MEGA PASS · Password manager
Launching a password manager across 4 platforms in 12 months
End-to-end UX and UI for MEGA Pass, a password manager designed across multiple platforms (web, browser extension, iOS, and Android). Built using research across 800+ users and launched within a one-year roadmap.
Cross-platform UX
MVP launch
Research driven
ROLE
End-to-end UX & UI
TEAM
Plus 1 designer I led
TIMELINE
~4 quarters · shipped
00 SUMMARY
A password manager designed from scratch, launched across four platforms in 12 months.
The Problem
MEGA has 300M+ users which rely on the platform for secure cloud storage of their crucial files, but no way to help them manage credentials and passwords. Following the successful production rollout of its VPN offering, developing a password manager represented a natural extension of MEGA’s ecosystem. However, the key challenge was entering a highly saturated market, while defining a tightly scoped MVP that could be shipped efficiently, without compromising usability or perceived value.
My role
I led the end-to-end design on this project, working alongside a second designer on the team. I held overall design ownership across the full product, from early research and competitive analysis, through to final UI across all four platforms, reviewing, shaping, and aligning all output to ensure a cohesive experience across web, browser extension, iOS, and Android.
The outcome
A integrated password manager that achieved a 4.5-star rating, 100,000+ downloads, and a 20% free-to-paid conversion rate within its initial trial period.
Post-launch feedback aligned closely with initial research, validating the approach, and giving the team a clear, evidence-backed roadmap for future developments.
01 RESEARCH
Exploring the competitive landscape to build the best solution
We focused our analysis on the key competitors within the Password Management industry, this included 1Password, NordPass, Proton Pass, and Bitwarden. Platform-native options such as Google Password Manager and iCloud Keychain were deprioritised due to their strong OS integration and lower likelihood of user switching.
All four offered a core functionality, inclusive of secure vault storage, password generation, autofill and import/export capabilities, and cross-device syncing. However, differed in complexity, flexibility, and UX approach.
This research indicated that these features should be integral to MEGA’s Password Management tool. Thereby, the opportunity was to deliver a password manager that combined a simple, intuitive experience, with seamless integration across the MEGA suite, while remaining fully functional as a standalone product, and upholding MEGA’s security-first principles.
Utilising user research to gain key insights
Based on the insights from competitor research, a survey was created for 800+ respondents across MEGA’s key target market for the Password Management tool, this included current MEGA users, and the broader US market.
Key market insights
How many of the survey participants use a password manager?
MEGA Users
42%
US Market
27%
This confirmed the following things:
MEGA's current users are more security-conscious, and a large proportion already use a password management tool. Thereby, the Password Management tool would need to prioritise security.
Whereas, only a smaller proportion of the US market use a tool, making it easier for MEGA to enter this market.
Non-users relied on memory or notebooks, signalling a real trust gap to bridge.
What is the main password manager they use?
US respondents favoured platform-native tools (Google, iCloud) for convenience and ecosystem integration. Whereas, MEGA users relied on security-focused tools, such as Bitwarden and KeePass. However, their lack of integration within MEGA’s ecosystem suggested an opportunity for MEGA Pass to attract these users.
Total (837)
MEGA Users (465)
US Market (372)
1Password
Bitwarden
Google Password Manager
iCloud keychain
LastPass
Keepass
NordPass
Other
Payment and cost
2/3
Users do not pay
1/3
Pay avg. $1-5 a month
People aged 24-45 were more willing to pay, and most users prefer individual plans over business or family plans
Security and value
said their password manager helped them stay secure
Security perception was a major driver, users saw password managers as critical to staying safe online, not just as a convenience.
Core friction points and concerns
36%
Browser extension autofill issues
29%
Manual entry frustration
23%
Forgetting master passwords
22%
Accounts getting hacked
Other friction points included cost barriers (many users resisted paying premium fees) and ease of use (some users reported struggles due to lack of tech proficiency).
MVP prioritisation
We ran a mapping exercise using the survey data, where key attributes (security, privacy, convenience, ease of use) were scored on a scale of 1-5 across both target markets. This indicated MEGA users weighted security and privacy highest, whereas, the US market was more balanced, but security still led.
The takeaway was clear: to drive switching, MEGA Pass had to meet high security expectations above all else.
Scoring of Key Attributes across both target markets
Next, we scored specific features against user-value and importance, differentiating must-have from secondary features.
Graphs differentiating features by user-value and importance.
The combined insights from user research, surveys, and competitor analysis provided a clear direction for the MVP, ensuring MEGA Pass was built around the features users valued most.
This provided two subgroups:
“Non-Negotiables for a MVP” which were core features a Password Management tool needed.
“Post Research Advocacy” which represented features the design and product team advocated for as critical for converting existing password manager users.
Autofill
Cross-device syncing
Secure vault
Password generator
post research advocacy
Password import
Biometric authentication
Auto-logout
Deferred Post MVP
OTP support
Credential sharing
Credit card management
Advanced monitoring
Designing key flows
Working within a non-negotiable one-year timeframe, research and competitive analysis were conducted in parallel with flow mapping. Developers and QA were embedded earlier in the process to identify any constraints and validate feasibility before commencing design work.
Password generation, autofill, and biometric/PIN authentication were the most strategically important features, combining high UX complexity with significant impact on product adoption if poorly executed. As these interactions shaped users' first impressions, they received the greatest investment.
To reduce risk, the approach remained consistent across all elements: in-depth competitor analysis across both happy paths and edge cases, followed by detailed user-flows, and cross-functional validation by developers and QAs, before design work.
