To delete a password or passkey in Bitwarden, you will interact with the specific item within your vault. The process varies slightly depending on whether you are removing a standard login entry (which contains a password) or a passkey.
How to Delete Passwords and Passkeys in Bitwarden
Deleting credentials in Bitwarden is a straightforward process, ensuring your vault only contains the items you actively need. It's important to distinguish between deleting an entire login entry, removing a specific passkey, and the impossibility of "deleting" your Bitwarden master password (which can only be changed).
Deleting a Standard Login Item (Password Entry)
When you want to remove a saved username and password, you are deleting the entire login item from your Bitwarden vault. This action permanently removes the associated password, username, URL, and any other stored details for that entry.
Steps to delete a login item:
- Open Your Bitwarden Vault: Access your vault through the web extension, desktop application, or web vault.
- Locate the Item: Search for or navigate to the specific login item you wish to delete.
- Edit the Item: Click on the item to view its details, then select the Edit button (often represented by a pencil icon).
- Initiate Deletion: Scroll down to the bottom of the edit screen and locate the Delete button. Click it.
- Confirm Deletion: A confirmation prompt will appear, asking if you are sure you want to delete the item. Confirm to proceed.
Once confirmed, the login item and all its associated data, including the password, will be permanently removed from your vault.
For more detailed information, refer to the official Bitwarden documentation on Deleting an Item.
Deleting a Passkey
Bitwarden supports the management of passkeys, a modern, phishing-resistant credential type. If you have a passkey saved for a specific website or service within a Bitwarden vault item, you can delete it independently of the entire login entry. Bitwarden version 2024.4.2 and later allow for this functionality.
Steps to delete a passkey:
- Access Your Bitwarden Vault: Open your Bitwarden vault (web extension, desktop app, or web vault).
- Find the Passkey Item: Locate the vault item that contains the passkey you wish to delete.
- Enter Edit Mode: Click on the item to view its details, then click the Edit button.
- Delete the Passkey: In the passkey section of the item, you will see a list of saved passkeys. Click the red, circled "minus" (–) icon in front of the specific passkey you want to remove.
- Save Changes: After clicking the minus icon, ensure you click Save to apply the changes to the vault item.
This action will remove only the passkey credential, leaving the rest of the login item (like username and password, if present) intact.
You can learn more about managing passkeys in Bitwarden via their official guide on Passkeys in Bitwarden.
Changing Your Bitwarden Master Password
It's important to note that you cannot "delete" your Bitwarden master password. The master password is the primary key that encrypts and protects your entire vault. Instead of deleting it, you can change it.
Steps to change your master password:
- Access Bitwarden Settings:
- Web Vault: Go to Settings > My Account.
- Desktop App: Go to File > Settings > My Account.
- Change Master Password: Select the Change Master Password option.
- Enter Credentials: You will need to provide your current master password and then enter your new master password twice for confirmation.
- Confirm: Click Change Master Password to finalize the update.
For a detailed guide on changing your master password, visit the official Bitwarden help article on Change Your Master Password.
Summary of Deletion Methods
| Action | What it Deletes/Changes | Specific Steps | Relevant Version (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Login Item | Entire login entry (username, password, URL, notes, etc.) | Open item, click Edit, scroll down, click Delete, confirm. | All versions |
| Passkey | A specific passkey credential associated with an entry | Open item, click Edit, click the red minus (–) icon next to the passkey, click Save. | 2024.4.2+ |
| Master Password | Nothing deleted; the password for your Bitwarden account is changed | Web Vault: Settings > My Account > Change Master Password. Desktop App: File > Settings > My Account > Change Master Password. Requires current and new master password. | All versions |
