They say elephants never forget—apparently, the same is true of bears. RememBear promises to memorize and manage all your passwords, and it does so with an endearing interface that frequently involves animated bears. This password manager handles the basic tasks of capturing and replaying passwords, and it syncs across all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. However, you won’t find the advanced features present in the top competitors, such as password inheritance, comprehensive password strength reports, or robust form-filling capabilities. For the price, you are better off with a more capable alternative.
RememBear Pricing
RememBear costs $36 per year, which is the same premium price that LastPass charges. Dashlane costs more at $59.99 per year, but most other competing products go for less. Keeper, Password Boss, and Sticky Password Premium cost $29.99 per year. True Key and RoboForm charge just $19.99 per year, while Bitwarden Premium is only $10 per year.
You can use RememBear for free if you’re willing to forego cross-device syncing. Dashlane’s free version requires the same compromise. On the bright side, you can use all the premium features during your 30-day free trial. Other free password managers are far less restrictive. LastPass and MyKi, for example, do not place any limits on the number of devices you can sync with your passwords or a total number of stored passwords.
If RememBear looks familiar, it might be that you already use the TunnelBear VPN. RememBear comes from the same company, which McAfee now owns. McAfee also owns True Key, a password manager strongly focused on biometric authentication.
Getting Started With RememBear
RememBear’s installer takes you through a thorough onboarding process, much like Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault does. From the start, you encounter the product’s whimsical nature. For example, the installer reports steps including Unboxing Bear and Brushing Fur. As with most such products, you create an account using your email address and a master password. A master password needs to both be sufficiently complex, but also something that you can remember. Read our tips for creating a strong master password.
Next, RememBear creates what it calls a Backup Kit, which enables you to recover your account even if you forget your master password or lose all your trusted devices. The document includes a 29-digit New Device Key (NDK) for your desktop devices and a QR code for your mobile devices. There’s also a spot to write down your master password. This is a potent document, so keep it somewhere safe—perhaps a fireproof lockbox. 1Password offers a similar setup step.
RememBear does not currently support two-factor authentication methods for securing access to your account. This is a serious omission. RememBear does require you to enter the NDK when you are setting up a new device, but that key is not required for every login attempt. It’s a fine way to secure the process of adding devices, but, again, we much prefer those services that integrate true two-factor methods.
For instance, both Dashlane and Keeper support time-based one-time password (TOTP) apps and U2F-compatible security keys for authentication. RememBear does include a TOTP field for each password entry, though, meaning that you can use RememBear to manage the two-factor authentication codes for all your other accounts, rather than Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.
On the topic of security, in 2017, RememBear underwent an audit by Cure53 (this link opens a PDF). We’d like to see more password managers follow suit and commit to regular security audits. You can read about RememBear’s security policies here.
Next, RememBear’s installer prompts you to import passwords from your browsers or another password manager. However, import options are limited. Browser-wise, you can only import from Chrome. And the only competing products supported for import are LastPass and 1Password. Other password managers allow you to import from far more competitors or provide official instructions on how to format a CSV export of your passwords.
When you import passwords, you unlock one of eight Achievements within the program. Other achievements include activating the premium edition, creating a seriously strong master password, and adding a secure note. Old-timers may remember that the earliest versions of Dashlane included a somewhat similar system of points and badges, encouraging users to make the most of password management.
RememBear Platform Support
We all have multiple computers, tablets, and smartphones that we use to log in to our secure sites. Naturally, you can install RememBear on all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. Other password managers support Linux systems, too, among them Bitwarden and Enpass. Others offer browser extensions that are capable of functioning without a companion desktop app, thus allowing you to use them on Chrome OS, too.
Connecting a new mobile device to your RememBear account is a snap. First, you install the app from the appropriate store. Then, you use it to snap a QR code provided by an existing RememBear installation. Amusingly, a big bear mouth visibly and audibly chows down on the QR code. That’s it. You’re connected.
Connecting your account to a new Windows or Mac device is simple if you already have the mobile app, and if your desktop computer has a camera. RememBear generates a QR code on the mobile device, you hold it in front of the computer’s camera, and you’re in. If you have not installed RememBear on a mobile device or your computer lacks a camera, it isn’t quite as simple. As with mobile devices, you start by installing the app. Then, you type in the NDK. With 1Password, you activate a new desktop device by moving a window that has a transparent cutout over the QR code, which is decidedly easier.
To get full use of the password manager, you must install its extensions in your browser. Here, too, options are limited. Extensions are available for Chrome and Firefox, but not Edge. When you install the RememBear macOS app, it also adds the extension to Safari. To verify the browser extension installation, RememBear displays two, six-character codes on the screen and asks you to confirm that they match.
