1Password is one of the most popular password managers on the market, and for good reason. Read our 1Password guide full of tips now to get the most out of the app.
1Password guide: all tips in a row
You can of course save your passwords in the iCloud keychain. Using only Apple devices is a great way to create and store secure passwords. If you also have other devices, it is much more convenient to use an alternative password manager.
The most popular and best option then is 1Password. This is a very complete app full of useful extras. Even if you’ve been using this app for years, you may not realize what it can do. No worries! That’s why we wrote this 1Password tips guide.
Why are there different versions?
1Password has a confusing update policy. Every time a major new update is released, you have to download a new app from the App Store. That happens once every few years. The app will of course receive minor updates in between.
At the moment, the latest version is 1Password 8. This version was introduced in summer 2022. It is wise to always switch to the latest version of the app, because support for older versions will disappear at some point.
That’s how much 1Password costs
Unfortunately, 1Password is not free. If you are looking for a free password manager that works on different types of devices, we recommend Bitwarden.
To use 1Password you pay 3.99 euros per month or 35.99 euros per year. You can also take out a family subscription. This makes it possible to use all options with a maximum of five people for 7.49 euros per month or 59.99 euros per year.
Tips for a secure 1Password master password
The name 1Password comes from the idea that with a password manager you only have to remember one password. When creating an account, you should therefore think carefully about your master password. If it is easy to crack, someone can get to all your other passwords and that is of course not the intention.
Two things are important for a good master password: the password should be long and fairly easy to remember. Don’t worry too much about special characters, because length is more important and passwords with special characters are harder to remember. Therefore, always go for an ordinary sentence that only you can guess.
Use these apps and extensions
1Password works great through the iOS app you’ll find in the App Store, but you can also download apps for Mac, Windows, and Android.
It only works really well if you also activate the extensions for the web browsers you use. For Safari, download on your Mac 1Password on the App Store and activate the extension in the Safari settings. For Google Chrome, download the 1Password extension. Then you can easily enter passwords on websites you visit and create new passwords. You no longer have to copy and paste passwords.
This is how you create secure passwords
To create a new password, tap the plus sign in the app and choose ‘Login details’. There you enter a name, a username and a password. Tap the password field and choose ‘Create a new answer’ to have the app come up with a password.
As soon as you have a new password created, you will be given a few choices. Via a slider you indicate how many characters the password should consist of. Always go to the limit of what the website allows. You can then choose whether this password can contain numbers or symbols. It is recommended to always add numbers and symbols, but not every website accepts such passwords. You finally tap the blue button to save the password.
You can organize all those passwords in different ways. You can simply search via the search button at the bottom of the app. But it is also possible to add passwords to your favorites by tapping the three dots and then choosing ‘Add to favorites’. You can also add tags by tapping ‘edit’ and choosing ‘Add tag’ at the bottom.
Make password more readable in 1Password with these tips
If you cannot paste a password on another device, you will have to retype it. That can be quite a fiddle with all those signs and letters. Fortunately, it is possible to view the password in full screen. To do this, hold down a password and choose ‘Show in large font’. Tap the screen again when you’re done to make the password disappear again.
Share a password with someone else
You can temporarily share your login information with someone. To do this, find the login, tap the three dots and choose ‘Share’. A link is then created.
You get several options to customize this link: how long the link is valid, for whom the link is available (everyone or selected people) and whether the link can be viewed more than once. This link can also be opened by someone who does not use 1Password.
This is the difference between archiving and deleting
You can archive or delete passwords, but what’s the difference? If an item archives, they will no longer show up in search results, nor will 1Password suggest them when you try to log into a website. However, they will be saved and you can always restore them. If you remove a password, they will disappear permanently after thirty days and you will never be able to access them again.
Lock the app
When you’re done with the app, you can lock things with a quick action so that you have to log in again with Touch ID or Face ID the next time. To do this, tap the icon of your accounts at the top left and choose ‘Lock’.
You can store much more
1Password’s focus is obviously on creating and storing passwords, but with these tips you can store much more in the app. You do this by pressing the plus sign, then you will find all the options. Think of your credit card, driver’s license, crypto wallet, passport and so on. Handy to have safely stored for when you need it.
Here’s how to copy on your iPhone and paste on your Mac
1Password offers the possibility to use Universal Clipboard. That means you can copy a password on your iPhone and paste it on your Mac or iPad. You have to enable this function first. To do this, go to ‘Security’ in the settings and move the slider to ‘Use Universal Clipboard to copy to other devices’.
Check the Watchtower to improve your security
1Password helps you on your way to improving the security of your password. That information is bundled with the Watchtower. You can find this in a separate tab in the app, with the icon of a tower.
Here you will find information about passwords that may have been leaked because a website did not have its security in order. If you tap on that, you can see what is going on for each account and there is a button to go to the relevant website to immediately change the password.
In addition, 1Password provides information about passwords that you have reused, because that is not safe either. Weak passwords and unsafe URLs are also highlighted. 1Password also shows you which websites offer two-factor authentication, but where you haven’t set it up yet.
If you tackle all these points, your Watchtower score will increase. You can share this score on social media to show how good your security is. If you go to the settings and choose ‘Privacy’ you can choose what Watchtower should pay attention to.
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