Is it a good idea to have an unmask checkbox for user selection when the users type their password to show them what they typed?
Answer
Yes, having such a password can be an accessibility aid for people with mobility issues. Just be sure you don't name it "unmask." Use user-friendly vocabulary like "Show my password."
On mobile, the consensus seems to be that this checkbox should default to display the password unmasked.
On desktop, it's probably better to default to hide the password in keeping with convention, although it's notable that usability expert Jacob Nielsen advocates for unmasking all passwords by default because masked passwords makes users feel less confident, which
- leads to lost business.
- negatively impacts security because users choose shorter passwords or copy and paste passwords from their computer.
Nielsen also notes that if someone really wants to know your password, they can just look at your keyboard instead of your screen, which means that on-screen masking could give a false sense of security.
No comments:
Post a Comment