User flow diagram showing the features of the Password Manager tool
Cross-platform view of Password Manager tool: Web · Extension · iOS · Android
Feature 1: Password Generator:
Competitor analysis showed that the best password generators paired character-based generator with visible strength indicators (e.g., using colour or bolding to identify the different types of characters). Survey data reinforced character-based passwords (e.g., symbols, capitals, and numbers) were most valued and industry-standard across most log-in pages. Thereby, a “character-based generator” was prioritised as the MVP, over “passphrase generation” (e.g., passwords based on phrases).
I explored two options for the dialog box, a dropdown and an overlay dialog for surfacing the generator within the "Add Password" flow.
The dropdown option (left image) was eliminated as it competed for attention and made the “Add Password” functionality feel overwhelming.
The overlay (right image) was the chosen option as it gave the generator its own focused context without disrupting the flow beneath it.
Design of the two options for "Add password"
Key design decisions and challenges:
The most significant design decisions, and ones I had to advocate for, came down to password legibility. Within MEGA's brand fonts, ‘Poppins’ and ‘Inter’: characters such as lowercase L, capital I, and 0 (zero) versus O (Capital) were nearly indistinguishable. In a security context where users must enter their credentials accurately, this level of ambiguity risked causing errors and was therefore unacceptable.
To address this, I proposed switching the font to ‘Work Sans’. As a humanist geometric typeface, it closely matched the existing aesthetic of the current brand fonts, while providing clearer character differentiation.
Alongside the font change, I introduced colour coding to help users easily distinguish letters, numbers, and symbols at a glance. Development pushed back on adding a font variable for a single use case, however, I advocated that the combination of a clearer font and colour differentiation was not a cosmetic enhancement, rather a functional requirement. Together, they improved readability and gave users immediate confidence.
The resulting web pattern was then adapted as the foundation for the mobile, and both features were ultimately shipped.
Improvement of legibility with the chosen font and character visibility feature.
Password Generator: Web and Mobile final designs
Final password generator: Web
Final password generator: iOS
Feature 2: Autofill:
Autofill was the highest-stakes flow, with 36% of users identifying it as the biggest friction point when using a password manager. To understand expectations, I mapped autofill experiences across iOS, Android, and browser extensions, identifying common patterns, alongside platform-specific constraints.
A key difference emerged around credential saving. Android and browser extensions could automatically save new usernames and passwords, while iOS required more manual management. These platform limitations shaped distinct autofill flows for each environment and informed designs for user scenarios such as saving new credentials versus using existing ones.
Specific UX flow for Android autofill and autosave
Delivering within the launch timeline required a strategic trade-off. Android's autofill flow was significantly more complex than iOS, and with limited development resources, full Android autosave wasn't achievable without deprioritising other critical work. I recommended aligning Android and iOS for launch, and deferring Android autosave to post-MVP. However, we retained full autosave functionality in the browser extension, where research showed the greatest opportunity for impact: 36% of users cited browser extension friction as their biggest pain point. This decision balanced user value with delivery constraints, creating a consistent mobile experience, while preserving capacity for onboarding, and free trial improvements.
Autofill: Web and Mobile final designs
Extension Autofill + Autosave flow
iOS autofill flow
Android autofill flow
Feature 3: Biometric & PIN authentication
Research and competitor analysis highlighted the importance of allowing users to lock the app without fully logging out, balancing privacy and convenience. The initial solution focused on biometric authentication (Face ID or fingerprint) for mobile.
During feasibility reviews, the development team identified that biometrics for the browser extension wasn't achievable within the MVP scope. Shipping biometrics on mobile without an equivalent auto-lock mechanism within the extension would create an inconsistent security experience, undermining MEGA’s core promise of privacy and security. To address this, I recommended introducing PIN authentication as a cross-platform solution. This provided browser extension users with an alternative to biometrics, while ensuring app-lock functionality was available across all platforms and supported users who preferred not to use biometrics.
Although, this increased scope creep, I argued that maintaining trust through consistent security behaviour was more important than preserving the original timeline. Management agreed and the feature shipped across all platforms at launch.
Biometric & PIN: Web and Mobile final designs
Extension autolock using PIN
iOS Biometric auto-lock
iOS Biometric flow
03 OUTCOME
Impact
4.5
average across iOS, Android, and the browser extension
100,000+
downloads on Android alone
+20%
conversion from free to paid following the 14-day free trial
"For a new password safe ... very easy, friendly interface and features. I would recommend to others."
— User on the new MEGA Pass
"Secure and easy to use. I like that it has biometric and password unlock… MEGA Pass is a good enough backup and alternative that I would recommend it."
— User on the new MEGA Pass
Post-launch feedback surfaced demand for one-time password (OTP) support, credit card management, and smoother migration, closely aligning with our initial survey findings. This gave the team a prioritised, evidence-backed roadmap for the next phase, with user needs and business opportunities already mapped.
04 Learnings
What this taught me
What I'd do differently
Involve developers earlier
Key technical constraints, including browser extension biometrics and Android autosave, were identified later than expected. Earlier feasibility alignment would have given the team more time to evaluate trade-offs, develop platform-specific solutions, while retaining scope.
Document decisions more rigorously.
Rationale for certain decisions weren’t always captured formally. Stronger documentation and more formalised audit trails would have improved handoffs and made it easier to revisit key trade-offs, particularly for critical functionality in a password manager.
What I'd do AGAIN
Support every decision in research.
Survey data was instrumental in building a gold standard password management tool, and contributed to the strong post-launch outcomes. It also enabled more efficient stakeholder alignment, supporting faster decision-making, and ensuring prioritisation and scope remained aligned with user needs.
Design for platform constraints explicitly
Embracing platform differences rather than forcing a single universal pattern resulted in a more coherent and trustworthy experience across all four environments.
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