Create and save a password with Proton Pass Free

A generated password is easy to lose if you never save it. Use Proton Pass Free to create a practice login, generate a password, and check that it stays saved.

This exercise uses the web app and fictional details. It does not create a website account. Never reuse a password shown in a screenshot.

1. Open the Free web app

1. Open Proton Pass (opens in a new tab) and sign in.
2. If you already have a Proton account, keep your existing plan. Free is enough for this exercise.
3. If onboarding appears, choose Skip for the theme, premium offer and extension installation.

Proton Free includes unlimited saved logins and a password generator. Check the current plan comparison (opens in a new tab) before paying for extra features.

2. Create a practice login

1. Click Create item, then Login. If you have no saved items, you can also use the Create a login button.
2. Set Title to Practice login and Email or username to learner@example.com.
3. In Websites, enter https://example.com (opens in a new tab) and click Add.
4. In Note, enter Fictional guide example. Not a working account. Leave the 2FA secret key field empty.

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Proton Pass login form filled with fictional example details and an empty password

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A fictional login form. Leave the password empty until the next step.

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3. Generate and fill a password

1. Click the circular-arrow Generate password button beside the password field.
2. Open Type and choose Random Password.
3. Use 20 characters for this practice example. For a real website, follow its length and character requirements. Keep Special characters (!&*) on when the site accepts them.
4. Click Fill password. The generated password returns to the login form, hidden behind dots.

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Proton Pass Free random password generator set to 20 characters with special characters enabled

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Random Password with 20 characters. Generate your own password. Do not reuse this example.

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4. Save and check the result

1. Click Create login.
2. Select Practice login from your item list. Check the email, website and note.
3. Reload the web app and reopen the entry. The same details and a password should still be present.

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Saved fictional Practice login in Proton Pass with email, masked password, website and note

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For real accounts, use a different password for each site. NIST’s guidance (opens in a new tab) explains that a password leaked from one site can be tried against your other accounts.

If something goes wrong

• Create login is unavailable: enter a title.
• The website rejects the password: adjust the generator to its stated rules. Keep the final password identical on the website and in your saved entry.
• The web app does not autofill a website: this exercise covers manual storage. Browser autofill uses the separate Proton Pass extension (opens in a new tab).

If your existing password manager already generates and stores unique passwords, you can use it for this task. Switching tools is optional.

If you need a password manager for this exercise, start with Proton Pass Free (opens in a new tab) and save the fictional login first.

Sources: Proton Pass web-app instructions (opens in a new tab), Free-plan features (opens in a new tab), and NIST password guidance (opens in a new tab).