LastPass users can now open their password vault using the companion mobile app instead of their password. The master password will remain, although LastPass wants to phase it out in the long term.
Users can in the future use the mobile app to unlock their vault when using LastPass in their browser. It’s the LastPass Authenticator app, not the LastPass app itself. Authenticator is a standalone app to generate top two-step verification codes. Typically, LastPass users are required to enter their master password for verification upon browser restart, or at least periodically. They must also enter that password if they want to make a change to an account.
The new feature makes that unnecessary; users can then log in and agree via the Authenticator app. It can be secured with a fingerprint or a face scan, in addition to a PIN code. For desktop users, there is currently no option to use biometric login methods such as Windows Hello to unlock their vault.
LastPass says that the master password will remain for the time being. In time, the company wants to phase this out and replace it with alternative login methods based on the FIDO2 standard for passwordless login. In addition to an authentication app, this can also be done with physical security keys, for example. The new authentication method applies to both paying and free users. Last year, LastPass limited its free subscriptions by making the service available only on one type of device. That does not apply here, because users do not need the mobile app, but the free Authenticator.