Take Control of 1Password (1.2.1) (2014)

Chapter 2. Meet 1Password

Whether you’re entirely new to 1Password or upgrading to version 4 for OS X, you’ll have an easier time working with the software if you set it up correctly from the start and understand how it’s designed to function. In this chapter, I cover some preliminary configuration steps that are often ignored or misunderstood, make sure you know which components are supposed to do what and when, and then walk you through creating and using your first few Web logins, which for most people are 1Password’s most crucial feature.

The chapter closes with important advice about identifying your best approach to using 1Password logins and some notes about a few tasks that 1Password does not handle.

This chapter is mainly about the Mac and Windows versions of 1Password. I do talk about syncing 1Password with other devices (including mobile devices), but I leave further discussion of 1Password on iOS and Android to Use 1Password on the Go, later.

Configure 1Password

By now you’ve undoubtedly downloaded and installed 1Password—and if not, this is a great time to do so. Visit this page on the AgileBits Web site to find links to purchase it on your platform(s) of choice. I do want to point out, however, that Mac users can purchase 1Password either directly from the AgileBits site or from the Mac App Store, and although the two versions are almost identical, there are two key factors that may influence your decision:

· iCloud sync: Although iCloud syncing currently works in either version, it’s officially supported only in the Mac App Store version due to Apple policies. That means it’s conceivable that iCloud syncing could at some point stop working in the version of 1Password sold directly by AgileBits. Therefore, if you plan to sync using iCloud, the Mac App Store version is the safer choice. (iCloud is not the only option for syncing 1Password data; Set Up Syncing, later in this chapter, helps you pick the best method for your needs.)

· Cost: The Mac App Store version lets you install the app on every Mac that uses your Apple ID. The version sold directly by AgileBits is licensed per user (see Licenses: How do they work?)—but you can buy a family license for up to five users at a steep discount, and you can purchase a bundle (for a single user or a family) of the Mac and Windows versions. So, depending on how many people will be using 1Password in your household and on which platform(s), one source or the other may prove to be the better deal.

You install it the same way as any other app, so I won’t bore you with those details. Before you can start using the software, you must choose a master password (unless you’re upgrading from a previous version, in which case you can continue using the same master password). You should also install extensions for any browsers you may use, as well as understand (and perhaps adjust) the way locking and unlocking works.

If you use 1Password on more than one device, synchronizing your 1Password data file between those devices is also a key configuration step. I discuss that later in this chapter, in Set Up Syncing.

Make First-run Decisions

If you’ve never used 1Password before on a given device—or if you’re upgrading from version 3 to 4 on a Mac—the first time you run the app, 1Password displays a Welcome window and then presents a series of choices to help you get up and running quickly. You shouldn’t agonize over any of these decisions, because you can always change your mind later. But you should be aware of your options.

Here’s an overview of the first-run experience for new and upgrading Mac users, new and upgrading iOS users, and new Windows users.

First Run for Mac Users

When you open 1Password 4 for the first time on a Mac, it checks to see if you already have a 1Password Data Vault in one of the default locations (such as the top level of your Dropbox folder). If so, it prompts you to enter your master password—but if you want to choose a different data source (or start over with a new vault), you can click the pop-up menu shown to choose a different option.

If 1Password doesn’t find an existing vault, it displays two buttons: “I’m new to 1Password” and “I’ve used 1Password before.” Click the former and you’re prompted to create a new vault and select a master password (see Choose a Master Password). Click the latter and you can select the type and location of your data (for example, in a nonstandard spot on your disk or in Dropbox).

Whether or not you’re a new user, once you’ve opened and unlocked your vault, you’ll go through three more screens:

· Security: There are two options: Lock after Computer Is Idle for x Minutes (selected by default) and Lock When 1Password Window Is Closed (deselected by default). For new installations, the idle time is set to 5 minutes; if you previously had a version of 1Password installed with a different idle time, it’ll show that instead. I suggest keeping the default selections. (For details on what these options mean and how to change them, see Set Security Preferences.)

· Rich Icons: Check the Use Rich Icons box to download icons for apps and Web sites from the AgileBits site; leave it unchecked to stick with generic icons. (I recommend checking the box, but you can read more about rich icons in Work with Icons & Thumbnails.)

· 1Password mini: Leave Always Keep 1Password mini Running checked to make sure the 1Password mini helper app is always available in the background for use within your browsers and elsewhere. I want to emphasize how important this is—this option enables 1Password to continue functioning within your browsers and elsewhere, even when the 1Password app itself is closed.

Finally, if you had 1Password 3 installed, you’re prompted to uninstall your old browser extensions (following instructions on a Web page provided) and then Install Browser Extensions for the new version. (You’ll want to install browser extensions even if you didn’t have an older version of 1Password—we’ll get to that shortly.)

First Run for iOS Users

When you first open 1Password on an iOS device, it checks to see if you already have 1Password data synced via iCloud from another device. If it finds your data there, it asks for your master password to unlock it, and then automatically uses iCloud sync.

If not, you’ll see a “Welcome to 1Password” screen. If this is your first time using 1Password, tap “I’m a new 1Password user” for a quick tour followed by a prompt to Choose a Master Password. Otherwise, tap “I’ve used 1Password before.” Then tap Sync Using iCloud, Sync Using Dropbox, or Transfer through iTunes to access your existing data. (For more details on these sync methods, or to change your sync method later, see Set Up Syncing.)

First Run for Windows Users

If you already have Dropbox installed and have previously synced your 1Password data to Dropbox from a Mac, iOS, or Android device, 1Password detects your data automatically and asks if you want to use the copy in your Dropbox. Click Yes, and 1Password prompts you to enter your master password.

