Can't change Master Password or get into iCloud

Fearmore

I am EXTREMELY frustrated by 1Password, though I'm a longtime user. I’ve spent the last several hours unsuccessfully trying to do the following;

1) I want to change the Master Password on my iPhone and make it the same for all other devices. The main problem is my iPhone. In the 1Password app, all I see is a grayed out “Change Master Password” field, so it won’t let me change it.

2) Naturally, I want my Mac, iPhone, iCloud, and online iPassword accounts to all share data on iCloud. Currently my Mac and iPhone data seems to be updating through iCloud.

But I cannot access my only Vault (Personal) in iCloud. When I try to access the vault, 1Password tells me “Only you can view and edit items in this vault.” (FYI, I don't have the “Remove for Travel” engaged.) I used to have the password for the iCloud vault in my 1Password notes, but now it is gone somehow, so I can’t get into the iCloud vault. I do have a “secret key”, but I don’t see what that does for me. When I sign into my iCloud account directly through Apple, I see no evidence that a 1Password vault exists, though I know it must somewhere.

4) How can I tell whether my iCloud account is current? When I ask my iPhone 1Password to sync with iCloud, it tells me it is going to merge, but I don’t know whether I want to do that.

Please help. This complexity is driving me crazy. Thank you.

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1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided

ag_ana

Hi @Fearmore!

2) Naturally, I want my Mac, iPhone, iCloud, and online iPassword accounts to all share data on iCloud. Currently my Mac and iPhone data seems to be updating through iCloud.

4) How can I tell whether my iCloud account is current? When I ask my iPhone 1Password to sync with iCloud, it tells me it is going to merge, but I don’t know whether I want to do that.

I think this is part of the problem: it sounds like you are using two different sync methods. Since you have a 1Password.com account (because you have a Secret Key, which only 1Password.com accounts use), your data is synced automatically via 1Password.com, not iCloud.

However, it sounds like some of your devices are syncing with iCloud already, and you are trying to configure your iPhone to also sync via iCloud. Is there a specific reason why you want to use an additional sync method?

Fearmore

No, there is no particular reason I want to use an additional sync method. I did not know that my data was synced to 1Password.com, apparently as the default. Initially, years ago, I was synced to Dropbox.

How do I (simply) change from iCloud sync to 1Password sync?

Fearmore

Also: my vaults show two options: my Name/"Personal" as well as "Primary". Why? Which is 1Password.com?

ag_ana

@Fearmore:

Personal is on 1Password.com, Primary can be on iCloud or Dropbox. If you want to move your existing iCloud data to 1Password.com, please see this documentation page:

Migrate your existing 1Password data from standalone vaults to a 1Password account

Afterwards, you can remove the Primary vault from the app so you only have your vaults on 1Password.com, and you only use one sync method :+1:

Fearmore

Thank you very much for your timely help and pithy explanation.

I've managed to climb the learning curve on migrating from old 1Password methods to new ones. I'm a fairly smart guy with plenty of tech background, but this took many hours to understand how to navigate 1Password's MacOS and IOS interfaces -- and, most of all, the concepts that underlie them. Examples:

• "Master Password" is not a master password for all apps/devices, it is a Master Password only for a specific instance of 1Password.
• "Personal" vault is created without salient explanation of what it is, and "Primary" vault isn't the primary vault. I couldn't find any explanation of this in any obvious location.
• I had to find this out by trial and error, resulting in having to guess which password works again and again: "The way this works is that the first time you unlock 1Password for iOS after changing your Master Password elsewhere you'll need to use the old Master Password. After the first unlock with the old Master Password 1Password will sync the changes, and from then on you'll use the new Master Password"
• When does syncing take place? I know it's complicated, but an overview is needed.
  There are many more examples, like the family vs. individual vaults, naming, etc.

The upshot is that I've spent the better part of a day trying to understand and implement a 1Password.com/Mac/iPhone/iPad sync system, using my existing 1password vault and syncs as a starting point. I assume it is easier to set 1Password up from scratch. But loyal users must have to struggle as I have.

Great product. Very, very difficult and frustrating learning curve. A dearth of in-app explanation during user configuration.

ag_ana

@Fearmore:

"Master Password" is not a master password for all apps/devices, it is a Master Password only for a specific instance of 1Password.

Depending on how you configured that 1Password app, this could be true. It typically isn't, but more complicated setups could indeed behave like this.

The way 1Password unlocks is:

• If a Primary vault exists, then it unlocks using the Master Password for that vault, regardless of what, if any, memberships are signed in
• If a single 1Password membership is signed in, then it unlocks using the Master Password for that membership account
• If multiple memberships are signed in, then it unlocks using the Master Password of the first added membership

These are each exclusive scenarios. For example, if multiple memberships are signed in, you cannot unlock 1Password using the Master Password of the second account that was added.

When does syncing take place? I know it's complicated, but an overview is needed.

Syncing takes place after every change, such as everytime you make a change to any item, add an item, delete an item, but also when you switch vaults and unlock the application.