Mac and Iphone - Can I use my family license?

fiona555

Hi, I own a 1password family license that I've been previously using for my Mac only. Now I bought an iPhone and would like to install the program there. In the App Store, I have to pay for it again. Isn't there a free version for people who already purchased a license?

Megan

Hi @fiona555,

It's always so great to hear from people who love 1Password so much that they want more! :) 1Password licenses are platform-specific, which means that your Mac license will allow you (and up to 4 other users) to install 1Password on as many Macs as you personally use, but the iOS app will be a separate purchase.

We've found that offering software separately for each platform allows individual customers to buy the software that fits their needs without charging them for software that they cannot use.

AnBT

'We've found that offering software separately for each platform' is a great form of extortion. I really love this software but the fact you don't give the option off a universal purchase for maybe a little higher price instead of a full blown price for each and every software/device you intend to use is ridiculous. I have to make folders in dropbox with the name of it being the password to be able to use it on windows or my iPhone. Im not paying £15 for the IOS version and then another £25 on windows all for the same software.

ddweller151

AnBT, in point of fact there is no way to sell an app for both operating systems, even if they wanted to.

Dave544

AnBT, I think you're being a bit unfair. Agile Bits does sell a universal purchase on their web site for 1Password for Mac and PC as a bundle. Apple makes you purchase ALL apps through their App store for iOS devices. There is no way for them to sell a bundle with iOS apps, Apple won't let them! In addition the Mac, PC, iOS, and Android apps are all completely different products written in different languages. There is a little bit of overlap with Xcode for the Mac and iOS but they are really different animals. Android is based on Java and Windows typically uses C# or .NET. Given that they have to then hire different developers, do more support, fix more bugs, etc, I understand why they need to charge for the different platforms they support. I'm just happy they license it on a per user basis rather than per machine.

Megan

Hi @Dave544 and @ddweller151,

Thanks so much for adding your thoughts here. We do try to offer bundled software wherever possible to make it easier for users who would like to use 1Password on multiple platforms, but unfortunately the App Store does complicate matters a bit for us by not permitting bundles.

We very much appreciate your understanding! :)

Jason Ferris

I've been hoping for a ios/mac bundle as well. Here's a suggestion, you could make an additional license purchase an IAP on the ios version.

Megan

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll be sure to pass that along to our developers :)

hawkmoth

@Jason Ferris, I've thought of that idea too, but I don't recall seeing any in-app purchase that didn't just add features to the iOS version at hand. Maybe the in-app purchase could just generate a license for the desktop version that you would use after downloading that? I'm not so sure. I also am not aware of any connections like this between the Mac App Store and the iOS store.

Apple should just make it easy for developers to offer bundles, instead of trying to dream up clunky workarounds.

spandata

@hawkmoth -- Pricing aside, unless I am totally blinded by the obvious, any Apple app can be built with the ability to facilitate in-app purchases of tokens of one sort or another. Even so, that may not be required if AgileBits simply provided an iOS build that is specifically for "secondary" users. To gain functionality on the otherwise useless iOS app, a secondary user would simply supply the original purchaser's email address - directly within the app. This allows Apple to cross-reference the request back to the purchaser. Once the original purchaser has approved the activation for the secondary user/device, an AgileBits database handles the debit process (reducing the licenses available by one) and automatically sending a unique Activation Code to whatever email address was supplied by the secondary user - which may be the original purchaser. As long as Apple gets their slice of the original Family+ license purchase, the Secondary Users are simply treated like any other freely downloadable app.

hawkmoth

@spandata, you have a much better command of this than I do. I was only offering my own observations from my own experience.

Jasper

@spandata I'm not sure I completely understand your idea, but it's important to keep 11.1 from the App Store Review Guidelines in mind:

11.1 Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected

From my understanding, the only way to enable any functionality in an iOS app is through an in-app purchase.

hawkmoth

It's too bad Apple won't implement an option to bundle software, even within its own ecosystem. I would naively think they could do so between the iOS App Store and the Mac App Store. And I would observe that if they could, they should.

spandata

Agreed, hawkmoth. Multi-seat licensing is a glaring omission within the App Store. And, frankly, 11.1 is like Marie Antoinette insisting that the "cake" must only be sold by the slice. I'd like to buy a whole cake and give whomever I wish a slice.

hawkmoth

Maybe family sharing, which is supposed to come with Yosemite will help to some degree.