Installing KeePassXC and creating your first database

KeePassXC is a free, open source password manager for Windows, Mac and Linux. In KeePassXC, your vault is called a database: a single encrypted file with the extension .kdbx. There is no account and no server. The file is stored wherever you put it.

Installing KeePassXC

• Windows and Mac: download KeePassXC from keepassxc.org, under Download. Install it like any other program.
• Linux: install the keepassxc package from your distribution's software repository, or use the AppImage, Flatpak or Snap from keepassxc.org.

Please note: Only download KeePassXC from keepassxc.org or from your system's software repository. There are other programs with KeePass in their name. They are made by other developers.

Creating your first database

1. Start KeePassXC and click the button to create a new database (or choose Database, New Database).
2. Give your database a name, for example Passwords, and click Continue.
3. Under Encryption Settings, you don't need to change anything. The developers recommend that you only adjust the slider for the decryption time, if anything. Higher is more secure, but opening the database then takes longer, especially on a phone. Click Continue.
4. Under Database Credentials, enter your master password (see Your master password: create it, store it and never lose it). Click the dice icon to create a passphrase with the generator.
5. Finish the wizard and choose where to save the file. If you want to use it on more devices later, save it straight away in your Nextcloud folder (see KeePassXC in your browser, on your phone and on more computers).

Extra security: key file or hardware key

Under Database, Database settings and then Security, you can add a second key alongside your password:

• A key file (Add Key File): a file you need in addition to your password.
• A YubiKey or OnlyKey with challenge-response.

Please note: If you lose the key file or the hardware key, you can no longer get into your database. Keep a copy of the key file in a different place from your database, and register a backup key. Just getting started? Then a strong master password is enough.

Settings to change straight away

Open Tools, Settings:

• Under Security: turn on Lock databases after inactivity of, for example after 10 minutes. Also leave locking when your computer is locked switched on.
• Under General: turn on Backup database file before saving. KeePassXC then keeps a copy of the previous version.

On Windows and the Mac, you can then quickly unlock your database with Windows Hello or Touch ID (Quick Unlock). After a restart, KeePassXC asks for your master password again.

Adding a password

1. Click the plus sign (new entry).
2. Enter a title, your username, the password and the address (URL) of the website. The address is needed for filling in your details in your browser.
3. Click the dice icon next to the password field to generate a new strong password (see Generating strong passwords and passphrases).
4. Click OK and save the database.

Tip: Already have passwords in your browser or another manager? You can transfer them in one go (see Importing passwords from Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and Switching from LastPass or 1Password).