How to Share Passwords Securely: 4 Practical Methods Compared

At some point, everyone needs to share a password. Your parents want the Wi-Fi password when they visit. Your partner needs the Netflix login. A colleague needs the staging server credentials. A freelancer needs the API key you generated for them.

The question is never whether you will share a password. The question is how you will share it without creating a security disaster.

This guide breaks down four practical methods for secure password sharing, compares them side by side, and gives you a simple rule that dramatically reduces your risk.

Why Sharing Passwords Is Unavoidable

Think about the last month. How many times did you share some type of credential?

• Wi-Fi passwords for guests, Airbnb visitors, or coworkers in a shared office
• Streaming service logins with family members or close friends
• Server credentials or database passwords shared across a development team
• API keys passed to contractors or integrated into third-party tools
• Bank PINs or security codes shared with a spouse for emergencies

Passwords are not just personal secrets anymore. They are shared assets in both personal and professional life. The real problem is not the sharing itself -- it is the method.

The 3 Biggest Risks of Insecure Password Sharing

Before looking at solutions, understand what can go wrong.

1. Chat History Becomes a Permanent Vulnerability

When you send a password through Slack, WhatsApp, or email, it sits in the chat history forever. If either account is compromised months later, that old password is fully exposed. Data breaches from messaging platforms are not hypothetical. They happen regularly.

2. Screenshots and Forwarding Are Out of Your Control

Once a message is sent, you cannot control what happens to it. The recipient might screenshot it, forward it to someone else, or leave their phone unlocked. A plain-text password in a message is one careless moment away from being leaked.

3. No Expiration Means Permanent Exposure

Most shared passwords never get changed. That Wi-Fi password you texted six months ago? Still sitting in a chat thread. Those AWS credentials you emailed to a freelancer who finished the project? Still in their inbox. Without expiration, every shared password is a ticking time bomb.

Method 1: Password-Protected Links

This approach separates the content from the access key. You create a link that contains the sensitive information, but the link itself requires a password to open.

How it works:

1. Write the credentials in a secure memo or note tool
2. Set a password on the link
3. Send the link through one channel (e.g., email)
4. Send the password through a different channel (e.g., text message)
5. Optionally set an expiration time

Example: LOCK.PUB lets you create a password-protected memo. You write the credentials, set a password and an expiration (anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 days), and get a shareable link. The recipient needs the password to view the content, and the link automatically expires after the set time.

Pros: No app installation required. Works across all devices. Automatic expiration. Two-factor access (link + password).

Cons: Requires communicating the password separately. One-way (not interactive).

Method 2: Password Manager Sharing Features

All major password managers now include sharing functionality. Instead of sending the actual password, you share access through the password manager's encrypted vault.

How it works:

1. Store the credential in your password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, Dashlane)
2. Use the built-in sharing feature to grant access to a specific person
3. The recipient views the credential through their own password manager account
4. You can revoke access at any time

Pros: Highest security level. Audit trail of who accessed what. Easy to revoke. Keeps credentials organized.

Cons: Both parties need the same password manager (or at least an account). Monthly subscription cost. Overkill for one-time sharing. Learning curve for non-technical users.

Method 3: End-to-End Encrypted Messaging

Apps like Signal offer genuine end-to-end encryption, meaning even the service provider cannot read your messages.

How it works:

1. Both parties install Signal (or another E2E encrypted app)
2. Send the password through the encrypted chat
3. Optionally use disappearing messages to auto-delete after a set time

Pros: Real-time communication. Strong encryption. Disappearing messages available. Free to use.

Cons: Both parties need the app. Chat history may persist on devices unless manually deleted. Screenshots are still possible. You depend on the recipient's device security.

Method 4: Self-Destructing Notes

These are notes that automatically delete after being read once, or after a set time period.

How it works:

1. Write the sensitive information in a self-destructing note service
2. Get a unique link
3. Send the link to the recipient
4. The note is destroyed after it is read (or after expiration)

Example: Using LOCK.PUB, you can create a memo with a short expiration time (as little as 5 minutes). Combined with password protection, this gives you a self-destructing note that requires authentication to read. Once the expiration passes, the content is gone permanently.

Pros: Content does not persist. Minimal setup. No app required. Very low risk of long-term exposure.

Cons: If the recipient does not read it in time, they lose access. Not suitable for credentials that need to be referenced repeatedly.

Comparison Table

Feature	Password-Protected Links	Password Managers	E2E Encrypted Messaging	Self-Destructing Notes
Ease of use	Very easy	Moderate	Easy	Very easy
Security level	High	Very high	High	High
Requires app install?	No	Yes (both parties)	Yes (both parties)	No
Auto-expires?	Yes	No (manual revoke)	Optional	Yes
Free?	Yes (LOCK.PUB)	Limited free tiers	Yes (Signal)	Yes (LOCK.PUB)
Best for	One-time credential sharing	Team/ongoing access	Real-time exchange	Highly sensitive one-time secrets

Best Practice: The Two-Channel Rule

Regardless of which method you choose, follow this simple rule:

Never send the secret and the access key through the same channel.

If you email a password-protected link, send the password via text message. If you share a credential through Slack, send the decryption key through Signal. If you write a note and lock it, call the person and tell them the password verbally.

This is called the two-channel rule, and it is the single most effective habit you can adopt. Even if one channel is compromised, an attacker only has half the puzzle.

Here is the principle in practice:

• Link goes through email -> Password goes through SMS
• Credential goes through Slack -> Access code goes through a phone call
• Encrypted memo URL goes through chat -> Decryption password goes through a different chat app

The two-channel rule transforms any sharing method from "probably fine" to "genuinely secure."

Conclusion

You will never stop sharing passwords. But you can stop sharing them recklessly.

Pick the method that fits your situation. For a one-time credential share with someone non-technical, a password-protected link with expiration is hard to beat. For ongoing team access, invest in a password manager. For quick, real-time exchanges, use E2E encrypted messaging. For highly sensitive secrets that should vanish after reading, use a self-destructing note.

The most important thing is to break the habit of pasting passwords into plain chat messages. Once you start using any of these four methods, you will wonder why you ever did it any other way.

Ready to try it? Create a password-protected memo at lock.pub -- it takes about 10 seconds, no account required.