Otherwise, click Create New 1Password Data and follow the prompts to start from scratch. Along the way you’ll choose a master password (as I describe just ahead).

Either way, 1Password also prompts you to Install Browser Extensions, which is an excellent idea.

You can find further first-run details on the 1Password Web site.

Choose a Master Password

The very first time you run 1Password, you’re prompted to create a master password, which will protect all the other passwords you later store. This password should be both strong and memorable (a tricky combination). Later, in Understand Password Security, I discuss factors to consider when choosing any new password. However, your master password is a special case. In particular, you’ll have to type it often, so it shouldn’t be obnoxiously long or error-prone.

Because I want you to start using 1Password right away, I don’t want you to get hung up on choosing the perfect master password. (Besides, you can change it later; open the 1Password Preferences window, click Security, and click Change Master Password. And, once you’ve created your first master password, you can access 1Password’s password generator to more easily devise a better one.) So, here are some quick suggestions:

· As 1Password suggests, consider using a full sentence. Your password can include spaces and punctuation, so you can type it just as you normally would. Use at least five words, and for extra security, make your sentence nonsensical (as in, Galloping sloths calculate notorious wallpaper!).

· Avoid accented letters and characters that don’t appear in U.S. English (such as é, ñ, and ß). Although 1Password can accept any Unicode character, the methods used to enter them vary by platform, and that could lead to frustration later.

· For more ideas, read this great blog post from Jeff Goldberg at AgileBits, discussing techniques for creating better master passwords that are still relatively easy to remember.

1Password requires you to enter a hint to help you remember your master password, but be careful—that hint could help someone who’s trying to steal your passwords! Although you can’t leave the Tip field blank, my preference is to fill in something useless likeNope! but write down your master password and keep it in a safe, hidden place.

In any case, take some time to practice using your master password (by locking and unlocking 1Password, as I explain in a moment) to help reinforce it in your memory. Typing it will become second nature soon enough, but in the meantime, you don’t want to forget it.

Install Browser Extensions

Saving and filling in form fields on Web pages with 1Password requires the use of browser extensions (which I explain in more detail later in this chapter; see Browser Extensions). Although it’s possible to use 1Password in a limited way without these extensions, you’ll be missing out on one of its best and most convenient features.

Browser Support

1Password has extensions for recent versions of most major Web browsers:

· OS X: Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, and Yandex

· Windows: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari

For best results, make sure you’re using the latest (non-beta) version of each browser.

If a browser isn’t on this list, it may be because it doesn’t support extensions (for example, DEVONagent on a Mac) or it isn’t code-signed by its developer, which poses a security risk (for example, Chromium). In the latter case, 1Password includes a workaround, which I describe later in Configure Other Mac Preferences.

Browser extensions aren’t installed automatically (except for Internet Explorer in Windows) due to browsers’ security features; you must install them manually. I recommend doing so right away.

Install Browser Extensions on a Mac

If, after installing 1Password, you open Safari, Chrome, Opera, or Firefox without first installing the relevant 1Password extension, a pop-up window prompts you to do so.

Better yet, install the extensions yourself right now:

1. Choose 1Password > Install Browser Extensions (or click the Install Browser Extensions button on the Browser pane of 1Password’s Preferences window).

A Web page opens in your default browser with download links for all the available extensions.

2. Click the Download button next to the browser for which you want to install an extension.

As the extension downloads, the Web page changes to show illustrated, step-by-step instructions for installing that particular extension. Follow the steps you see there.

3. Repeat Step 2 for each browser you use.

The 1Password key icon should appears in your browser’s toolbar.

Tip: You can also install the Google Chrome extension directly from the Chrome Web Store.

Install Browser Extensions on a Windows PC

The extension for Internet Explorer is installed automatically. To install extensions for other browsers:

1. Choose File > Preferences and click Browsers.

2. Click Install Firefox Extension, Install Chrome Extension, or Install Safari Extension.

A Web page opens in the corresponding browser with download links for all the available extensions.

3. Click the Download button next to the browser for which you want to install an extension.

As the extension downloads, the Web page changes to show illustrated, step-by-step instructions for installing that particular extension. Follow the steps you see there.

4. Repeat Step 3 for each browser you use.

The 1Password or icon (appearance varies by browser and version) should appear in your browser’s toolbar. If it doesn’t, see this Web page for assistance.

Lock & Unlock 1Password

1Password has two states: locked (the default) and unlocked. When it’s locked, all your passwords and other personal data are securely protected and inaccessible to you or anyone else. But when you unlock 1Password by entering your master password, you (or anyone with access to your device) can freely see, copy, or edit any of the data.

On the one hand, 1Password must be unlocked to do anything useful to you, such as storing or filling in passwords. On the other hand, it must be locked to prevent anyone who isn’t you from seeing your personal information. Although unlocking 1Password is as simple as typing your master password, that can be tedious if you have to do it too often.

So, the trick is to make sure 1Password is unlocked enough of the time to be convenient, but locked enough of the time to be safe.

Locking Here, There & Everywhere

On a Mac, 1Password’s locked/unlocked state is system-wide: it’s shared by the main app, 1Password mini, and the browser extensions, all of which I cover in the next topic. So, no matter where or how you lock/unlock 1Password, that state applies everywhere on your Mac.

On a Windows PC, it’s more complicated. Locking or unlocking the 1Password app doesn’t affect the lock state for a browser, or vice-versa. Furthermore, the 1Password app can remain unlocked only while it’s open, and 1Password can remain unlocked for any given browser only while that browser has a window open. Internet Explorer and Firefox (only) can share their lock states, so locking or unlocking 1Password in either of those browsers does the same thing to the other.

