Dashlane has been aiming to drop its desktop app for a while now, focusing on individual browser extensions to manage everything. However, there were some things the browser extensions were missing, which prevented this from happening all at once. Instead, the company has been working on phases to find ways to break away from the app, and it is now one step closer.
Some of the noticeable challenges included biometric and VPN access.
The desktop app allowed you to log in using your fingerprint (instead of always having to use the master password), where the extensions could not do this. The company has been trying to resolve this and has accomplished it for certain browsers like Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers. It is still working on options like Firefox, so this endeavor isn’t quite finished just yet. Mostly limited by what each browser does or does not allow developers access to (or what the browsers themselves have access to).
As for VPN access, this was always something that has been built into the app. It seemed that it wasn’t something that could be accessed via a browser extension so easily. Therefore, it appears that the solution was to simply partner with a new VPN company and consider the account option as an app of its own. Now, the VPN feature is being handled by Hotspot Shield.
As long as you have a Dashlane account that includes VPN access, you will have the ability to activate a Premium account with Hotspot Shield. You then download the app, log in, and use that in the future for VPN access.
This makes one less reason for having the desktop app installed (and it’s a big one). Now Dashlane just has to iron out the remaining challenges in biometric access, along with a few other things not included in the browsers extensions just yet. Once the company has achieved this, you will likely see the desktop app vanish pretty quickly.
