Sooner or later you need to share a password — a streaming account with family, a Wi-Fi key with a guest, or a login with a colleague. Done carelessly, over text or a sticky note, it becomes a security hole. Done well, it stays safe. Our GetMyPassword team explains how to share a password securely, the methods to avoid, and how to keep control after you have shared.
The safest way: a password manager
Most password managers have a built-in secure sharing feature. You share access to a login without revealing the password itself, and you can revoke it later with one click. The other person never sees the characters, and nothing travels through email or chat where it could be intercepted or saved forever.
Methods to avoid
- Plain text in email or chat — it sits in both inboxes indefinitely.
- SMS — unencrypted and easy to forward or screenshot.
- A note on paper left lying around, or a shared document titled “passwords.”
- Reusing the same password so you can share it casually — one leak then exposes everything.
If you must share manually
When a manager is not an option, split the secret: send the username one way (say, by email) and the password another (a phone call or an encrypted message), and ask the person to delete the message afterwards. Better still, use any “invite” or guest feature the service offers — many streaming and app accounts let you add a profile or member without sharing the master login at all.
Once you share a password, you no longer fully control it. Whenever access is no longer needed — or trust changes — change the password so the old one stops working.
Keep control after sharing
Use a unique password for any account you might share, so exposure stays contained to that one service. Create it with our password generator, share it through a manager, and change it when access should end. For accounts tied to payment, prefer guest profiles over handing out the real login entirely.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safest way to share a password?
Use a password manager’s secure sharing feature, which grants access without revealing the password and lets you revoke it later. It avoids leaving the password in email or chat where it can be intercepted.
Is it safe to text someone a password?
Not really. SMS is unencrypted and easily forwarded or screenshotted, and the message lingers on both phones. If you must, send the username and password separately and delete the messages afterwards.
Should I change my password after sharing it?
Yes, whenever the access is no longer needed or trust changes. Changing the password makes the shared copy stop working, which is why a unique, easily replaced password is best for shared accounts.