How to Inform 1Password of a Changed Password

BulldogX

Please consider the following scenario:

I return to a website that I haven't visited for a very long time. My original password no longer works at that website so I need to set a new password. The website sends a message to my email address, in order to confirm my identity, and the message contains a link I must use to set a new password. I click on that link and am brought to a 'choose your new password' page, which has fields for inserting and confirming my new password.

I open 1Password's new password generator by clicking on the 1Password icon in Chrome's toolbar, and then clicking on the 'New Item' icon (a big 'plus' sign,) and finally clicking on Password Generator. There, I can choose a new password and either Copy the password to the web page or Autofill the new password on the web page.

Whether I Copy or Autofill, the new password does not replace the old password in 1Password. I should have anticipated this, because I received no notification from 1Password that my password was successfully changed. (Maybe 1Password doesn't provide such a notification?) In any case, when I open the 1Password browser extension, I see that my password has not been changed.

Of course, I can always manually change the password in 1Password, but that's really inconvenient. Shouldn't 1Password automatically change my password when I use Password Generator on a sign-in screen?

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1Password Version: Not installed
Extension Version: 1.15.2
OS Version: Windows 10
Sync Type: 1Password cloud
Referrer: forum-search:How to Inform 1Password of a Changed Password

Ben

Hi @BulldogX

Thanks for taking the time to write in. This is a great question. I most cases 1Password will notice that you've entered a new password for a website and prompt you if you'd like to update your existing login item. If it does not, there is a way to do it manually:

How to save a Login manually in your browser

(select "update existing")

Shouldn't 1Password automatically change my password when I use Password Generator on a sign-in screen?

I would argue that it should not. What happens if the website requires both your current password as well as your new password in order to change, you generate a new password, but it isn't accepted by the site for whatever reason? Now you have to dig around in the password history to find the current password in order to try again. I would think this would be a worse experience than what we currently have.

I hope that helps. Should you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to ask.

Ben

BulldogX

"What happens if the website requires both your current password as well as your new password in order to change, you generate a new password, but it isn't accepted by the site for whatever reason?"

(Sorry, I haven't yet worked out how to quote.)

I find that incredulous, frankly.

The situation you describe - requiring both the old password and the new password - is common. The old password comes from the existing entry in 1Password, while the new password comes from Password Generator.

After Copy-ing or Autofilling the new password and clicking or tapping on 'Okay' or 'Change' or whatever is the name of the control on the web page, then 1Password can replace the old password with the new password from Password Generator. That's exactly what LastPass does, and it follows up by showing a notification to inform you that it will change the password. If the website doesn't accept the new password for some reason, you tell the notification not to change.

I am trying hard to switch away from LastPass but 1Password isn't making it so easy. I dislike LastPass for its ugly, messy interface. 1Password is gorgeous but it doesn't do some of the useful things that LastPass can do.

Ben

After Copy-ing or Autofilling the new password and clicking or tapping on 'Okay' or 'Change' or whatever is the name of the control on the web page, then 1Password can replace the old password with the new password from Password Generator. That's exactly what LastPass does, and it follows up by showing a notification to inform you that it will change the password. If the website doesn't accept the new password for some reason, you tell the notification not to change.

That is exactly what we do, in most cases:

https://youtu.be/Rky57Be6u4k?t=93

I was under the impression you were suggesting that as soon as the password generator made a password while you were viewing a web page 1Password should update your password for that page to the one in the password generator... hence the hesitation.

In cases where the change isn't automatically detected the instructions I posted above should help.

Ben

romeograham

I agree with BulldogX - I can't figure out how to get similar functionality in 1Password to LastPass's password update feature. In fact, the video linked above by Ben is NOT what I see with the latests browser extension.

If I change the password on a site, (by using the Password generator in the extension - using the Copy button and Ctrl-V into the New Password field and the Confirm field on the website I'm changing), when I manually try to edit the password in 1Password, the newly created password isn't in my clipboard any more! I have to go back to the Extension, open the Password Generator, select Generator History, find the password it JUST created, click copy...now switch back to the 1Password Edit page, and paste in the new password.

LastPass didn't reliably take care of this (for me), but it did work most of the time. But this workflow for 1Password is a real bummer.

Can you update the help video to match the current browser extension (in which the Password generator has been buried a bit)?

Thanks!

AGAlumB

@romeograham: The video Ben referred to the person he was replying to may or may not apply to you, depending on the specific OS, 1Password, browser, and extension versions you're using. It wasn't possible for Ben to preemptively give information specific to you, not knowing you would later turn up in this thread, or even for me, not knowing what you're using. ;)

If you need help with something in 1Password, let me know your setup, the exact steps you're taking, and where you're running into trouble (e.g. the specific URL, if it's an issue with a website), and I'm sure I can help you get sorted. :)

We have a more general guide for doing password changes:

Change your passwords and make them stronger

Since the "workflow" varies significantly between websites, as "password change" forms are even less standardized than login forms. So we can really only give you more detailed instructions if we know the specifics of your scenario.