With LastPass Premium, Keeper, Dashlane, and quite a few others, you can log in to your password collection without installing the app or browser extension. RememBear’s designers deliberately chose to omit this ability, noting that by using it on an unsecured computer, you could compromise your password collection.
Desktop App and Browser Extension
We tested RememBear’s desktop app on a laptop running Windows 10. The Mac and Windows versions are virtually identical. One strength of RememBear’s desktop app is its approachability. Animated bears are everywhere in this product. For example, as you type your master password, a bear turns its head to watch each new character. If you authenticate with your fingerprint on a mobile device, the bear looks down. When you unlock a new achievement, a bear roars to celebrate. Bears are everywhere!
The layout of the program’s main window is completely standard. A menu runs down the left side with sections for your logins, secure notes, credit cards, and a few others related to device management and app settings. If the menu takes up too much space for your liking, you can shrink it to show just icons. Next to it is a column that displays your saved items. You can sort items alphabetically or by those you have recently updated. Click on an item to view or edit it. You also get a search bar at the top for searching through your vault. RememBear’s app settings are basic, but you can control auto-lock settings, edit some account details, import or export data, and change your master password.
Many password managers let you organize your items into folders. Dashlane, Keeper, and Enpass are among those that do so. LastPass, Sticky Password, and Password Boss even allow nested folders. 1Password also lets you manage separate password vaults, which is convenient for anyone who wants to keep their work and personal accounts separate. Previously, a RememBear contact explained that the developers deliberately omitted organization by categories, folders, or tags. “If we’ve done our job properly we shouldn’t need them,” he explained. “Logins and other items should be displayed to the user at the right time, exactly when they need them. This is backed up by a highly optimized search that works well.” It’s a reasonable philosophy.
RememBear’s browser extensions include all the standard functions. You can browse your saved logins, secure notes, and credit cards. Once you save a login for a site, you don’t have to navigate there directly. Withing the TunnelBear browser extension menu, simply click on or search for a login. When you select an entry, RememBear takes you to the site and logs you in. You can also access RememBear’s password generator directly from the extension. However, you can’t edit the details of any items directly from the extension; to do so, you need to head to the desktop app. This limitation prevents you from using RememBear solely in a browser on platforms that its desktop apps don’t support.
Password Capture and Replay
Once you install the browser extensions in Chrome and Firefox, RememBear starts capturing login credentials as you visit and log in to secure sites. You can give the saved login a friendly name if you save more than one set of credentials for the same site, for example, to distinguish personal Gmail and work Gmail. You cannot do this at the time of capture, however.
When you return to a page for which RememBear has a set of credentials saved, it displays a bear icon in the entry field and fills credentials when you click the icon. Why make you click? Researchers have identified a technique whereby malefactors inject script into a page that creates an invisible login form, then harvests the login credentials automatically filled by the browser or password manager. Like RememBear, Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault and quite a few others require a click by the user before filling. If you have multiple sets of credentials, RememBear lets you choose the one you want.
In testing, RememBear successfully captured logins for regular login pages, including Twitch and Vimeo. However, RememBear had some trouble with multipage logins. It didn’t capture credentials for Eventbrite’s or Gmail’s two-page login forms. RememBear had trouble with both of these sites when we previously reviewed it, too. If you manually add logins for either of these sites to RememBear, though, it can replay them without issue. Having to do so manually just takes away from RememBear’s seamlessness.
Password Generator
Once you’ve secured all your passwords within RememBear, you can start on phase two of password security—swapping out weak and duplicate ones. RememBear doesn’t have a full-scale password security report like you get with Dashlane, Keeper, LastPass, and a few others. The closest it comes is a color-coded strength meter for the password of the currently selected item. If the meter isn’t green, you need a stronger password. As for duplicate passwords, you have to ferret those out yourself.
You don’t have to come up with strong replacement passwords on your own; you can use RememBear’s password generator. By default, it creates 18-character passwords containing two capital letters and two digits, with the rest being lowercase letters. The length is good, better than the 12-character default of Dashlane or RoboForm‘s eight characters. Myki Password Manager & Authenticator defaults to 30-character passwords.
Note that by specifying the precise number of capital letters and digits, RememBear drastically shrinks the pool of possible passwords, as does omitting symbols. Most password generators draw from the full pool of available characters, simply ensuring that each character type appears at least once.
