Customers report being locked out after grabbing the password manager via F-Droid

Some HSBC mobile banking customers in the UK report being locked out of the bank's app after installing the Bitwarden password manager via an open source app catalog.

Neil Brown, board member at F-Droid, said he was blocked from accessing HSBC's UK mobile banking after a security screen flagged Bitwarden as a risk. Brown had installed the password manager via F-Droid rather than Google Play.

Bitwarden, an open source password manager, is available through official channels including Google Play and Galaxy stores, as well as via F-Droid sideloading.

HSBC didn't provide The Register with a clear answer on why it won't allow a sideloaded Bitwarden installation to coexist with its app on the same device.

Representatives from both F-Droid and Bitwarden suspect the issue stems from HSBC's side.

Gary Orenstein, chief customer officer at Bitwarden, told us: "It seems that HSBC has chosen a level ...