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LastPass free users now stuck with Sophie's choice: exclusively PC or mobile?
- A change in policy will affect LastPass free users starting in mid-March.
- If you don’t pay for the service, you’ll need to use it only on PC or mobile — you can pick only one.
- LastPass currently costs $36 each year for a single user, but there’s a discount to make the transition easier.
LastPass is one of the most popular password management suites available. As its name suggests, it enables you to create one master password that then gives you access to all your other passwords. These are encrypted and backed up in the cloud.
If you’re a LastPass free user, you get access to a majority of the platform’s features. Apparently, the company thinks you might have access to too many features, as it is now creating a new limitation for non-paying users.
As revealed on the official LastPass blog, starting on March 16, 2021, the company will lock free users to one platform. That means you will need to choose whether to use LastPass on your phones and tablets or on your PCs and laptops. You will not be able to use both.
LastPass free users now stuck with a tough choice
To be clear, LastPass will still let non-paying users access its service on as many devices as they choose. However, those devices must fall within one of two categories: computers or mobile devices. Computers would mean Windows-based PCs, laptops, macOS-based systems, etc. Mobile devices would mean Android phones, iPhones, Android-based tablets, etc.
On March 16, the first system a free user logs onto will then become their default platform. Once they’ve made that choice, they will either need to only use that platform or pay up for a premium membership.
Related: Dashlane vs LastPass: The ultimate password manager showdown
To make the transition a little easier, current LastPass free users can take advantage of a discount for a single-user annual membership. Normally $36, this will only cost them $27. That equates to $2.25 each month.