You can also generate lengthy passphrases containing four or more words separated by punctuation of your choice, like the famous Correct-Horse-Battery-Staple example. 1Password also offers passphrases like this. Passphrases are most useful in situations where you may sometimes have to enter the password manually.
Filling Credit Cards
Going from filling login credentials to filling personal data in web forms is no great leap, and many password managers include this feature as a bonus. RoboForm is probably the most flexible, with multiple identities and multiple instances of each data field. Dashlane includes this feature, but handles credit cards separately, with a visual display that matches the actual card’s color and bank logo. With RememBear, credit cards are the only option for filling forms.
Creating a credit card entry is easy. You enter a name, the cardholder name, expiration date, and the card number; RememBear is smart enough to derive the card type from the number. It also records the credit card verification number, plus an optional PIN and zip code. Now when you click on a credit card field, RememBear displays a Bear icon. Click the icon to select an available card and fill the details. Simple!
Password Sharing
Promiscuously sharing passwords is never a good idea, but sometimes you need a secure way to share login credentials with a partner or spouse. RememBear’s password sharing method is a bit simplistic. Click on any password entry in the desktop app and then select the Share button towards the bottom of the screen. Doing so generates a link that will expire after 48 hours or immediately after the recipient uses it. However, you have to find a secure method of sending that password link. We recommend an encrypted messaging service, such as Signal. Requiring a secondary communication method means that the recipient does not need to sign up for an account, but it introduces the possibility that an unintended party intercepts that link.
Other password managers, among them Intuitive Password, Dashlane, and Keeper, included dedicated sections for sending and managing your shared passwords. A few even allow you to specify whether the password is ever visible to the recipient.
The ability to designate an heir for your entire password collection (or a subset) is becoming more common. Typically, there’s a waiting period, so the heir can’t claim your password trove if you’re still alive. Along with the top-rated products, Intuitive Password and Password Boss Premium offer digital inheritance, while RememBear does not.
RememBear’s Mobile Apps
We installed RememBear on a Google Pixel 3 running Android 10 for testing. We had no issues authenticating the new device and didn’t run into any performance issues with the app. RememBear supports biometric logins (both fingerprint and face) on Android and iOS platforms. You can also use RememBear to fill passwords in apps on both types of devices.
RememBear’s Android app matches the look of the desktop app with a clean layout and a bear-heavy flair. We would like to see the mobile app’s dark mode option ported to the desktop experience.
In the hidden left-hand menu, you can access all of your stored items, as well as the password generator. A plus button in the bottom right is how you add new items. In terms of app settings, you can choose whether to secure access with biometric or PIN code options, as well as the auto-lock timeout. You can also toggle the autofill capabilities for websites and apps separately, access RememBear’s Add a Device setup, and change account details. Despite a dedicated settings option for creating a Backup Kit, you can only do so via the desktop apps.
What’s Not Here
RememBear handles the basics of password management: it captures, replays, and manages passwords; it generates strong passwords on request; it syncs across devices; and it fills credit card data into web forms. That’s about the extent of its feature set. As noted, it doesn’t have an actionable password strength report to help improve your passwords. That’s something you get even with the free editions of LastPass and LogMeOnce. RememBear does rate your passwords on a scale, but that’s not the same as actively checking for duplicate or compromised passwords. The best password managers have a dedicated section for identifying and improving weak passwords.
Keeper, Kaspersky Password Manager, and F-Secure Key are among the few password managers that aim to fill passwords in desktop applications, not just in the browser. That’s not something RememBear does.
Automating password updates remains a controversial feature, but many services don’t offer it. Keeper’s designers consider it a security risk. RememBear does not offer it either.
The company told us that it had plans to expand the form-filling capabilities beyond credit cards, add application password management, and introduce password inheritance at the time of our last review, but none of those improvements have materialized.
The Bear Necessities
Using a password manager can be a bit annoying, at least at first. Once you’ve got all your passwords in place, things get easier, but not if you get irked and stop using the tool. RememBear Premium’s whimsical interface may help some to get past the initial hump. It does take care of all password manager basics, which might be enough, but the best competing products go far beyond the basics.
In the busy field of password management, we’ve identified several Editors’ Choice winners. Dashlane wraps a wealth of features in a smooth, easy-to-use interface. Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault is remarkably consistent across platforms, and its designers emphasize security above all. LastPass offers top features in its free version. MyKi’s secure syncing and free model makes it a top contender.
RememBear Specs
| Import From Browsers | Yes |
| Two-Factor Authentication | No |
| Fill Web Forms | No |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | No |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | No |
| Application Passwords | No |
| Digital Legacy | No |
| Secure Password Sharing | No |
