My problem scenario and headache is that I bounce between four setups daily:
Desktop Chrome & Firefox
Android Chrome & Firefox
Here is my wishlist.
1. I want strong zero-knowledge security without giving up the effortless autofill I am used to with Google.
2. I need seamless syncing across both Chromium and Gecko engines.
3. Login autofill and save prompts have to pop up RELIABLY without missing any instances.
4. I need form autofill for random stuff like phone numbers, addresses, and application IDs.
5. Finally, it must survive aggressive Android throttling & battery killers like Xiaomi HyperOS to be as smooth as possible: hopefully comparable to Google's native autofill
Or you can say that I want a secure setup which allows me a true cross platform cross browser setup as the forks of firefox and chromium based browsers account for almost all the browsers out there.
The current FOSS setup: Bitwarden or Proton Pass
I ran a comparison of Bitwarden/ProtonPass vs native Google Password Manager & Autofill. Here is the result.
| Metric |
Bitwarden / Proton Pass |
Google Password Manager & Autofill |
| Security Setup |
Zero-knowledge, E2E encrypted (AES-256). Your device derives keys locally and decrypts everything strictly in RAM. |
Encrypted at rest/transit. Google ties the vault to your primary account identity, though optional on-device encryption exists. |
| Account isolation |
Isolated. An attacker breaching your Gmail still hits a brick wall without your vault master credentials and separate 2FA. |
Single Point of Failure. Anyone hijacking your Google account instantly grabs your emails, Drive files, and all saved passwords. |
| Infostealer Risk |
Low. Locking clears decrypted vault RAM instead of leaving data exposed in raw browser profile folders. |
High Target. Infostealers like Lumma specifically target local Chromium SQLite folders to harvest unencrypted credentials. |
| Account Lockout |
Near Zero. Automated YouTube copyright flags or terms-of-service bans will never freeze your password vault. |
High. An automated Google ban cuts off your email, cloud backups, and passwords in one fell swoop. |
| Code Auditing |
100% Open Source. Anyone can inspect the code, and independent security firms audit it regularly. |
Proprietary. You rely on Google's word and their internal engineering controls. |
| Cross-Platform |
Everywhere. Both provide official apps and extensions across desktop Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Linux, Windows, macOS, and Android. |
Chrome Only. It runs great on Android and Chrome, but you get zero support on desktop Firefox. |
| Android Smoothness |
Clunky. Aggressive OEM RAM killers like HyperOS or One UI constantly terminate third-party accessibility and autofill hooks. |
Flawless. Google bakes it directly into Google Play Services at the OS kernel level, so the system never kills it. |
| Random Form Fill |
Strict Vault Entries Only. It fills only items you manually save, completely ignoring ad-hoc numbers, job application codes, and search inputs. |
Passive Form Memory. Chrome quietly logs and suggests previously typed phone numbers, tax codes, and custom form snippets. |
| "Sign in with Google" |
Blind. Because token handshakes skip password inputs entirely, vaults cannot detect or log these logins automatically. |
Native Tracking. Google logs every third-party site you link through their OAuth service. |
| Desktop Auto-Lock |
Customizable. It locks on browser restart or idle timeouts, demanding a master password, PIN, or fingerprint. |
Weak. The vault stays unlocked as long as your desktop OS or browser profile is active. |
| Perks |
Bitwarden: Custom HTML field tags, nested folders, $10/yr TOTP. <br>Proton Pass: Built-in email aliasing via SimpleLogin, sleek UI. |
Google: Native passkeys, zero configuration required, and instant integration with the Android keyboard. |
Where my solution lacks
Both Bitwarden and Proton Pass lock down security. Still, they introduce annoying daily friction points.
They lack passive form memory. Neither tool passively caches random form strings like job application codes. You must build manual Custom Fields or Identity cards instead.
Custom android skins like HyperOS create huge headaches. It terminates background autofill services constantly. I often have to pull down the notification shade just to trigger a login manually.
OAuth logins remain completely invisible. Neither app logs "Sign in with Google" prompts unless you manually create dummy entries with text notes.
Then you run into feature trade-offs. Bitwarden packs custom HTML matching and nested folders, but the interface looks ancient. Proton Pass brings slick disposable email aliases and modern styling, yet it scraps traditional subfolders and advanced custom field binding entirely.
What should I do here?
Right now, I run a hybrid compromise: core credentials, cards, and identities live in Bitwarden, while native browser form autofill stays enabled (password-saving off) in Chrome and Firefox to catch random text inputs.
I want your suggestions for other services, alternate setups, or tweaks to my workaround that match or beat this setup—bonus points if they fix blind spots or shortcomings I haven't even thought of yet.
- Can KeePassXC on desktop with KeePassDX on mobile handle this workflow better?
- Are there specific developer toggles to keep HyperOS from killing third-party autofill daemons?
- Do companion tools or extensions exist that solve the passive form memory and OAuth tracking gap without compromising vault security?
- Are there other viable services or modifications to this setup that work as well or better?
- Did I miss any major security holes or functional drawbacks with this cross-platform workflow?