Lock or Unlock Manually

You can manually lock or unlock 1Password at any time, in any of several ways. For example, when you open the main 1Password app, all you see in the locked state is a big password field. Type the master password, press Return or Enter, and you’re in. 1Password also prompts you to enter your master password whenever it’s locked and you attempt to do something (such as saving or entering credentials on a Web form) that requires access to your data.

Although you’ll frequently unlock 1Password manually after it’s locked itself automatically (as I explain just ahead), you may also occasionally want to lock it manually—for example, if you step away from your computer in a public place:

· Mac: Within the main app on a Mac, choose 1Password > Lock, click the lock icon on the toolbar, or press Command-Option-Control-L.

· Windows: Choose File > Lock, click the lock icon on the toolbar, or press Control-L.

(You can also lock or unlock 1Password manually using 1Password mini on the Mac and in a few other ways.)

Lock Automatically

1Password can automatically lock your data, too, in any of several situations. The default settings aim for high security by keeping 1Password locked most of the time. If you prefer to relax the settings a bit—most people do—see Set Security Preferences for details. For now, I want you to be aware of when 1Password locks your data by default:

· When your computer sleeps (Mac) or is locked (PC)

· When you switch to a different account using Fast User Switching (Mac)

· When the screen saver is activated

· When the main window is closed (Mac only)

· When your computer is idle for 5 minutes (Mac) or 20 minutes (PC)

Note: For the purposes of locking 1Password, “idle” means “no keyboard or mouse activity.” So, it’s not merely a matter of not having used 1Password for a given period of time, but of not touching your computer at all.

Explore the 1Password Components

1Password is more than just a stand-alone application; it consists of multiple components that work together to make password use as simple and flexible as possible. You’ll find it useful to know what these components are and how they’re designed to be used.

The 1Password App

The main 1Password app (Figure 1) shows all your data and provides numerous ways to organize, edit, and search it. It’s also where you’ll go to configure preferences, check for updates, and carry out other housekeeping tasks.

Figure 1: The main 1Password app shows all your stored items and lets you categorize, search, and edit them. Note that the 1Password icon in the toolbar between the green Zoom button and the lock icon appears only if you have multiple vaults (covered later in the book).

Even though I refer to it as the “main” app, many 1Password users open it only occasionally, relying more often on 1Password mini and the browser extensions (see Find Your Usage Pattern).

Tip: Passwords are hidden by default in the main 1Password app—you’ll see only bullet characters. On a Mac, you can temporarily display a password without changing this setting or opening an item for editing—simply press the Option key.

1Password mini

An addition to 1Password 4 (and therefore, Mac-only, at least for the time being) is a helper app called 1Password mini (Figure 2). You can display it by clicking the 1Password key icon in the menu bar or by pressing Command-Option-\ (a shortcut you can customize in 1Password’s preferences, if you like). If you don’t see the menu bar icon, open the 1Password app, go to 1Password > Preferences > General, and select Show Mini App Icon in the Menu Bar. (If the menu bar icon is visible, 1Password mini drops down from your main menu when you click the icon or press Command-Option-. If the menu bar icon is hidden and you press Command-Option-\, 1Password mini appears as a separate window—but either way, it’s the same app.)

Figure 2: 1Password mini shows all the categories you set up in the main 1Password app, plus a search field and password generator. (If you have items in more than six categories, click Show X More Categories to expand the display.)

Note: As of 1Password 4.4, there’s still a bug that affects people with multiple displays running 10.8 Mountain Lion or earlier: 1Password mini always appears on your primary display when you press Command-\ or Command-Option-\, regardless of where your browser window is. AgileBits hopes to fix this soon.

I say it’s a “helper” app, but 1Password mini is quite powerful on its own, and because it’s available instantly throughout your system and nicely compact, you may choose to use it more often than the main app. It can do the following:

· Search and display all your logins, credit cards, identities, secure notes, software licenses, and other 1Password data. (Version 4.2 added the capability to display secure notes in 1Password mini.)

· Generate new, random passwords to your specifications.

· View and search previously generated passwords.

· Display all your 1Password favorites, folders, tags, and smart folders (and their contents).

· Open URLs in your default Web browser and fill in your stored credentials automatically.

· Fill in passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal data on Web pages you’ve navigated to manually. (In fact, when you invoke 1Password in a Web browser, you’re using 1Password mini.)

· Edit your 1Password data (a capability added in version 4.2). To edit an item, click its Edit button; click Save when you’re done.

· Lock, unlock, or launch 1Password, or switch between vaults (see Work with Multiple Vaults). You can do all this with the pop-up gear menu in the upper right; note that if you have more than one vault, the icon changes its appearance to match the icon of the current vault.

The main things you can do only in the main app are organizing your stored items and performing advanced searches.

To search in 1Password mini, just type a portion of an item’s name or contents; matching results appear instantly.

You can navigate through the items in 1Password mini using your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard. Click a login, or press Return when a login is selected, and 1Password mini opens that item in your default browser. To view a selected item’s details instead, press the Right arrow key. Within an item’s detail view, you can also navigate to a particular field (such as Username or Password) using the arrow keys. The currently selected field is highlighted with a dotted line; to activate the button next to it (such as a Copy button), press Return.

Tip: When navigating with your mouse, hover over (do not click) the item’s name in a list view to display its details.

When you display an individual login or other item in 1Password mini (Figure 3), an anchor icon appears in the lower-right corner. Click this button and the panel containing your selected item turns into a floating window. This makes it easier to copy and paste from multiple fields in situations where autofill doesn’t work. (And, by the way, you can even anchor multiple items at the same time if need be.)

Figure 3: An individual login selected in 1Password mini. Click the anchor icon in the lower right of the item’s display to make it stay on screen as a separate window.