However, if you have changed the password on a website by filling a password you generated with the 1Password app, you'll have a Password item saved for it in your vault, as a safety net. :)

romeograham

I can't imagine that your latest Chrome extensions are all that different between Mac (in the video) and Windows (my setup). However, it's likely (given how new the latest extension is) that the video doesn't show the workflow with the new extension (1.15.2). Latest Chrome build (Version 74.0.3729.169 (Official Build) (64-bit))

I understand that every website has a slightly different flow for password changes. Of course Ben can't give specific information to future me, but I joined the conversation with exactly the same issue as BulldogX (the OP in this thread).

The part that doesn't work for me, is when Khad says SHAZAM! (1:58 in the video) and 1Password automatically recognizes the changed password and replaces the exisiting one with the new one (in 1Password's record for that site). That's the part that BulldogX was asking about too (quote in Italics below):
Whether I Copy or Autofill, the new password does not replace the old password in 1Password. I should have anticipated this, because I received no notification from 1Password that my password was successfully changed. (Maybe 1Password doesn't provide such a notification?) In any case, when I open the 1Password browser extension, I see that my password has not been changed.

Maybe that is functionality that works in MacOS, but not Windows ?

I know that 1Password keeps a record of all the generated passwords that Password Generator makes - this is fantastic. However, the workflow that is a drag is that I usually have to go to that Password History list, copy the last one, navigate back to the Site (in 1Password) that I'm editing, and paste the password into the password field, and click Save. All because 1Password doesn't seem to update a changed password on its own.

It does a great job of recording new logins, however!

romeograham

I can't imagine that your latest Chrome extensions are all that different between Mac (in the video) and Windows (my setup). However, it's likely (given how new the latest extension is) that the video doesn't show the workflow with the new extension (1.15.2).

I understand that every website has a slightly different flow for password changes.

The part that doesn't work for me, is when Khad says SHAZAM! (1:58) and 1Password automatically recognizes the changed password and replaces the exisiting one with the new one (in 1Password's record for that site). That's the part that BulldogX was asking about too (quote in Italics below):
Whether I Copy or Autofill, the new password does not replace the old password in 1Password. I should have anticipated this, because I received no notification from 1Password that my password was successfully changed. (Maybe 1Password doesn't provide such a notification?) In any case, when I open the 1Password browser extension, I see that my password has not been changed.

Maybe that is functionality that works in MacOS, but not Windows ?

I know that 1Password keeps a record of all the generated passwords that Password Generator makes - this is fantastic. However, the workflow that is a drag is that I usually have to go to that Password History list, copy the last one, navigate back to the Site (in 1Password) that I'm editing, and paste the password into the password field, and click Save. All because 1Password doesn't seem to update a changed password on its own.

It does a great job of recording new logins, however!

AGAlumB

@romeograham: Thanks for clarifying. I'm sorry for the confusion. We have, off the top of my head, at least four extensions (including beta and stable) that you could be running in Chrome, so it does help to know which version you've got. ;)

But I think some of the confusion stems from the fact that the 1Password for Mac and 1Password for Windows apps are, for obvious reasons, different, and those are what you see when using the 1Password desktop app extension: the native app; the extension does almost nothing at all, and is just a way for those to integrate with the browser. So yes, our Mac and PC software looks and works a bit differently.

On the other hand, 1Password X, which you seem to be using, runs entirely in the browser, so there's no desktop app to do its UI. That will look the same regardless of the platform you're using it on. You're right that we don't have videos specifically for that, for all of its functionality, as it is relatively new compared to our desktop apps. Without software like that running outside the browser to manage autosave, 1Password X does things differently:

1. Use 1Password X to fill current password:
   

2. Use 1Password X to fill new password
   

3. Update existing Login item
   

In some cases, there may be difficulty with automatically detecting the password change fields. But you can manually tell 1Password X to save and select the "update" option to use an existing Login from its ••• menu:

And, as always, if you're having trouble with a specific website let us know the details so we can investigate to see what might help. :)

romeograham

Thanks @brenty.

I'll look for the Update Saved Login next time I'm updating a password and see if it helps.

Is there any way to get 1Password X to auto-suggest a Longer password? Or a phrase? It seems that I usually select a longer password that the one automatically suggested, and maybe that's why the flow is different (because I have to go up to the Extension to get the password).

AGAlumB

@romeograham: You're welcome! The "Suggest Password" feature is designed to give you something that is both secure and compatible with most sites. It's sane default for convenience. But you can always use the Password Generator from the 1Password X browser toolbar button (under the + going forward) to customize what's generated to use a word-based password, change the length, etc. -- a sacrifice of a little convenience for some added flexibility. :)