How to Switch Password Managers Without Losing Anything

Maybe your free password saver no longer covers every device in the house. Maybe the subscription went up, or you just want something the whole family can share. Moving to a new password manager is easier than it used to be, but there is one risky moment in the middle: the export file. Handle that part carefully and the rest is routine.

This guide covers the safe order of steps, how the main apps handle export and import, and what to check afterward. It was checked against the official help pages of 1Password, Bitwarden, Apple and Google on November 9, 2026.

Before you start: the one rule that matters

Most exports are plain, readable files. 1Password’s help page says exported files “are not encrypted” and that anyone with access to them can read your passwords. Apple and Bitwarden give the same warning. So:

• Do the move on your own computer, not a shared or work one.
• Don’t email the file, don’t put it in a cloud folder, and don’t save it to a USB stick you might lose.
• Delete the file (and empty the trash or recycle bin) as soon as the import is done.
• Set aside 30 to 60 minutes so you aren’t tempted to leave the file sitting there “for later.”

The safe order of steps

1. Set up the new manager first. Create the account, write down its main password, and save any recovery kit or recovery code it gives you. Turn on two-step verification for it.
2. Tidy the old one (optional). Deleting obvious duplicates and dead accounts now saves time later, because imports usually bring everything across as it is.
3. Use a direct transfer if you can. Newer phones can move data straight from one app to another without a file (see below). This avoids the plain-text file entirely.
4. Otherwise, export a file from the old manager in a format the new one accepts. CSV works almost everywhere, but it carries the fewest details.
5. Import it into the new manager.
6. Delete the export file and empty the trash.
7. Spot-check a handful of important logins: email, bank, phone carrier, and anything with a passkey or authenticator code.
8. Keep the old manager for a couple of weeks, then turn off its autofill and delete its data once you’re sure nothing is missing.

The newer, file-free way: Credential Exchange

A newer industry standard, the FIDO Alliance’s Credential Exchange, lets password managers hand data directly to each other on the same phone. According to the companies’ help pages:

• On an iPhone or iPad with iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, Apple’s Passwords app has an Export Data to Another App option, and 1Password can export through Credential Exchange from its iOS settings.
• Bitwarden can export directly to another supporting app on iOS 26 and later and on Android.
• 1Password on Android 14 or later can import from supporting apps through New Item > Migrate data into 1Password.

If both your old and new apps support it, this is the cleanest route. If one of them doesn’t appear in the list, update both apps and check again before falling back to a file.

Exporting from the common apps

Apple Passwords (Mac)

Open the Passwords app, then choose File > Export All Passwords to File, click Export Passwords, and pick where to save it. Apple says you can’t export Wi-Fi passwords, passwords shared with a group you didn’t create, or access to Sign in with Apple accounts, so plan to handle those by hand.

Google Password Manager (Chrome on a computer)

In Chrome, open the menu, then Passwords and autofill > Google Password Manager > Settings, and next to “Export passwords,” select Download file. You’ll be asked to confirm it’s you.

1Password

In 1Password 8 on a Mac, use File > Export; on Windows, use the ellipsis (three dots) at the top of the sidebar, then Export. You can choose 1PUX (1Password’s own format) or CSV. 1Password notes that its CSV export only includes Login and Password items, so notes, cards and identities need a different route or a manual copy.

Bitwarden

In the Bitwarden web app, go to Tools > Export. You can choose .json, .csv, an encrypted .json, or a .zip that includes attachments. Bitwarden says only the .json formats include cards, identities and stored passkeys, and no format includes items in the trash.

Importing into the common apps

• 1Password has step-by-step import guides for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Safari, Bitwarden, Dashlane, KeePass, Keeper, LastPass, RoboForm and more, and accepts CSV files from other apps.
• Bitwarden imports from the web app under Tools > Import, and supports LastPass, 1Password, Chrome, Edge, Firefox and many other formats. Its help page warns that importing doesn’t check for duplicates, so importing twice gives you two of everything.
• Google Password Manager imports CSV files at passwords.google.com under Settings > Import. Google says the file’s first line should include the columns url, username and password, that you can import 3,000 passwords at a time, and that you can store up to 10,000.
• Apple Passwords on a Mac can import from a CSV file or directly from some browsers; on iPhone and iPad, newer versions can receive data from supporting apps through Credential Exchange.

What usually doesn’t come across

• Passkeys. Many file exports leave them out. Credential Exchange and Bitwarden’s .json export can carry them; otherwise, sign in to those accounts with a password and create a new passkey in the new manager. Our passkeys guide explains how.
• Authenticator codes. If your old manager also generated two-step codes, check each one moved over before deleting anything. See how to move an authenticator app safely.
• Attachments, folders and sharing. Shared family vaults or groups usually need to be set up again and people re-invited.
• Notes, cards and IDs when you use a CSV file.

Moving a whole family

Do it one person at a time, at the same sitting, with each person’s own device. Don’t export everyone’s passwords into a single file. For an older parent or a teenager, it can help to set up their new account first and move only their most-used logins together, then finish the rest later. Our guide to a password manager for a household covers how to share a few logins without sharing a whole vault.

Checklist

• New manager set up, main password written down safely, two-step verification on.
• Recovery kit or code saved.
• Direct transfer tried first; file export only if needed.
• Export done on your own device, never emailed or uploaded.
• Import done once (no duplicates).
• Export file deleted and trash emptied.
• Email, bank, phone carrier, passkeys and authenticator codes checked.
• Old manager’s autofill turned off after two weeks, then its data deleted.

FAQ

Is it safe to switch password managers?

Yes, if you protect the export file. The apps themselves encrypt your data; the weak point is the plain-text file in between. Use a direct transfer if both apps support it, and delete any file straight after importing.

Will my passwords be deleted from the old app when I export?

No. Exporting makes a copy. 1Password, for example, says your items stay in 1Password after you transfer a copy. You decide when to delete the old data.

Can I switch from my browser’s password saver to a standalone manager?

Yes. Most standalone managers can import straight from Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. Afterward, turn off the browser’s “offer to save passwords” setting so you don’t end up with two lists that drift apart. Our guide Is It Safe to Save Passwords in Your Browser? can help you decide whether to switch at all.

What if I import and some logins are missing?

Keep the old manager until you’ve checked. Missing items are usually ones the export format didn’t support (like passkeys, notes or shared items), and you can copy them by hand.

Should I change all my passwords after switching?

Not just because you switched. But it’s a good moment to use the new manager’s security check to replace weak, reused or breached passwords, starting with email and banking.

Related guides

• 1Password Review
• Bitwarden Review
• Apple Passwords and Google Password Manager Review
• Password Manager Emergency Access
• Two-Factor Backup Codes

Sources

• 1Password, “How to export your data from the 1Password apps,” support.1password.com, accessed November 9, 2026.
• 1Password, “Move your data from other applications to 1Password,” support.1password.com, accessed November 9, 2026.
• Bitwarden, “Export Vault Data,” bitwarden.com, accessed November 9, 2026.
• Bitwarden, “Import Data,” bitwarden.com, accessed November 9, 2026.
• Apple, “Export passwords from your Mac to a file,” support.apple.com, accessed November 9, 2026.
• Google, “Manage passwords in Chrome,” support.google.com, accessed November 9, 2026.
• Google, “Import passwords to your Google Account,” support.google.com, accessed November 9, 2026.

This is general information, not technical advice. Menus change as apps update, so follow the app’s own help page if a step looks different.