1Password mini Keyboard Shortcuts

Version 4.3 of 1Password added several useful keyboard shortcuts to 1Password mini:

· Anchor the detail view (same as clicking the anchor icon): Command-O (that’s a letter o, not a zero)

· Move between fields in detail view: Tab (forward) or Shift-Tab (backward)

· Enter edit mode (same as clicking the Edit button): Command-E

· Save changes (same as clicking the Save button): Command-S

· Cancel changes (same as clicking the Cancel button) or, if not in edit mode, close the detail view (same as clicking the red Close button): Command-.

Windows Helper Processes

On Windows only, 1Password uses three helper processes, all of which are normally invisible:

· Agile1pAgent.exe: Also known as 1Password Helper, this process runs all the time and enables 1Password to communicate with its Chrome and Safari extensions. If you have trouble in either of those two browsers, you can restart this process by opening 1Password and choosing Help > Restart 1Password Helper.

· Agile1pBroker.exe: This process enables Internet Explorer to communicate with 1Password’s Internet Explorer extension. It runs only as needed and exits when Internet Explorer does.

· Agile1pService.exe: This helper process runs all the time and enables the browser extensions for Internet Explorer and Firefox to share the same lock state.

Browser Extensions

In order for 1Password to perform tricks like filling in Web forms and automatically saving the credentials that you enter on Web pages, it needs low-level access to your browser. Browser extensions provide these “hooks.” (For help with installing browser extensions and a list of supported browsers, flip back to Install Browser Extensions.)

In OS X, the extensions are small and nearly invisible—they merely handle behind-the-scenes communication between the browser and 1Password mini. Apart from the key icon in your browser’s toolbar, everything you see when you use 1Password in your browser is part of 1Password mini. And, because 1Password mini is now what you use to interact with your browser, 1Password’s appearance and features are identical across all browsers—something that wasn’t possible in the design of 1Password 3.

In Windows, as was formerly the case in OS X, the browser extensions do a lot more work—they essentially duplicate many of 1Password’s features, including encrypting and decrypting your data, searching, and generating new passwords.

1Password Data Vault

The final major component of 1Password is your encrypted data itself, stored in a set of files 1Password refers to as a vault. Normally this data vault is tucked away with your other documents and you need never interact with it directly, but you should be aware of a few interesting facts about it.

On a Mac, 1Password 4 natively stores all your data—safely encrypted using 256-bit AES—in an SQLite database. (Don’t worry if those terms mean nothing to you.) This is a new data format for 1Password, and one of the improvements is that all your data is now encrypted—even item titles and URLs, just to be on the safe side. AgileBits has also engineered safeguards into the file to slow down automated tools that could try to guess your master password. The Mac and iOS versions of 1Password can have more than one vault, if you want to keep certain pieces of information segregated for any reason. (Multiple vault support is planned for other platforms in the future.) See Work with Multiple Vaults for more information.

On Windows PCs, as in previous versions of 1Password for Mac, 1Password uses an older format, .agilekeychain. To preserve compatibility with these other versions, 1Password 4 for Mac exports your data automatically into the .agilekeychain format if you use Dropbox or folder syncing (see Set Up Syncing, ahead in this chapter). Once the new data format is available in 1Password on all platforms, AgileBits plans to phase out the older format.

Note: Despite the similarity in name, .agilekeychain has nothing to do with Apple’s keychain format. (Long-time users of the Mac version may recall that 1Password once used the Apple keychain, but those days are long gone because that format wasn’t flexible enough.)

Learn How Logins Work

In 1Password, a login is a collection of information—typically including a username, password, and URL among other things—that you can use to log in to a site or service. Although logins are most often used for Web sites where you have password-protected accounts, 1Password treats “login” as a generic term that can be used for almost any type of resource, even if you don’t technically use it to log in to anything.

Note: Home alarm systems, passwords for disk images or other encrypted files, and passcodes for mobile devices are examples of other pieces of information that 1Password categorizes as logins.

For the moment, however, let’s focus on logins for Web sites, which you’ll probably use more than any other item in 1Password. I’ll give you a quick overview of how they work, and then walk you through entering a few in 1Password.

Most Web sites that require you to log in display a username field, a password field, and a button or icon you click to submit your credentials. Let’s suppose you’ve visited such a page (Figure 4) after installing 1Password.

Figure 4: A typical login form on a Web page (in this case, from a site called SoundCloud).

One of several things might happen next:

· If your credentials aren’t yet in 1Password and you type them manually, then when you submit the form (for example, by clicking the Log In button, as in Figure 4, above), 1Password will ask if you want to save that login information. If you click Save (as you almost always will), 1Password saves not only your username and password but also the URL of the page you visited.

· If you don’t already have an account on the site and choose to sign up, you may see a slightly different form (Figure 5), which asks you to enter a username (often in the form of an email address), pick a password, and confirm that password.

You’ll type your preferred username yourself, but then you can use 1Password’s built-in password generator to create a password and fill it into both password fields with a single click. Once you submit the form, 1Password prompts you to save that login. Click Save, and 1Password stores your new password (along with your username and the site’s URL) for you.

Figure 5: An example sign-up form (again, for the SoundCloud site).

· If you had already stored your credentials for the site in 1Password, 1Password can fill in and submit them with a click or keystroke.

That’s the short version, and it’s even easier than it sounds. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll create and enter passwords without even thinking about it. (Later, in Use 1Password for Web Browsing, I go into more detail about the process and talk about situations that don’t necessarily fit the mold—for example, sites for which you have more than one set of credentials, credentials that apply to more than one site, and logins that require multiple steps.)

