Password Protection is a paid feature, available in Avast Premium Security, that helps secure the passwords stored in your web browsers. If left unprotected, passwords stored in web browsers may be vulnerable to malware and theft by unwanted applications. Password Protection allows you to choose which applications have access to your saved passwords. Refer to the sections in this article to learn how to manage the settings available for Password Protection.
Modify Settings
Password Protection automatically helps protect your passwords that are saved in the following browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Avast Secure Browser
When an unknown application tries to access your browser passwords, you are prompted to allow or block access. You can modify these settings by following the steps below:
- Open Avast Premium Security, then go to Privacy ▸ Password Protection.
- Click Settings (the gear icon) in the top right corner.
- The following settings are available:
- Disable or enable Password Protection using the slider.
- View supported browsers that are password protected.
- Select an action for when unknown applications attempt to access your saved passwords:
- Ask me to allow or block it (selected by default): You are asked to grant permission when an application tries to access your passwords.
- Silently block the app: Applications are automatically blocked without any notification. Blocked applications are added to the list of blocked apps.
- Click View allowed / blocked apps to go directly to the Blocked & Allowed apps settings screen.
Manage Blocked & Allowed apps
After you allow or deny an application access to your passwords, it is automatically added to the relevant list on the Blocked & Allowed apps settings screen. For information about accessing and managing the Blocked & Allowed apps, refer to the following article:
Disable Password Protection
Password Protection is enabled by default. To improve your security, we recommend keeping Password Protection enabled and only disabling it for temporary troubleshooting purposes.
To disable Password Protection:
- Open Avast Premium Security, then go to Privacy ▸ Password Protection.
- Click the green (ON) Password Protection slider.
- Choose how long Password Protection should be turned off.
- Click OK, stop to confirm.
Password Protection is now disabled. To enable it, follow step 1 above, then click the red (OFF) slider so that it changes to green (ON).
Troubleshooting
If you find that a trusted application cannot access your stored passwords, check the following:
- Ensure that the app is not included on your List of blocked apps:
- On the Password Protection screen, click Block or allow app.
- Click
…
More options (three dots) next to the relevant application, and select Remove. Alternatively, click + Allow app and add the application to the List of allowed apps.
- If Password Protection is set to Silently block the app, Avast Premium Security automatically prevents all unknown applications from accessing your stored passwords. Check your Password Protection Settings to manage this action.
Further recommendations
For more information about Password Protection, refer to the following article:
Password Protection is a paid feature, available in Avast One Silver Device Protection and Avast One Gold, that helps secure the passwords stored in your web browsers. If left unprotected, passwords stored in web browsers may be vulnerable to malware and theft by unwanted applications. Password Protection allows you to choose which applications have access to your saved passwords. Refer to the sections in this article to learn how to manage the settings available for Password Protection.
Protect browser passwords
Password Protection automatically helps protect your passwords that are saved in the following browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Avast Secure Browser
When an unknown application tries to access your browser passwords, you are prompted to allow or block access. To adjust how Password Protection handles applications that attempt to access your stored passwords:
- Open Avast One, then select Explore ▸ Password Protection ▸ Protect Passwords.
- Ensure that the Browser passwords tab is selected.
- Click the drop-down arrow next to If a new app tries to access my browser passwords to select your preferred setting:
- Automatically block access: Applications are automatically blocked without any notification. Blocked applications are added to the app permissions list.
- Ask me to allow or block the first time (selected by default): You are asked to grant permission when an application tries to access your passwords.
Manage app permissions
When an application attempts to access your saved passwords, it is added to the app permissions list with the status set to Blocked or Allowed, depending on the setting or permission you granted. You can also manually add applications to the app permissions list by following the steps below:
- Open Avast One, then select Explore ▸ Password Protection ▸ Protect Passwords.
- Ensure that the Browser protection tab is selected, and click + Add application.
- Select an app using either method below:
- Click Add next to an application in the list.
- Click Select app location, then navigate to an application and click Open.
- The chosen application is added to the App permissions list with the status set to Blocked. You can modify the status by clicking the button and switching it to Allowed or Blocked.
To remove an application from the App permissions list, hover your mouse over the relevant application and click the X that appears.
Disable Password Protection
Password Protection is enabled by default. To improve your security, we recommend keeping Password Protection enabled and only disabling it for temporary troubleshooting purposes.
To disable Password Protection:
- Open Avast One, then select Explore ▸ Password Protection ▸ Protect Passwords.
- Click the green (ON) Password Protection slider.
- Choose how long Password Protection should be turned off.
- Click OK, Stop to confirm.
Troubleshooting
If you find that a trusted application cannot access your stored passwords, check the following:
- Ensure that the application is not marked as Blocked on the app permissions list. Click the Blocked button to change the status to Allowed.
- Ensure you have selected the setting Ask me to allow or block the first time. If Password Protection is set to Automatically block access, Avast One automatically prevents all unknown applications from accessing your stored passwords.
- Add the application to the app permissions list and set the status to Allowed.
Further recommendations
For more information about Password Protection, refer to the following article:
- Avast Premium Security 24.x for Windows
- Avast One 24.x for Windows
- Microsoft Windows 11 Home / Pro / Enterprise / Education
- Microsoft Windows 10 Home / Pro / Enterprise / Education - 32 / 64-bit
- Microsoft Windows 8.1 / Pro / Enterprise - 32 / 64-bit
- Microsoft Windows 8 / Pro / Enterprise - 32 / 64-bit
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic / Home Premium / Professional / Enterprise / Ultimate - Service Pack 1 with Convenient Rollup Update, 32 / 64-bit
Updated on: 02/06/2022