Using 1password for you AppleID password

x2ky3KRw0mgny

Hello all!

I have begun to consider using 1password to fill my AppleID password. As of right now I just know the password in my head, but it is not secure enough for me since it is just a derivative of another password that I use on another account.

My question is what sort of problems might I run into when using 1password to fill my AppleID password? Will I have problems setting up Apple devices when I don't know the password and have to access the app to get it? To anyone who uses 1password to manage your AppleID I would greatly appreciate your feedback on this.

Thanks!

@khad

Jasper

Hi @x2ky3KRw0mgny,

It shouldn't be a problem, unless you rely on access to your Apple account to get your 1Password data from the cloud. Also keep in mind that when you need to enter it on iOS for iTunes purchases and such, there is no auto-fill and you will need to copy and paste. If you need to enter it a lot, this may (or may not) be a problem for you.

If you'd like to use a memorable password, that's not bad idea as long as it is secure. The same tips we suggest for creating a secure, memorable master password would apply: http://blog.agilebits.com/2011/06/21/toward-better-master-passwords/

Please let us know if you have any other questions. We're always happy to help! :)

fisherg

Hello,
I'm a new user to 1Password also.
The dilemma in facing is if for example I loose my iPhone and and/or Macbook now need my Apple ID to find and/or restore my iPhone. How can I do this without access to 1password if I store Apple ID in 1password.
I'm worried in this case I'll be forever locked out of my Apple id account?

Thank you.

Megan

Hi @fisherg,

There are some situations, such as the one you've just mentioned, where you might want to remember slightly more than just one password. For me, I remember my Dropbox password (because I store my 1Password data there) and my AppleID ... because Apple seems to ask for it a LOT and it's actually less trouble to just type it in than it is to head over to 1Password and copy and paste. For these passwords I use Diceware, which is explained in the Towards Better Master Passwords post that @JasperP linked to above. It's a method used to create passwords that are both easy to type ... and easy to remember.

We certainly don't want you to be locked out of your AppleID forever! :)

I hope this helps, but we're here if you have any further questions or concerns.

fisherg

Hello Megan,
That explains it very well.
Any way to recover 1Passwords from their backup on Dropbox? I seem to recall reading somewhere that there is a method to gain access to these passwords via their backup on Dropbox?

Thank you.

Megan

Hi @fisherg,

Before I get into directly answering your question, I'm going to pick a few nits here and define the difference between 'backups' and 'sync', because this sort of distinction might be useful to you in the future. :)

1Password for Mac creates automatic backups on daily basis, whenever your database has been changed, whether you have set up sync or not. The backups are essentially zipped copies of your database that we can restore to (using File > Restore) should anything go wonky with your database. The filenames look like this:

1Password 2013-09-23 13_33_42 (1 profiles, 171 items, 3 folders, 3 attachments).1p4_zip

They are stored in a default location within the Library folder of your hard drive.

1Password 5 for iOS will make a similar backup when you request it to in Settings > Advanced > Create Backup.

When you choose to sync your data, 1Password will make a copy of your vault data and stores it in the sync location. This data is in either .agilekeychain or .opvault format, depending on which sync service you use. (The location this data is stored also varies depending on whether you are using Dropbox, iCloud or Folder Sync).

This data file is updated whenever a change is made to your database to ensure that all your devices have access to the latest and greatest copy of of your data. In the event that your hard-drive crashed (heaven forbid) and you did not have access to the locally stored backups, we can still get your data back into 1Password by setting up sync to this existing datafile. While its primary purpose is getting your data to all your devices, the sync file does have the added benefit of acting as a secondary backup.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that there is a method to gain access to these passwords via their backup on Dropbox?

After all that backstory, you're essentially correct: if you choose to sync your data to Dropbox, you'll have a 1Password.agilekeychain file that you can access via the Dropbox website. Inside the 1Password.agilekeychain, there's a 1Password.html file. If you click this, you'll be taken to 1PasswordAnywhere, which gives you read-only access to your 1Password database even if you don't have 1Password installed on the computer that you are using.

I hope that this helps ... and that I haven't completely confused you with extra information here! :)

fisherg

This has been incredibly helpful!

One final last question. Is the data backed up in iCloud even if I don't set up iCloud sync?
By that I mean, for example, if I get a new iPhone, and restore the iCloud backup onto it, usually all the apps will be retrieved along with their individual settings and data, is this the case also with 1Password? Or is that only if iCloud sync is enabled?

Thank you.

Megan

Hi @fisherg,

An iCloud backup should include your 1Password data, unless you have disabled 1Password from the backup list in Settings. :)

Always happy to help - keep the questions coming!