285
votes
Accepted
Is there a problem with hiding "forgot password" until it's needed?
Tbh I don't really see any use for the "forgot password" button/link, unless the user put in a wrong password before.
Let me try to paint a picture to explain why the comment above is a huge ...
- 6,717
120
votes
Accepted
Should users be allowed to use any special character they want when creating a password?
If the user can type it then it should be allowed in their password.
Telling someone what they can and can't use in their password always feels wrong to the user. Passwords are currently the most ...
- 15.8k
106
votes
Argument for/against splitting login process into checking username, then ask password?
On the second page, either display "user found" and ask for password, or "user not found" and ask for e-mail again.
One compelling argument against the two step approach is that the proposed design ...
- 12.1k
104
votes
Should passwords expire?
A compromise is that when a user returns to the site after 6 months (or whatever period) then you might helpfully recommend that they think about changing their password - along with a link to why ...
- 70.6k
95
votes
Accepted
Is it good idea to send user password upon register?
No - It is a bad idea:
a. Storing password as plain text instead of hashed with an individual salt. More details here and here.
b. Emailing a password, as:
b.1. emails are transmitted unencrypted ...
- 7,283
71
votes
Accepted
What's the point of deactivating Num Lock on login screens?
Some compact keyboard layouts don't have a numpad, so those keys are mapped to the right-hand side of the letter section:
If NumLock is on, then a user typing the password kill, will actually type ...
- 1,565
63
votes
Accepted
Why do some websites (including Google) trim whitespaces in passwords?
Good observation.
In my experience this happens for a number of reasons, some intentional and some unintentional.
Intentional reasons to trim whitespace:
Users often cut and paste passwords (yes, ...
- 40.3k
51
votes
Accepted
Does a password strength indicator increase password strength?
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University recently (2012) looked at password strength meters and its impact on password creation. The paper "How does your password measure up? The effect of strength ...
- 3,580
51
votes
Does it make sense to authenticate a user when he/she provides existing valid credentials while registering?
So basically you want someone who signs up for a new account and enters already existing credentials, to log in as the owner of these credentials?
I wouldn't recommend this:
The chance that the ...
- 10.3k
50
votes
Argument for/against splitting login process into checking username, then ask password?
If you want something compelling that your boss can grasp then I suggest you speak to him in the universal language known as money, dinero, ducats, dolla-dolla-bill-y'all
Your current situation
You:
...
- 5,619
46
votes
Is there a problem with hiding "forgot password" until it's needed?
It's a very bad idea to not show the link. You should always give the user the option, even if they are likely to try a few passwords first.
How about an example - what if you have a password manager,...
- 669
45
votes
Should passwords expire?
No.
All you're doing is pushing the security requirement into the domain of the user when really it's your concern if the data you are protecting is serious. In this case it doesn't matter what you ...
- 7,828
42
votes
Should password reset functionality email a temporary password or just a reset link?
It's better to send the reset link for 3 reasons:
Users don't need to remember a temporary password and they don't
experience copy/paste issues.
Most users don't remember their password because they ...
- 796
42
votes
Does it make sense to authenticate a user when he/she provides existing valid credentials while registering?
Yes, log the user in
There are several ways an existing user might end up on a sign-up page:
User clicks sign up by mistake
User recently signed up for an account and the browser URL autocomplete ...
- 40.3k
41
votes
Accepted
What is the best practice for password field placeholders?
This article by NNGroup actually covers this exact topic.
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/form-design-placeholders/
To summarize:
WORST:
Using a placeholder that says "Password" with no additional ...
- 15.1k
38
votes
Which is the better UX for a user to see their password at the login screen?
There are a number of variations of the the "unmasking eye" icon but they mostly have the same issue, below are some examples:
I have done some usability testing on this specific problem ...
- 6,976
35
votes
Is it good idea to send user password upon register?
Passwords should not be stored in plain text anywhere including the users email inbox.
What happens if his email is compromised or if he's entered the wrong email address and someone else receives the ...
- 1,783
35
votes
Should users be allowed to use any special character they want when creating a password?
If a site requires that passwords only contain certain character codes, then a user will be able to enter the password into almost any device which is capable of producing those characters. If the ...
- 3,245
35
votes
Does it make sense to authenticate a user when he/she provides existing valid credentials while registering?
NO.
There are chances that user might have no idea about their registration status on the site. And start a fresh registration.
In such a case, best solution would be to OFFER a way to login by ...
- 1,376
32
votes
Does a password strength indicator increase password strength?
Password strength indicator does not, per se, guarantee stronger passwords - from a pure UX perspective the more complex your requirements are the more likely people are to click away, to use an ...
- 1,098
30
votes
Does it make sense to authenticate a user when he/she provides existing valid credentials while registering?
I disagree with the other answers, and say yes, it may make sense (with a couple of caveats).
There is an increasing prevalence of the combined login/sign up form pattern on some sites, where the ...
- 14.9k
28
votes
Reducing Password Complexity?
The most common solution I've seen to this is including Facebook and Google login, considering most users will already be logged in to either of the social sites.
- 10.5k
25
votes
Should passwords expire?
The quick answer: Amazon, Google and my bank don't make me change my password every six months, or indeed ever. What do you do that requires more security* than they do?
Let's hope for your users' ...
- 351
22
votes
Accepted
Logout after password change?
For the most trouble-free experience, you should have the user log in again right there.
Many users have some sort of password manager or use their browser to manage passwords (or scribble it on a ...
- 332
20
votes
Should users be allowed to use any special character they want when creating a password?
I would like to add to DaveAlger's point. I, like many people, create algorithms in order to better remember passwords. I've spoken to many people (in an informal manner) about passwords and I have ...
- 6,621
18
votes
Should password reset functionality email a temporary password or just a reset link?
Usability Implications
A link is much more accessible. I can get to a link via click, tap, or with the keyboard easily; and in a confined device like a smart phone the process of opening the site in ...
- 7,828
17
votes
Argument for/against splitting login process into checking username, then ask password?
The general rule is, every page of process drops the success rate by 50%. It's probably a little bit of an exaggeration, but people think of a page as one unit of work, almost regardless of how ...
- 1,400
17
votes
Argument for/against splitting login process into checking username, then ask password?
I'm not sure if this is exactly a UX concern, but password managers (LastPass, KeePass, etc.) can be configured to automatically or semi-automatically fill in username and password fields when they ...
- 269
17
votes
Is it good idea to send user password upon register?
Please don't.
I snagged (myfirstname)@gmail.com several years ago. There are a few other people who share my first name, and they occasionally forget that their email address is not (myfirstname)@...
- 3,623
14
votes
Accepted
Best practices for picture password implementation
Sorry, but I find your idea a) not really user friendly [actually rather user un-friendly] and b) additionally I would also consider your approach risky – very risky – even if you managed to solve the ...
- 3,220
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible