Secrets for Android

Summary

These days it’s pretty difficult to keep up with all different passwords, pin codes and combinations in your life. Remembering all the different passwords and PIN numbers for your debit cards, various websites and membership can be a real challenge. Some passwords are used only occasionally and can be easily forgotten. At the same time, using the same password for everything puts you at risk of identity theft. In my search for a solution, I came across Secrets for Android.

 This app is programmed to manage all your passwords. All your PINs and passwords are saved in an encrypted (AES-256) format to your phone. Before you get started, you have to create your own master password. You will need to enter it every time you open the app. This keeps your passwords safe and secure.

When starting up Secrets for Android, the app automatically checks the time of the last backup. If it’s been more than a week since the last backup, the app reminds you to get that taken care of. The backup is encrypted on your SD card and can be started at any time from the menu.

The following information can be saved:

• Website/Description: Enter your own subscription for your password (i.e. www.androidpit.com or cell phone PIN)
• Username/Id: a username or number needed to open your account
• PIN: the password, code or PIN number
• Email: email address associated with the account
• Notes: a place for additional information or notes

Feel free to enter as much or as little information as you need.

At start-up, a simple black screen pops up asking you to enter the master password. Having completed that step, a list appears with all your saved entries listed in alphabetical order according to the description name.

When your list is empty pressing the menu button opens up the following options:

• Add: add a new entry
• Backup: complete an encrypted backup
• Restore: restore a backup
• Export: export the entries as a text file
• Import: import entries from a text file

When an entry is marked, pressing the menu button lets you do the following actions:

• Add: create a new entry
• Edit: edit the entry
• To clip: copy the password/PIN to the clipboard in order to copy and paste your password when logging in to a website. Make sure to clear the clipboard after entering the password as a security precaution.
• History: see when the entry was create, edited and viewed

Tapping an entry in the list displays the password/PIN for five seconds in a small pop-up. Long pressing the entry opens up the entry in editing mode.

Edit mode

The back button automatically closes edit mode and saves all changes.

Pressing the menu button here let’s you:

• Save: save all changes
• Generate: replaces your password with a computer generated one
• Discard: clear all changes
• Delete: delete the entry entirely
• History: see when the entry was last changed and viewed

Search function

Secrets for Android does not let you organize your entries by category. All of your entries are always displayed in a single list. Pressing and holding the menu button opens up the keyboard, which you can then use to type in what you are searching for.

Bottom Line:

The search function compensates for the lack of categories. I’ve been using the app for two months now and I haven’t really missed the absence of categories for my different passwords. The program lacks an integrated help section which is a slight problem given the fact that using this app is not entirely self-explanatory.

Another thing is that you can’t change your master password once you’ve created one. Resetting your password (press menu button at the start-up screen) deletes all your secrets along with your password.
 

Ever since I’ve been using Secrets for Android, I didn’t experience a single crash or any other problems with the app.

I was a bit annoyed at the fact that 3D flip-animation is used when you open up an entry. I think it’s an unnecessary addition that slows down the app as well.
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Secrets for Android is available for free from the Android Market.