Password mangers have become a necessity as we log in to a lot of apps and services on a lot of devices and it’s hard to keep track of all your passwords. While most of the best ones are not free, LastPass has a free version that can be enjoyed by those who do not want to financially commit to the service. Unfortunately, there will be a few upcoming changes that will not please the LastPass Free users or maybe the company is hoping that because of these changes, people will be “forced” to subscribe rather than transfer to another password manager.
Currently, those who are on LastPass Free are able to access the service on both their mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, smartwatches) and computers (browsers running on desktops and laptops). But an upcoming change will force these users to choose just either mobile or computer to access not just your passwords but also your notes, files, and payment cards. This will of course be a hassle for those who use the apps and services across devices and platforms.
When the change takes effect and you log into your LastPass Free account for the first time, you will have to choose which you will be using for the rest of your free access. The first device that you use will be the default active device type but you will be allowed to switch and make up to three changes. After your “strike three”, that will be the permanent kind of device that you will use for your free password manager.
Free users will also lose access to email support so if you encounter any problem, you’ll have to look for answers in the support documentation or look for help in the forums (or Google). LastPass is hoping that if the free users are unhappy with the change, they will just go ahead and finally subscribe to a Premium plan. The standard plan is at $3 per month or $36 per year but Free plan users will get a discounted rate at $2.25 per month or $27 for the year.
The main change will happen starting March 16, 2021 while the loss of email support for LastPass Free users will start by May 17, 2021. Obviously, there will be some pushback from free users here although it will probably not be enough to change LastPass’ mind.
