Why are the Firefox and Safari 1P experiences different in iOS?

With the advent of iOS 15, Safari (for iOS) now supports full blown extensions, just like Safari on the desktop. As such, AgileBits updated 1Password (to 7.8) shortly after the iOS 15 release that included a new Safari extension. Unfortunately, as the name implies, these Safari extension only work in Safari and not 3rd party browsers or apps (even though all browsers and apps must use the Safari webkit engine). Firefox is stuck using Apple's built-in autofill feature, which is why you are seeing such a drastic difference.

On a more frustrating note, prior to 7.8, 1P supported not only password autofill, but also a share sheet extension that allowed you to fill in non-password fields (such as credit card #'s and addresses), This share sheet extension worked not only in Safari, but in 3rd party apps and browsers. However, when 1P 7.8 was released with the Safari extension, AgileBits decided to remove the share sheet extension. As a result, 1P functionality has become unnecessarily limited in 3rd party apps.

The long and the short of all of this is two-fold: (1) 1Password's Safari extension can only work in Safari. This is not a limitation of 1Password, but a limitation of iOS itself. Until Apple allows extensions in 3rd party browsers, you're stuck with the more generic autofill features. (2) 1Password previously supported autofilling non-password fields by utilizing iOS' built-in share sheet extension framework. However, that extension has now been removed and thus you are limited to password-only fields in 3rd party apps and extensions. This is 100% a limitation of 1Password and has nothing to do with any iOS limitation. If AgileBits wanted to bring back the share sheet extension they easily could in a future update (this won't happen, however, as the new Safari extension was designed, in part, to drive standalone license users into the subscription model... but that's an entirely different discussion that has been ongoing since AgileBits announced 1Password 8).

In any case, hopefully that helps explain everything!

Hi Carbon14:

1Password for Safari is our new experience taking advantage of Safari Web Extensions being available with iOS 15. This allows us to have the full 1Password in the browser experience, shared between the desktop extensions, and the Safari extension on iOS. We're always looking at places we can evolve, and if in the future it's possible to create extensions for browsers other than Safari on iOS, it'll be something we'll take a look at.

In the meantime however, Password AutoFill is available in all browsers and apps, for filling in your username and password on a website or in an app.

Let me know if that clears it up, or if you still have more questions!

Jack

Thanks a ton Jack. I know FF doesn’t have extensions on iOS so that all makes sense now.

But with AUTOFILL turned on and KeyChain turned off, I still have to tap the login field, which brings up the iOS Password dialogue (no choosing between 1P and Keychain). I still have to click “Passwords” which invokes the 1Password selection screen with the applicable logins. And I have to choose that one login to autofill. And then choose DONE. With 4 required interactions, it doesn’t really come close to the Safari experience.

I’m curious, with AUTOFILL turned on what is supposed to happen? TIA

Carbon14

That sounds right to me. The "Passwords" prompt that appears above the keyboard is rendered by Password AutoFill, an Apple technology, and not 1Password and we don't have any control here over how the prompt is rendered. Hopefully future versions of iOS will continue to refine the Password AutoFill experience.

In the meantime, I'm absolutely loving 1Password for Safari on my iPhone and, like you, I always miss the functionality that 1Password for Safari provides whenever I try a different browser.

Let me know if you have any questions. 😊