Bit Warden: How To Install and Use the Bit Warden Standalone App
Get started with Bit Warden by installing the standalone desktop app. No browser plugins needed for this part. This post walks you through each step, from download to logging in securely.
In this blog post series, I am walking you through how to download, install, and use the password manager Bit Warden. It has a FREE version, including the standalone desktop application and browser plugins for Firefox, Chrome, and Edge to assist you with logging into websites securely. I will also walk you through how to use Bit Warden in Firefox as an example.
Please note that this does NOT install the browser plugins (add-ons) for Firefox, Chrome, or Edge. For instructions on how to do that, please visit those blog posts. Those links are at the bottom.
Free Guides to Help You Get Started
This How-To Guide Series for Bit Warden is completely free, because I believe essential tools and information should be free and available to all who need them. If you find these helpful, I’d greatly appreciate your support. You can also support me through Buy Me a Coffee.
Installing the Standalone App
To download Bit Warden, please go to BitWarden.com.
Then, click on the “Download” link at the top of the page.
Depending on your Firefox download setting, you may see this dialog box. Please confirm you’re downloading the file to your “Downloads” folder so you know where to find it, and click the “Save” button.
You can access the Downloads folder by clicking the folder icon near the Start Menu in Windows 10.
Then click on the “Downloads” folder on the left.
Next, please double-click the file you just downloaded to start the installation process.
Bit Warden will now install on your computer.
The installation is now complete. Please leave the “Run Bitwarden” checkbox alone and click “Finish”.
Using the Bit Warden Standalone App
Click CREATE AN ACCOUNT. This includes creating a MASTER PASSWORD. In theory, this is the only password you will ever need to remember. Make it complicated, take note of it, and eventually it will be muscle memory.
Then, enter your details to create your new FREE account with Bit Warden, then click the “SUBMIT” button.
Important: Because Bitwarden cannot see your MASTER PASSWORD, they cannot recover it if you forget it. Choose a strong password that you can remember, and consider writing it down and storing it somewhere secure until you’re confident you won’t forget it.
You can now log in to Bit Warden via the desktop application.
This is what the standalone Bit Warden desktop application looks like. you can make changes and add information to your account using this program.
The simplest way to use the standalone Bit Warden program is to login to it using your credentials. You won’t need Two-Factor Authentication here.
2FA is primarily designed to protect against remote login attempts on servers. Since the Bitwarden desktop application is already running on your computer, your master password is sufficient. If someone already has access to your unlocked computer, they have bypassed several other security layers first.
Scroll down the list ot the login you’re looking for. Left-click it, and left click the “copy” symbols next to the username, then paste that into the website you want to login to, and obviously do the same for the password.
That’s how you can install and use the standalone Bit Warden installer. After that, find each login as you need it, and click either the USERNAME or the PASSWORD to COPY them to the clipboard, then PASTE them into each website you need to login to.
While browser extensions are more convenient, manually copying and pasting credentials from the desktop app is a great way to learn how Bitwarden works before relying on automation.
For the next post in this series, check out How To Install and Use the Bit Warden Firefox Plugin (Add-on) below.
Otherwise, to install the Chrome plugin, please check out those separate blog posts below.
Jump To:
Please Support My Work
Thank you so much for reading this blog post! Please consider supporting my work, or using Buy Me a Coffee!