LastPass Browser Extension Usability

Lishok, T. & McRae, K. | October 2020

New users’ initial thoughts and reactions downloading and launching LastPass’ browser extension

See full executive summary here (video interview clips removed): https://www.dropbox.com/s/z9sjfpscocrx6o8/LastPass%20Usability%20Report%20%28no%20video%29%20.pdf?dl=0

See full moderator guide here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yximwqx0tzhm98i/LastPass%20ModGuide.pdf?dl=0

Research Objectives:

1. Investigate how intuitive the process of installing and opening the browser extension is.
2. Understand the challenges faced by new users when they connect the LastPass Authenticator App to their online account.
3. Explore the ways in which users save new passwords to their LastPass Vault, while pinpointing areas of confusion experienced by the user.

Population: 12 participants (M/F)

Strategy: (12) 1:1 moderated in-depth-interviews (IDIs) ranging 30-45min duration

Main Findings:

• Users typically found installation instructions difficult to follow and were unable to find extension once it downloaded due to the app not being automatically pinned to the browser taskbar upon installation.
• Similar LastPass apps (main app + authenticator app) confusing to new users.
• Unexpected ‘error’ message left users unclear on next steps.

Recommendations:

1. Cater launch instructions per browser to minimize icon confusion.
2. Distinguish authenticator app from main mobile app
3. When errors do occur, have measures in place to help guide users to continue the setup

Future Research:

• Conduct browser-specific usability research for all major browsers e.g. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
• Investigate multifactor authentication error message and adjust setup instructions accordingly.