But enough theory—let’s try it. I need you to think of at least two Web sites, one for which you already have an account (but which isn’t stored in 1Password yet) and one for which you don’t yet have an account but where you can register for free. Ideally these would be sites you want to visit regularly. If you’re drawing a blank, here are some suggestions:

· Facebook

· Gmail

· iCloud

· IMDb

· Yahoo

Enter Your First Login

First, make sure your browser’s built-in password autofill feature is off, at least for the moment, so you can see exactly what 1Password is doing. (To do this, check your browser’s preferences or settings—look for a heading such as Passwords, Security, or Advanced.)

Now go to a site where you already have an account that isn’t yet in 1Password, and then:

1. Go to the login page so that fields for username/email address and password are visible.

2. Fill in your credentials manually (by typing, copy and paste, or however you usually do it).

3. Click the button or icon that submits your credentials (such as Submit or Log In).

1Password’s Save Login prompt appears (Figure 6).

Figure 6: When you submit a login form on a site that’s not already stored in 1Password, the Save Login dialog prompts you to save your credentials. Clicking Save is virtually always the right choice here, and everything else is optional.

4. Optionally choose a different vault from the topmost pop-up menu, edit the site’s name, fill in one or more tags (see Use Folders & Tags), and/or choose a folder from the Folder pop-up menu (click the Expand or Contract button if necessary to show or hide the Tags and Folder settings), and click Save. (The prompt looks different in Windows—and in some Windows browsers, it appears as a bar at the top of the browser window.)

5. Log out (look for a Log Out or Sign Out link), and return to the login page from Step 1.

6. It’s time to log in again, but this time with 1Password. Here are two easy techniques:

§ To log in immediately, press Command-\ (Mac) or Control-\ (Windows). (If you should happen to have more than one login stored in 1Password that uses the same domain name, this shortcut will display a menu from which you can choose the one you want. I say more about this situation in Log In, later.)

§ To view the site’s login entry in 1Password mini on a Mac, click the 1Password key icon in your browser’s toolbar. Then click the entry for the current site (it should be at the top of the list).

Note: The key icon has a different appearance in some Windows browsers. If you don’t see either version of the icon your Windows browser, follow these steps to correct the problem.

7. If prompted to do so, enter your 1Password master password.

1Password logs you in.

That’s it—you now know how to save a site’s credentials and log in to it later using 1Password. Now repeat this process with a few of your other favorite sites. And remember, even though that may seem like quite a few steps, it really takes only one click (on the Save button) to save your credentials, and one keyboard shortcut to enter them.

Create a New Password

Now let’s go through a similar process but with the added step of creating a new password for a site on which you don’t already have an account:

1. Pick a site (perhaps from the previous list of suggestions) where you don’t already have an account and go to the registration page so that fields for username/email address and password are visible.

2. Fill in your username or email address manually, along with any other requested information—except a password.

3. Click the 1Password key icon in your browser’s toolbar or (on a Mac only) press Command-Shift-\ to display 1Password mini.

4. On a Mac, click Password Generator (at or near the top of the list) or, with Password Generator selected, press the Right arrow key. The password generator controls appear (Figure 7).

On a Windows PC, click the Generator button to display similar controls.

Figure 7: 1Password’s password generator creates and fills in random passwords for you.

5. If you want a shorter or longer password than the one shown by default, move the Length slider left or right, as appropriate. (We’ll look at other password options later on, in Create & Save Logins.)

6. Click Fill. 1Password fills the newly generated password into both password fields.

7. Click the button or icon that submits your credentials (such as Submit or Log In).

8. When 1Password’s Save Login dialog appears, click Save.

9. In most cases, you’ll need to confirm your account by clicking a link in an email message, so be sure to do that before continuing.

10.Log out (look for a Log Out or Sign Out link), and then go to the login page on the same site.

11. Now, try signing in. Here are two common methods of logging in with 1Password:

§ To log in immediately, press Command-\ (Mac) or Control-\ (Windows).

§ To display the site’s login entry in 1Password mini on a Mac, click the 1Password key icon in your browser’s toolbar. Then click the entry for the current site (which should be at the very top of the list).

12. If prompted to do so, enter your master password.

1Password logs you in.

Et voilà! You’ve generated, stored, and filled in a new password. Once again, you might consider repeating these steps a few times on different Web sites just to make sure you can complete them quickly in the future.

Tip: If you followed my advice to turn off your browser’s password autofill feature a few pages back, you can turn it back on now, but you might want to leave it off for good—see the sidebar Should You Turn Off Your Browser’s Password Manager? for details.

Find Your Usage Pattern

When I started using 1Password in 2006, I quickly settled into a routine that worked well for me—so well, in fact, that it never occurred to me there might be another way to use 1Password. As I’ve talked to other users, however, I’ve discovered that my approach is just one of many, and people who have adopted other usage patterns are as baffled by my habits as I am by theirs!

There’s no single right way to use 1Password, and it may take some experimentation to find the usage pattern that’s most effective and comfortable for you. What I’d like to do here is acquaint you with some of the major options you might want to try out:

· The browser-centric approach: The way I normally use 1Password involves ignoring the 1Password app itself most of the time. As I go about my business, I visit Web pages in a variety of browsers and through a variety of means. Sometimes I use a bookmark or type a few letters of a domain name and let my browser autofill the rest; more often I get to a site by following a link from Twitter, a news reader, a book, or a Web search.

When I happen to land on a page that requires me to log in, I press Command-\ on a Mac (or, in Windows, Control-), 1Password fills in my credentials, and I continue on my merry way. On those occasions when I need to look up something in 1Password (such as a Wi-Fi password), I usually press Command-Option-\ to open 1Password mini, type a few letters of the domain or service, and see what I want in the search results. This works so well for me (even with over 600 logins) that I usually don’t bother with favorites, folders, or tags, and I seldom open the main 1Password app.

