Use a phrase, not a word
Pick three or four words that have nothing to do with each other, and join them. For example, a phrase like teapot river purple garden is much harder to guess than a single word with numbers swapped in.
Avoid names, birthdays, addresses, pet names, and anything a person could find on social media.
One password per account
The biggest risk is not a weak password. It is the same password used in many places. When one website is broken into, criminals try that email and password on banks, email, and shopping sites. A different password for each account stops that chain.
Your email password matters most, because anyone in your email can reset the passwords for everything else.
Ways to keep track of them
- A password manager stores your passwords and fills them in for you. iPhones have the Passwords app built in, and Android phones have Google Password Manager.
- A paper notebook kept at home, out of sight, is fine for many people. Do not label it Passwords and do not carry it in your wallet.
- Do not keep passwords in a note on your phone or in an email to yourself.
Steps to improve your passwords today
- Start with your email account and make its password long and unique.
- Next do your bank, then any shopping site that saves your card.
- Turn on two-step verification for each of those accounts.
- If a website offers a passkey, you can use it. It lets you sign in with your face, fingerprint, or phone lock instead of a password.
Never share it
No bank, government agency, or tech company will call or text to ask for your password. Uncle will never ask for one either. If anyone asks, it is a scam.
Stuck on a step?
Text Uncle at +1 208 214 0093 and tell him what you see on your screen. He walks you through it in plain words, one step at a time.
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Written by the Textuncle team. Last updated October 3, 2026.
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