Review Version: 6.3
Developer Website: https://1password.com/features/
Features: 1Password is a password manager and digital vault. It is designed from the ground up to provide a safe (relative) place to store all of your passwords and other important material in a single location. All of your data is stored inside of the app, and you will need to create and remember a master password to access any of it. The key is really creating a strong master password and then not forgetting it- if you do there really is no way to recover your data.
After creating your master password, you then can start adding your data! The free version of the app lets you store web logins, credit card details, identity information and secure notes. To create an item just go to the categories tab, click the plus sign, select the type of item you wish to create and fill in your details! If you are creating a login, you can enter your pre-existing password, or you can let 1Password generate one for you! If you choose to generate one, you can customize the length, type (random or wordlist) and number of digits and symbols in it! Just make sure to press save when your happy with the generated password! While your still in the categories tab, you can see all of your items sorted by their category and you can search for a specific one by going to the search bar on the top (supports both title and full text search!)
Once you have all of your items inputted, you can really start to take advantage of some of 1Passwords more helpful features! One of the most useful is the mobile Safari extension. It allows you to fill in your login, identity or credit card information stored in your vault into the appropriate field on websites. Once on the page you want to fill in, press the share button, click on the 1Passowrd icon, enter you password and select the information you want to use. It will then autofill in your credentials! You can also use the built-in web-browser in 1Password, called 1Browser, that does the same task as the Safari extension, except that you don’t have to enter your password! Also, you can choose to sync your vault between other devices. The app support syncing via iCloud, Dropbox and over Wi-Fi (Requires 1Password for Windows or Mac).
Note: If your concerned about storing your passwords and sensitive material on the app, I would definitely check out their website. Particularly the security and privacy section (https://support.1password.com/security/) as they cover a wide range of topics and issues as it relates to 1Password.
Summary: 1Password is a powerful password manager and digital vault, that balances convenience of use with security.
Pro:
- You can enable Touch ID, so you don’t have to enter your master password every single time
- The app remembers all of your past passwords for each login, which is helpful if you need to access it for some reason
- The developers are very transparent about the security and privacy of their apps
Con:
- If you forget your master password, there is not much you can do
- It can be a lot of work to set up and you have to commit to it
How I use it: I use 1Password to store all of my logins, secure notes, software licenses and any other tidbits. Combined with Touch ID and the Safari extension, it makes managing all of my passwords so much easier then using a generic password and trying to remember all of the deviations I used. And in turn I can make the passwords much more secure and each one different. Also, by having all of my items stored in a central location, it has made me much more organized and I don’t have to play hide and seek anymore. Now of course there is an inherent risk by storing all of your data in one location… but for me, keeping it in multiple locations would be way to much work to keep track of in my head alone. So there are risks, and you need to judge it for yourself, but 1Password is one of the best apps out there.
In-App Purchases: The app offers a IAP, 1Password Pro, for $9.99. It offers an additional 8 features, with the main ones being Apple Watch Support, additional categories to choose from, and more ways to organize your items (tags and folders).
Tip: Creating and remembering a strong master password is hard for anyone, but particularly so for people with brain injuries. The method that I really like to use is called diceware! I find that it makes creating, and more importantly, remembering a secure password relativity easy. http://world.std.com/~reinhold/diceware.html
Tech For TBI's 