· The app-centric approach: Some people prefer the exact opposite method—they keep the 1Password app open and use it as a bookmark manager. To visit a site, they double-click its entry (or hover over the URL and click Open and Fill). 1Password opens the page in the default browser and fills in the credentials, all in one step.

People who spend more time using the 1Password app are also more likely to put significant effort into grooming their password collections—making sure each entry is categorized and tagged just so, using lists (smart folders) to show dynamically updated groups of items, and carefully editing logins for maximum clarity.

Tip: Although you may occasionally need to copy credentials from 1Password or 1Password mini in order to paste them into a system dialog, application, or other resource, it’s rarely necessary to do this on a Web page. Save yourself the effort and let the Open and Fill option or the browser extensions do the work for you!

· The integrator approach: In a variation of the app-centric approach, some users treat 1Password as a bookmark manager but prefer to avoid the main app when possible (perhaps because it takes up too much space on screen or doesn’t launch quickly enough for their taste). On a Mac, these people can instead use a keyboard shortcut or click a menu icon to display 1Password mini instantly.

· The launcher utility option: Mac users who use a launcher utility such as Alfred, LaunchBar, or Quicksilver can activate it using their preferred keyboard shortcut and search 1Password’s items there—I give a few more details in Use 1Password with Other Utilities, later. (Unfortunately, neither 1Password mini nor integration with launcher apps is currently available on Windows.)

Beyond those basic usage patterns, you may choose to focus on (or avoid) particular types of data, such as passwords, secure notes, credit cards, and software licenses. Of course, I think 1Password is most useful when you let it handle all those things, but your needs may be different from mine.

Whichever way you approach 1Password, my suggestion is to avoid making extra work for yourself. For example, if you’re already in your browser and your habit is to switch back to the 1Password app to go to a new site, you could save yourself some effort by leaning on the browser extensions or 1Password mini instead—or, if you prefer, a launcher such as LaunchBar. And, before you put lots of time into organizing your entries, see if a simple search might do the trick. If 1Password isn’t reducing work and aggravation, you might not be using it in the smartest way.

Note: Your mobile devices also figure in to your overall approach. I say more about that topic in Use 1Password on the Go, but read on to learn how to sync your 1Password data among all your devices.

Set Up Syncing

Depending on which platform(s) you use, 1Password offers up to five (count ’em!) methods to keep your data in sync across devices. You don’t have to use any of them, but I recommend thinking through your options and setting up a sync method right now, because that will enable you to put 1Password to immediate use on all your devices.

Choose a Sync Method (or Two)

The first three methods are similar to each other in that all syncing occurs automatically in the background. Those options are:

· Dropbox: Syncs to any device on any platform 1Password supports via Dropbox; available on all platforms

· iCloud: Syncs to Macs and iOS devices via iCloud; not available on Windows or Android

Note: As I mentioned in Configure 1Password, iCloud sync is officially supported only in the version of 1Password available in the Mac App Store, even though it does currently work in the version sold directly on the AgileBits Web site.

· Folder: Syncs to a folder on your Mac (which could also be on a removable devices such as a USB thumb drive, or on a shared network volume); not available on iOS or Android

Note: Although the current Windows version of 1Password doesn’t offer a folder sync method as such, it does let you store your data file in the location of your choice, and choosing a network-accessible location gives you the same effect as folder sync.

You can choose only one of the above methods at a time on any given device, although you can switch from one to another fairly easily. On Android, Dropbox is the only choice.

The other two methods are specific to iOS devices, and can be used alone or in combination with any of the above:

· Wi-Fi sync: Lets you manually initiate a direct sync between a Mac (only) and iOS device on the same Wi-Fi network

· iTunes file sharing: Lets you manually copy your entire 1Password data file to or from your iOS device using iTunes (via USB or Wi-Fi), as opposed to syncing individual items

Why are there so many choices, and which is best for you?

Let’s start with Dropbox sync, which is the most versatile. If you already have a Dropbox account (or don’t mind signing up for one—it’s free for up to 2 GB of data), this is a fine choice. As long as you have a great 1Password master password, you need not worry about security, because your 1Password data file is securely encrypted before it’s synced to the cloud. This option also gives you a nifty benefit—1PasswordAnywhere, which lets you securely access all your 1Password data from any Web browser in the world. That’s all great, but some people dislike Dropbox or aren’t allowed to use it at work for security reasons. And that’s why 1Password offers other choices.

iCloud sync may be the best choice for users with only Apple products and only a single vault. It requires only a free iCloud account, and can in some situations be faster than Dropbox. But this sync method isn’t available on Windows or Android, and probably never will be because that would require Apple to support those platforms. Although 1PasswordAnywhere isn’t currently available if you choose iCloud as your sync method, that could change in the future.

Note: If you have more than one vault in 1Password (see Work with Multiple Vaults), only the primary vault can sync via iCloud, but all of them can sync via Dropbox. In addition, it’s not possible to sync a vault between different users via iCloud; if you want to do that, Dropbox is your only choice.

If you don’t want to use Dropbox or iCloud, you’re free to choose folder sync (or, in Windows, an alternative location for your data file), which is just like Dropbox sync except that your data is stored in the folder of your choice—on your Mac or PC, on a removable drive (such as a USB thumb drive), or on any mounted network server. If you choose a network location, you can set up 1Password on another computer to use the same folder, and the data will stay in sync without going through the cloud at all. (Or, you could use folder sync with any Dropbox-like services—such as Bitcasa, Box, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, SpiderOak, or SugarSync—which sync one or more folders to the cloud, or use desktop synchronization software to sync files directly between two computers.) Note that folder sync doesn’t work with mobile devices, even if you choose a folder that syncs with another cloud service.

Note: If you were to choose a folder sync and point 1Password to your Dropbox, you’d get effectively the same result as choosing Dropbox sync.

