Clipboard isn't automatically cleared [Solution: Leave 1Password open in multitasking]

NeoMoore

I have set the 1Password security settings so that any field copied from the 1Password app to the clipboard should be cleared after 60 seconds. But if I close the 1Password app after a field has been copied and before 60 seconds has passed, then the clipboard is not automatically cleared, ever. Someone might say, duh! Because how could the 1Password app clear the clipboard after 60 seconds if it's not even running at that point in time. But I think this behaviour is very dangerous, because an important password might be lingering in the clipboard for who knows how long.

The way the 1Password app should work, is that if the user has activated the automatic clearing of the clipboard in the 1Password settings, then the app should clear the clipboard also when the app gets closed.

chrisdj

Hi @NeoMoore‌,

The 1Password app should be able to clear the clipboard from the background if it is simply closed. If you remove it from multitasking, that will kill the process and it can't clear the clipboard, then.

Can you confirm whether you are removing it from multitasking or not?

NeoMoore

Yes, I'm removing it from the multitasking. I Double-click the iPhone home button and swipe the 1Password app out of the screen.

chrisdj

@NeoMoore‌, If you stop doing that, then the clipboard will clear in 60 seconds. ;)

NeoMoore

@chrisdj, I know, but I'm in the habit of closing apps when I don't use them any more. It's in my muscle memory. So, this thing is an accident waiting to happen.

Is there some technical problem with running a piece of code when the user completely shuts down the app?

chrisdj

Hi @NeoMoore‌,

If you shut an app all the way down, that app has no choice but to stop running all of its code. iOS kills the entire process. So, in this instance, if you close 1Password in this way, we have no way to run our clipboard clearing script. There is no workaround for it, except to leave 1Password in the background. As for running something when you shut us down in multitasking, we get a fraction of a second to terminate. We just don't have the time to execute the script with all the other things we have to do in that split second.

NeoMoore

@chrisdj, Then I'm a bit disappointed in the way Apple has designed its iOS. Obviously this won't be so much of a problem with iOS 8, when apps can have extensions and we don't have to copy-paste fields all that often. But I still think that something should be done about this matter. One thing you could do is to provide even smaller durations for the auto-clipboard-clearing. Currently the shortest option is 30 seconds. You could put 20 sec and 10 sec options in there as well.

Another thing you could, and I think you definitely should, do is to put a warning in the text that's under the "Clear Clipboard" option in the settings. Currently that text reads "Any field copied from 1Password can be automatically cleared from your clipboard after a set period of time". In that info text you should include also a warning of the fact that the clipboard won't be cleared if the app is shut down before the time period has passed since the time of the copying.

I know a little bit about software and programming, so the fact that it was not clear to me that this is in fact how the clipboard clearing feature works tells me that it's not clear to a lot of people.

chrisdj

@NeoMoore‌, We'll take that into consideration! I will say that we settled on 30 seconds as the lowest since we often found that anything less was not always enough time to accomplish the switch app and paste task. We have to strike a balance for many many people.

For now, I recommend waiting a moment before you terminate 1Password's process so it can clear the clipboard, now that you know how it works.

Russel

Hello

I have read this entire thread. Even if I leave 1password running for the 30 seconds or whatever I have the setting at, my clipboard is not being cleared. I can log into my bank and paste the password in no problem. I'm not even sure how to clear my clipboard using the iOS. I tried powering my iPod Touch down and restarting but the password is still in the clipboard somehow. I can open up my bank app and paste it in. Weird.

Russel

Hi there

I'm using 1password 5.1.1 and iOS 8.1 on a fifth generation iPod Touch.

I have read the posts regarding this topic but nothing stated has been able to help me. I realize that 1password needs to be running in order for the clipboard contents to get cleared.

If I leave 1password running for the 30 seconds (or any amount of time) in the foreground or background my clipboard is not being cleared. I can log into my bank app and paste the password in no problem. I'm not even sure how to clear my clipboard using iOS. I tried powering my iPod Touch down and restarting but the password is still in the clipboard. So the only way I can clear my clipboard is by copying something else onto it.

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

chrisdj

@Russel‌ I just set Clear clipboard to 30 seconds and copied a username (using 5.1.1 for iOS), and pasted it into Notes. Then I waited about 45 seconds and tried pasting again, and could not. The option to paste just wasn't available on the popover.

I just want to make sure you are copying from 1Password when you experience this. If you are copying from anywhere else, 1Password won't clear it out. Essentially, when you copy an item in 1Password, it starts a timer to then clear the clipboard.

Russel

Working now.

I'm not sure what I was doing wrong but it's now working properly. Thanks for your response tho. Sorry for your trouble. Peace.

Ben

Thanks for the update @Russel‌. Glad to hear it works now.