Products · Pattern or everyday thing
Password reset flows
Raised as a usability problem by 30 people on Hacker News over 18 years (2009–2026), in 29 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
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Every issue, all time, most people first
Sites don't state allowed password length, forcing repeated reset attemptsUnreviewed
20092026- Commenter distrusts site password-reset flows, so uses simple passwords instead2024-09-25
- Customers can't figure out the basic password reset steps in sequence2024-08-22
- Has to reset passwords every 2-3 days across different websites2022-07-22
Misleading password reset error hides the real problemUnreviewed
20092026- Error message shown for password reset is misleading, hiding the real problem and wasting helpdesk time2024-08-18
- Reset message is vague about whether an account exists, hurting the recovery experience2019-02-15
- Password recovery gives a confusing message and the promised reset email never arrives2014-12-01
Gets a use-a-different-password error with no way back to loginUnreviewed
20092026- Grandmother gets lost when the password change flow deviates from her usual login steps2026-04-15
- Gets a 'use a different password' error with no way to go back to login2021-03-16
- Password requirements shown only on change page, not at login, causing failed login attempts2016-11-22
Email password reset is convoluted, with spam filters and extra stepsUnreviewed
20092026- Forced to do a password reset and wait for the email on every login2020-12-18
- Forced password reset via email is convoluted, with spam filters and extra steps2017-08-05
- Must copy temporary password from email, dig through site, then retrieve it again2011-07-18
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 29 complaints
- Grandmother gets lost when the password change flow deviates from her usual login steps2026-04-15
- Commenter distrusts site password-reset flows, so uses simple passwords instead2024-09-25
- Customers can't figure out the basic password reset steps in sequence2024-08-22
- Error message shown for password reset is misleading, hiding the real problem and wasting helpdesk time2024-08-18
- Reset page doesn't say if email is registered; reset emails take ten minutes, leaving user unsure2022-11-23
- Has to reset passwords every 2-3 days across different websites2022-07-22
- Gets a 'use a different password' error with no way to go back to login2021-03-16
- Websites don't state allowed password length, forcing repeated reset attempts2021-03-06
- Forced to do a password reset and wait for the email on every login2020-12-18
- Reset message is vague about whether an account exists, hurting the recovery experience2019-02-15
- Users find the reset button labelled and behaving counterintuitively, like a temporary password is confusing2019-01-31
- Obscured error messages leave users unable to tell if they used the wrong email2019-01-31
- Each site handles password changes differently, so users must relearn the steps every time2018-12-06
- Users struggle with account recovery when old email addresses are no longer accessible2018-10-17
- Forced to repeatedly type forgotten memorised password strings, and reset process is stupid2018-05-15
- Forced password reset via email is convoluted, with spam filters and extra steps2017-08-05
- Password requirements shown only on change page, not at login, causing failed login attempts2016-11-22
- Fixed security question lists don't apply to the user, forcing invented answers stored in a keychain2016-10-06
- Elder relative repeatedly cannot log in and relies on reset emails, creating duplicate accounts2016-09-28
- Users must use password reset link every time to log in, since they can't remember passwords2015-11-17
- Password recovery gives a confusing message and the promised reset email never arrives2014-12-01
- Users who forgot which email they registered with get no clear feedback2013-05-17
- Always showing success on sign-up or recovery leaves users unsure whether the action worked2013-05-03
- Must copy temporary password from email, dig through site, then retrieve it again2011-07-18
- Question mark icon for password recovery is not discoverable, users look for Forgot Password2011-05-05
- Accepts passwords with special characters, but login then fails with them2010-06-17
- Login length error appears on password reset form, confusing users about which field needs fixing2010-04-14
- User couldn't reset a forgotten password and had to guess it through many attempts2009-04-30
- Strict password character rules make people forget passwords and need resets constantly2009-03-19