Platform discussions obsess over shift left (test early) but equally important is what Soham Ganatra , co-founder at Composio calls 'shift out' i.e. when a new service has to handshake with a payments rail or partner API. "If your platform can't make that external connection trivial, developers will tunnel under a paved road and the whole notion of a golden path collapses,' said Ganatra. He saus he has seen teams spend months perfecting internal developer workflows only to watch everything fall apart at the network boundary. 'A beautiful continuous integration and continuous delivery pipeline means nothing if deploying to production requires three Slack messages, two Jira tickets and a phone call to someone in a different timezone just to get firewall rules updated. The platform needs to extend beyond an organization's own chart; it has to anticipate and smooth over the messy realities of partner integrations, compliance audits and the fact that your biggest customer is still running Internet Explorer 11 in production," he said. Shared, standardized, supported software What this whole discussion aims to champion is not DevEx instead of platform engineering, but platform engineering with a crucial developer experience element in it to help avoid the use of isolated or custom-built tools in a shared, standardized and centrally supported ecosystem. For developers following the yellow brick road towards what they hope is elevation to a platform engineering golden path, we need to engineer people, processes and product just as much as we do platform. As the use of AI coding tools deepens across the software industry, it's actually the cultural human workplace factors that will now have an amplified effect on whether software projects succeed or fail.
