LastPass is adding a major limitation to the free version of its password manager. As of March 16, free users will only be able to access the service on PCs or cell phones, not both.
As soon as the change takes place, the next time free users log in to LastPass, the company will verify that you are accessing your account through a “Computer” or “Mobile Device”. If it is a PC, from now on, access to your account can only occur through browsers running on a desktop or laptop. If it is a smartphone, access will be limited to iOS or Android devices, including tablets and smartwatches. (Windows tablets have been classified as a computer.)
Free LastPass users will have up to three times to change their device type preferences before being blocked.
The impending change is driving people to look for alternatives to LastPass, which has more than 25 million users. The tool has been a practical way to store passwords securely on all platforms, including websites and mobile apps. Unfortunately, changes to the free version of LastPass can hinder the product’s ease of use.
Credit: LastPass
But LastPass’s parent company, LogMeIn, says it is not preventing users from accessing their accounts. Free users will still have unlimited access to the password manager – as long as it occurs on certain types of devices. For example, if you access LastPass through multiple PCs, the change will not affect you in any way. But if you try to view your account using an iPhone, the service will block your access and will kindly ask you to log in to a PC.
“Note that all of your devices are automatically synced, so you will never lose access to anything stored in your Vault or be locked out of your account due to these changes, regardless of whether you use computers or mobile devices to access LastPass,” the company added an FAQ about the next restriction.
Still, the move is all about trying to push free users to LastPass Premium, which costs $ 36 a year and removes the device type restriction.
“This change is part of our biggest focus on providing future improvements in Premium products, as the security landscape continues to evolve in this new era of remote work,” said LogMeIn in a statement. “In the coming months and years, users will continue to see additional value and new features added to LastPass Premium.
“This update also brings our free solution in line with other leading password managers who have more limitations in their free offerings,” added the company.
In our review of LastPass, we rank it as one of the best password managers on the market. However, LogMeIn was acquired last year by private equity firms specializing in trying to maximize the value of an asset for later sale. Therefore, the focus on premium users is hardly a surprise. The company’s blog post about the move also implies that the growing LastPass free user base has become expensive to maintain. If you are looking for a free password manager, you can check out our recommendations.
In the same announcement, LastPass also said it is preparing to remove customer support via email for free users on March 16. To solve their problems, non-paying users will have to find the answers through the official LastPass forums or through the help center library.