Emojis transcend cultural and language barriers. They have become a part of the internet lexicon and everyday communication and are so ingrained in our language that people have started using them in passwords.
Unfortunately, it’s not a great idea, and here are five reasons why.
1. You Might Get Locked Out
Have you ever actually tried using an emoji in a password? If you have, you know that some platforms allow emojis while others don’t. This is not a huge issue in and of itself. However, even if you are able to create an account somewhere using an emoji-based password, you might not be able to log in again, especially if they change their password rules. It’s not unlikely that you’d encounter compatibility issues or that the website you’re trying to use cannot handle emoji passwords properly.
2. Predictability
When it comes to passwords, people tend to gravitate toward common phrases and easy-to-guess number combinations. In fact, according toNordPassresearch, the most common password in the world is “123456,” while phrases like “admin” and “password” are in the top ten. If people were to start using emojis in their passwords, it’s safe to assume they would stick tothe most popular emojis,making their passwords easy to crack.
3. Cross-Platform Issues
Emojis are part of the Unicode standard and are the same across all platforms and operating systems. Still, you’ve probably noticed that they look different depending on your operating system. And since their appearance varies, you might struggle to use the correct password. If you put in the wrong password too many times, you’ll have to re-verify your account, or worse, may be locked out.
4. Inconvenience
Potential security issues aside, there’s also inconvenience. If all you ever use is your smartphone, then maybe using emoji-based passwords wouldn’t be too inconvenient. But have you ever tried sending an emoji to someone on your desktop? If you have a Windows computer, for example, you have toenable emoji support through ViVeTool. It definitely seems more convenient to just use the letters and numbers on your keyboard.
5. Exposure to Shoulder Surfing
Your smartphone’s keyboard probably displays the most recently used emojis right at the top. Having this information readily availableexposes you to shoulder surfing. As the term suggests, this is a type of cyberattack in which the perpetrator spies on the target’s device screen to obtain sensitive information. It’s not that using a regular password would make you invulnerable to a shoulder-surfing attack, but it’s definitely easier to remember an emoji combination than something like “us1nFzP!qR.”
How to Create a Strong Password, Excluding Emojis
You don’t need emojis to create a strong password. What you need are letters, digits, and special characters. Or rather, you need to combine those three elements. The strength of a password, orpassword entropyas it’s called, can be measured. The more complex a password is, the more difficult it is to crack.
The problem with complex passwords is that they can be difficult to remember. This is why you shoulduse a password manager, specialized software designed to store and manage passwords. Password managers are easy to use, and many of them have free versions available.
Another mechanism you should consider is two-factor authentication. With two-factor authentication enabled (available in almost all apps now), you’ll need to confirm your identity by entering a temporary code or using a dedicated app.
Emojis Are Fun—But Not Ideal for Passwords
Emojis are great when you want to express how you feel or simply communicate with another person quickly. But they are not ideal as passwords, at least not yet. There are better, safer, and more convenient ways to secure your accounts.