Finally, there are the two more methods designed for iOS devices, either of which you can use whether or not you also sync in another way. Wi-Fi sync is for Mac and iOS users who can’t or don’t want to use either cloud sync method (Dropbox or iCloud) but do want to keep their data in sync wirelessly. Unlike the previous methods, this requires deliberate, manual intervention on both the Mac and the iOS device, and it can’t be automated. And, if you just want to back up or restore your entire 1Password data file, you can do that through iTunes (via USB or Wi-Fi) but it’s not syncing; it’s copying your data en masse.

To sum up:

· Use Dropbox sync if you have a Windows or Android device, or if you want to use 1PasswordAnywhere from nearly any Internet-connected computer.

· Use iCloud sync if you have only Apple devices, you want the best possible performance, and you don’t need multiple vaults or 1PasswordAnywhere.

· Use folder sync if you are unable or unwilling to use cloud sync, and you care only about Macs and PCs (or don’t mind syncing to iOS devices manually)—or if you want to use 1PasswordAnywhere but will use it only on a thumb drive or other local storage.

· Use Wi-Fi sync with an iOS device if you want cloud-free wireless syncing with a Mac.

· Use iTunes file sharing with an iOS device only for backing up or restoring data.

Sync with the Cloud or a Folder

The steps to sync 1Password with the cloud or a folder depend on which operating system you use. (Because the Android version of 1Password syncs only with Dropbox and the process is largely self-explanatory, I haven’t included instructions here.)

Set up or change your sync method on a Mac:

1. In 1Password, go to 1Password > Preferences > Sync (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Select a sync option for the Mac version of 1Password here.

2. If 1Password is already syncing and you want to switch to a different method, click Change Syncing. Do not select Delete Data from Destination unless you’re absolutely sure you never want to use that 1Password data file again! Then click Disable Sync.

3. Click iCloud, Dropbox, or Folder, as you prefer. Then:

§ If you selected iCloud, click Start Syncing.

§ If you selected Dropbox, click Choose Folder, navigate to your Dropbox folder, and click Open. Then click Continue.

§ If you selected Folder, click Choose Folder, navigate to the folder you want to use, and click Open. Then click Continue.

Your data begins syncing to the selected location immediately, although it may take several minutes or longer to complete. You can close the Preferences window at your convenience.

Set up or change your sync method on a Windows PC:

1. In 1Password, choose File > Preferences > General. Check the 1Password Vault field (Figure 9) to see where your data file is currently being stored.

Figure 9: The 1Password Vault field shows where your data file is currently stored.

2. If your data is stored in a folder and you want to move it to your Dropbox, click Move to Dropbox. Once 1Password moves the data (it may take a minute), you’re done—skip the rest of these steps.

3. If you want to relocate your 1Password data to a different folder (whether it’s currently stored in a regular folder or in Dropbox):

a. Exit 1Password.

b. Move your 1Password data file from the location you noted in Step 1 to the new location.

c. Reopen 1Password.

d. Choose File > Preferences > General. Click Choose Another, navigate to the data file’s new location, select it, and click OK. Then click OK to close the Preferences window.

Set up or change your sync method on an iOS device:

1. Open 1Password on your iOS device, and enter your master password. If this is your first time using the app and you’ve already set up syncing on a Mac or PC, you can tap “I’ve used 1Password before” (see First Run for iOS Users) and then skip to Step 3. Otherwise, keep going to Step 2.

2. Tap Settings > Sync > Start Syncing, and then tap Sync with iCloud or Sync with Dropbox. For Dropbox, if you’ve previously authorized 1Password, tap your account name or ID number.

3. Follow the prompts to add your data to the selected service and authorize your device to use it. (In order to use iCloud sync, Documents & Data must be turned on in Settings > iCloud.)

Your data begins syncing immediately.

As of version 4.5, if you have multiple vaults set up to sync through Dropbox, you can add secondary vaults to 1Password for iOS too. To do this, tap settings > Vaults > Add Vault > Sync with Dropbox. Tap your account name or ID number, tap a secondary vault, and enter your password if prompted. For more on using multiple vaults in 1Password for iOS, see Use Multiple Vaults in iOS.

Use Local iOS Sync Methods

To sync your iOS device directly to your computer (rather than going through a cloud service), you can use either of two techniques.

Sync Your iOS Device over Wi-Fi

To sync your iOS device with your Mac (sorry, no Windows support at the moment) via Wi-Fi, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your iOS device and your Mac are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

2. On your iOS device, open 1Password.

3. Tap Settings > Sync > Wi-Fi Sync.

4. On your Mac, open the main 1Password app.

5. Still on your Mac, choose Window > Wi-Fi Sync. A window appears with a secret code (Figure 10).

Figure 10: The Wi-Fi sync window displays a code you must enter on your iOS device.

6. On your iOS device, tap your Mac’s name.

7. Tap the Secret field, enter the secret code from the last step, and tap Done. This pairs your iOS device with your Mac.

8. Tap Sync Now.

1Password begins syncing your data immediately; when it finishes, you can close the Wi-Fi Sync window on your Mac. The next time you sync the same two devices, you can skip Step 7.

Back Up or Restore iOS Data Using File Sharing

The final option for transferring data between an iOS device and a Mac or PC—via USB or Wi-Fi—is iTunes File Sharing. As I mentioned earlier, it’s not syncing but rather a backup or restore of all your 1Password data. If you should ever need to do this, read the AgileBits support article Getting Started with iTunes File Sharing.

Check for Updates

AgileBits updates 1Password frequently with bug fixes and new features. Make sure you have the very latest version! Here’s how:

· On a Mac, if you purchased 1Password from the Mac App Store, choose Apple  > Software Update to open the App Store app and check for updates.

