Generator

Android · Wear OS · Linux · macOS · Windows
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The generator creates passwords, passphrases, PIN codes, usernames, email aliases, and SSH and GPG keys. Open it from the Generator screen, or from an item’s field to fill that field.

Strength

Random symbols and Passphrase values get a rating from Weak to Very strong. It estimates how long an attacker needs to guess the value.

Entropy, in bits, measures how unpredictable a value is. Each bit doubles the number of guesses:

ValueEntropy
16 random characters with the default options, from 68 possible charactersAbout 97 bits
5 words from the built-in list, the defaultAbout 65 bits
6 words from the built-in listAbout 78 bits
1 word from a 1,000-word listAbout 10 bits

For important secrets, use 6 or more words, as the EFF recommends. NIST’s guidelines require at least 15 characters for a password used as the only authentication factor.

Generate a value

  1. Open Generator.
  2. Select a type, such as Random symbols or Passphrase.
  3. Set the type’s options. Keyguard keeps them for next time.
  4. Copy the value, or select Regenerate for a new one.

SSH key, GPG key and email forwarder types create a value only when you select Generate.

Opened from an item’s field, the generator lists only the types that fit the field, and keeps separate options for that field. Select Use to fill the field with the value.

Custom wordlists

The Passphrase and Username types can draw words from your own wordlist instead of the built-in one.

  1. On the Generator screen, open the menu and select Wordlists.
  2. Add a list with Load from a file or Load from a URL.
  3. In the Passphrase or Username type, set Wordlist to your list.

File format

A plain text file with one word per line. Keyguard skips empty lines and lines that start with #, ;, - or /. Every other line is a word, kept as is. On desktop, the file picker shows .txt and .wordlist files.

# my wordlist: this line is skipped
correct
horse
battery
staple

These lists load as is:

The built-in list is the EFF long wordlist of 7,776 words. EFF’s lists, including its shorter ones, put dice numbers before each word. Remove the numbers before you load one.

Find a generated value

Keyguard keeps every value the generator shows for more than half a second, even if you never use it. That includes values from an item’s field. The history stays in the encrypted vault on this device and doesn’t sync.

  1. On the Generator screen, select the history (clock) icon.
  2. Select a value, then an action such as Copy password.

To delete values, select them and choose Remove from the history. To delete them all, open the menu and select Clear history. Generator history lists the newest 1,000 values. You can’t turn the history off.

Add a Quick Settings tile

On Android, the generator has two Quick Settings tiles. Add one when you edit your Quick Settings panel.

TileOpens
Generator (tab)The Generator screen. A locked vault asks for the app password first.
Generator (standalone)A separate generator that needs no app password. It keeps its own options and creates passwords, passphrases, PIN codes, usernames and email aliases. It has no history, email forwarders, custom wordlists or keys.

A third tile, Keyguard, opens the app.

Types

Each type keeps its own options. The tables list the defaults.

Passwords

Random passwords use the Random symbols type.

OptionDefault
Length16, from 4 to 128
Uppercase letters, Lowercase letters, Digits, SymbolsAll on. Each has a minimum count, 1 by default.
Exclude similar symbolsOn. Leaves out L, O, i, l, o, 0, 1 and the vertical bar.
Exclude ambiguous symbolsOn. Leaves out brackets, quotes, slashes and similar punctuation.

Passphrases

The Passphrase type: random words, easier to remember and type than random characters of the same strength.

OptionDefault
Length5 words, from 1 to 20
Delimiter-
CapitalizeOff
NumberOff. When on, adds digits to one word.
WordlistThe built-in EFF long wordlist, or one of your Custom wordlists

PIN codes

The PIN type: digits only. Its only option is the length: 4 by default, from 3 to 9.

Usernames

The Username type: random words.

OptionDefault
Length2 words, from 1 to 10
DelimiterNone
CapitalizeOn
NumberOn
Custom wordEmpty. A word of your own that replaces one random word.
WordlistThe built-in EFF long wordlist, or one of your Custom wordlists

Email aliases

These types build an alias on an inbox you already own. The random part is 5 lowercase letters and digits by default, from 3 to 10.

TypeExampleWorks when
Plus addressing emailyou+f3k9x@example.comYour provider delivers + addresses to your inbox
Catch-all emailf3k9x@example.comYou own the domain and its inbox accepts any address
Subdomain addressing emailyou@f3k9x.example.comYour provider routes subdomains of your domain to your inbox

Keyguard fills in the address or domain from your account’s email. Catch-all email and Subdomain addressing email leave it empty for public providers, such as gmail.com.

Each service you connect in Email forwarders is a separate type, under the name you gave it.

SSH keys

The SSH Key type creates a key pair for an SSH key item, ready for the SSH agent.

Key typeLength
Ed25519 (default)Fixed
RSA1024, 2048, 3072 or 4096 bits. Default 4096.

GPG keys

The GPG Key type creates an OpenPGP key for a GPG key item.

OptionValues
Key typeEd25519 + X25519 (default): an Ed25519 certification key, an Ed25519 signing subkey and an X25519 encryption subkey. RSA: an RSA certification key with separate RSA signing and encryption subkeys.
LengthRSA only: 3072 or 4096 bits. Default 4096.
Certificate versionv4 (default) for GnuPG and older clients. v6 for clients that support RFC 9580.
ExpiryOne year, Two years, Five years (default), Never or Custom date
Name, EmailThe key’s user ID. Name is required. Email defaults to your account’s email address.