Due to an error, Slack for Android may have briefly registered your passwords as plain text, which means that you should probably change your password.
As reported by Android Police (h / t The Verge), an email has been sent to some people using Slack for Android, asking you to reset your password as soon as possible. According to the email, Slack’s developers made a mistake that caused their Slack password to be included – unencrypted – in the application logs.
This problem, presented on December 21, 2020, was not detected and corrected until January 21, 2021. During this 31-day period, it is possible that Slack for Android has exposed your password in the logs. If your account was affected by this issue, you must also have received the email from Slack requesting a password reset.
That said, if you use Slack for Android regularly, especially during the affected period, it may be safer to simply change your password anyway. In addition, you want to clear Slack storage for Android so that any records potentially containing passwords are no longer on your phone.
How to change your Slack password and delete logs
Unfortunately, although this password issue was caused by the Slack Android app, there is no way to change your password in the app. Instead, you’ll need to use the desktop or web application to update your Slack password.
- Open Slack on the desktop or the web
First, you will need to open Slack on your desktop or laptop computer, using a native Windows / macOS / Linux application or the universal web application.
It is at least possible to enter the Slack web app from Chrome for Android, using the “Site for desktop” toggle button, but the experience will be strange and unfriendly to the touch.
- Access your account settings
Then, click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the app and click on “View profile”In the drop-down menu. In the panel that opens, you should see a button with three dots, called “More”. Click on it and click on “Account Settings. “
- Change or reset your password
You should now see a title labeled “Password. ” Click on the “expand”Button to the right of it.
Here, you can directly change your login information by entering your previous password and a new one, or you can send yourself a password reset email if you have lost your password.
- Repeat for each workspace
Notably, since each Slack workspace uses its own login information, you will want to repeat this password change process for each workspace you are a part of.
- Change all overlapping passwords
Also, as there is a chance that your Slack passwords will have been discovered, if you use any of them on any other website or app, it may be a good idea to change those passwords as well.
- Find Slack in the Settings app
Since your password has been stored in the Slack application logs, you will need to clear these logs from your phone manually. First, you want to find Slack in your phone’s Settings app. If your Settings app offers search, you can simply search for “Slack”. Otherwise, you will need to find Slack in your list of installed applications.
- Clean the data
Next, you need to tap on “Storage” or “Storage and cache” to manage the data in the Slack application. Tap “Clear storage” to empty your phone of all data related to Slack for Android, including any records that contain a password.
Note that this will disconnect you from all Slack workspaces. You will need to sign in again to ensure that your notifications are still received correctly.
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