· On a Mac, if you purchased 1Password direct from the AgileBits Web site, open the main 1Password app and choose 1Password 4 > Check for Updates. You can also ask 1Password to check for updates automatically by choosing 1Password 4 > Preferences > Updates and checking Automatically Check for Updates.

· On a PC, open the 1Password app and choose Help > Check for New Version.

· On an iOS device, tap App Store > Updates to check for updates.

I also plan to update this book from time to time to cover significant changes in 1Password, although updates to the book won’t be as frequent as updates to the software—so if you see something in the book that doesn’t quite match what’s on your screen, it’s likely that AgileBits is slightly ahead of me for the moment. To learn how to check for updates to this book, see Ebook Extras.

Learn What 1Password Isn’t Good For

Before we wrap up this chapter on basics, I want to tell you about a few things you should not plan to rely on 1Password for. Certain types of password activities are better handled by other tools, such as iCloud Keychain in OS X or Credential Manager in Windows.

Here are a few examples:

· HTTP Basic authentication logins: You may visit a Web page and see a separate dialog box or sheet (as opposed to form fields on the page itself) asking for a username and password (Figure 11). This type of security is known as HTTP Basic authentication.

Figure 11: An HTTP Basic authentication dialog in Google Chrome.

Unfortunately, 1Password’s browser extensions currently have no way to reach into such dialog boxes to enter your credentials. You can still store your username and password in 1Password, but you must copy and paste both of them—not the most convenient process, even if you use the anchor button (see 1Password mini). By contrast, the password tools built into most browsers such as Google Chrome and Safari can automatically log you in to such pages without any difficulty—as long as you leave those password-filling features turned on. For the time being, my suggestion is to store such credentials both in 1Password (for convenient syncing, backup, and sharing) and in your browser’s password manager.

· Network credentials: When you connect to a Wi-Fi network—or to another computer on your local network for file sharing or screen sharing—you may be prompted to fill in a username and/or password. Although you can store those credentials in 1Password, unfortunately, 1Password can’t automatically fill them in; you’ll have to copy and paste. In OS X and Windows, login dialogs offer to remember your credentials for you; if you say yes, then the operating system will fill them in automatically the next time you connect to the computer or network in question. As with HTTP Basic authentication credentials, 1Password can provide other benefits when used to store this data, such as more-convenient sharing—it just won’t fill your credentials in automatically.

· Application passwords: Apps such as Skype and Twitter require your credentials to log in, and at your option, your operating system can store and fill in those passwords for you. But again, 1Password has no direct access to such apps (although 1Password can sign you in to the Web sites for such services).

· Password-protected files: Many common apps, including Microsoft Word and Excel, Apple Pages and Numbers, and Adobe Acrobat, can password-protect individual files. 1Password has no problem storing such passwords, but it can’t enter them for you.

· Disk images: On OS X, you can create encrypted disk images to hold sensitive files. OS X can store the passwords for these images so they can be opened without having to manually enter the passwords each time. Again, although you can manually put these passwords in 1Password, it can’t fill them in for you automatically.

Another realm in which 1Password may not be the best choice is Web browsing on iOS devices. As I discuss later (see iOS), 1Password for iOS has a nice built-in Web browser, and there are even shortcuts to get to it from Safari and other browsers. But that’s still not as convenient as entering your credentials right in Safari. And, thanks to iCloud Keychain, which is part of OS X 10.9 Mavericks and iOS 7 (discussed in the sidebar, just ahead), a keychain on your Mac can sync automatically with your iOS devices, which will make it that much easier to stick with Apple’s built-in tools.

In all these cases, the lesson to take away is that you should use 1Password for the things it’s best at, and use other tools for the things they do better. 1Password will never have the same system-level access as the password tools built into OS X, iOS, and Windows, but it’s a far better tool for most password-related tasks.

1Password & the Apple Keychain

The Keychain built into OS X stores usernames, passwords, and other personal data, much like 1Password. As I mentioned just above, it’s useful in certain places where 1Password can’t reach. So Mac users should think of 1Password as supplementing, not replacing, Keychain.

Because Apple strictly limits access to Keychain data, there’s no easy way to import existing Keychain entries into 1Password or vice-versa, and no way to keep the two sets of data in sync automatically. However, you can use the two side by side—especially in Safari, which uses Keychain for storing your passwords—and simplify the process of adding new credentials to both places at the same time.

One advantage of using the two systems together is that iCloud Keychain (in iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 Mavericks) can use credentials saved on your Mac to log in to Web sites in Safari on an iOS device.

Here’s how I recommend working on your Mac in Mavericks:

· Leave Safari’s AutoFill feature turned on. (In Safari, choose Safari > Preferences, click AutoFill, and make sure User Names and Passwords is selected.)

· When you load a Web page for which neither 1Password nor Safari has previously stored credentials, enter them manually and log in. Safari saves them automatically, and 1Password’s Save Login dialog prompts you to save the login too.

· When you load a Web page for which 1Password has stored credentials but iCloud Keychain has not, you’ll be prompted to save those credentials in iCloud Keychain—go ahead and do so.

· When you load a Web page for which Safari has previously stored credentials but 1Password hasn’t, Safari fills in those fields automatically. Log in as you normally would—and as soon as you do, 1Password’s Save Login prompt appears. Click Save to save that set of credentials in 1Password.

Unfortunately, since Keychain and 1Password data won’t sync with each other, if you change a password in 1Password, you’ll then have to update iCloud Keychain too—use 1Password to fill in your new credentials, and Safari prompts you to update iCloud Keychain.

To fill in Web site credentials in Safari in your iOS 7 device, you’ll be able to use Safari’s AutoFill instead of 1Password. (You may need to enable Keychain first in Settings > iCloud.)