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PSA: Slack for Android may have exposed your password; here’s how to change it

Due to a mistake, Slack for Android may have briefly logged your passwords as plain text, meaning you should probably change your password.

As reported by Android Police (h/t The Verge), an email has gone out to some people who use Slack for Android, requesting that you reset your password as soon as possible. According to the email, Slack developers made a mistake that caused your Slack password to be included — unencrypted — with the app’s logs.

This issue, introduced on December 21, 2020, wasn’t caught and fixed until January 21, 2021. During that 31-day period, it’s possible that Slack for Android may have exposed your password in the logs. If your account was affected by this issue, you should have also received the email from Slack requesting a password reset.

That said, if you use Slack for Android on a regular basis, particularly during the affected period, it may be safer to simply change your password anyway. Additionally, you’ll want to clear the storage of Slack for Android so that any potentially password-containing logs are no longer on your phone.

How to change your Slack password and delete the logs

Unfortunately, while this password issue was caused by Slack’s Android app, there’s no way to change your password from the app. Instead, you’ll need to use the desktop or web app to update your Slack password.

  1. Open Slack on the desktop or web

    First, you’ll need to open Slack on your desktop or laptop computer, either through a native Windows/macOS/Linux app or the universal web app.

    It’s at least possible to sign in to Slack’s web app from Chrome for Android, using the “Desktop site” toggle, but the experience will be awkward and not touch-friendly.

  2. Head to Account settings

    Next, click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the app, and click “View profile” in the dropdown menu. In the panel that opens up, you should see a button with three dots, labeled “More.” Click it, then click “Account settings.”

  3. Change or reset your password

    Now you should see a heading labeled “Password.” Click the “expand” button just to the right of it.

    Here, you can either directly change your login information by entering your previous password and a new one, or you can send yourself a password reset email if you’ve lost your password.

  4. Repeat for each workspace

    Notably, as each Slack workspace uses its own login information, you’ll want to repeat this password changing process for each workspace you’re a part of.

  5. Change any overlapping passwords

    Additionally, as there is a chance your Slack passwords could have been discovered, if you use any of them on any other website or app, it might be a good idea to change those passwords too.

  6. Find Slack in the Settings app

    As your password was stored in the Slack app’s logs, you’ll need to clear those logs off of your phone manually. First, you’ll want to find Slack in your phone’s Settings app. If your Settings app offers search, you can simply search for “Slack.” Otherwise, you’ll need to find Slack in your list of installed apps.

  7. Clear the data

    Next, you need to tap “Storage” or “Storage & cache” to manage the Slack app’s data. Tap “Clear storage” to empty your phone of all data related to Slack for Android including any password-containing logs.

    Note that this will sign you out of every Slack workspace. You’ll need to sign back in to ensure your notifications are still received correctly.

More on Android:

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Avatar for Kyle Bradshaw Kyle Bradshaw

Kyle is an author and researcher for 9to5Google, with special interests in Made by Google products, Fuchsia, and uncovering new features.

Got a tip or want to chat? Twitter or Email. Kyle@9to5mac.com