Benefits of running 1password mini and the extension
Hello,
I am a heavy 1 password user, and I was wondering if there is a reason to run the 1password mini and the extension in the browser. Is it redundant or is there extra benefits?
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Hi @1PassswordUser,
1Password mini and what you see when you use the browser extension is the exact same thing. 1Password mini's UI is the front end to the browser extensions.
The browser extension itself is required to integrate with the browser, to look at the site's source code and allow for the auto-filling to work, in addition to submitting the form, and detecting Login forms to save data for new Login items.
I hope that helps, please let us know if you have any other questions!
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However, you don't need to show the 1PW Mini icon in the menu bar.
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danco is correct, you can remove the icon from your menu bar if you wish using the preferences available in the General tab of 1Password's preferences.
As JasperP has stated, you need 1Password mini running for the browser extension, also 1Password mini is what allows the extra security options regarding locking your vault as 1Password mini is what tracks the timers for you.
If you're happy cmd tabbing between 1Password and your browser and copying and pasting then you don't need 1Password mini but if you are a heavy user it can help streamline logging in.
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I am sorry I am still confused about the difference between the 2 since they look and perform exactly the same. I used to run the 1password extension in browsers before the Mini was introduced. I thought the mini was to be more universal over all applications, and I will not have to install a separate extension for each browser.
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Hi @1PassswordUser,
When you want to auto-fill your login into a website:
- You click the browser extension icon or the 1Password icon in the OS X menu bar, and 1Password mini appears.
- 1Password mini knows what webpage you're currently on because the browser extension tells it.
- You click the login in 1Password mini to fill it into the current webpage.
- 1Password mini sends the login data to the browser extension.
- The browser extension fills the login into the webpage.
The browser extension and 1Password mini communicate with each other to auto-fill your login into the webpage. Both are required for the filling to work.
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Here's a situation where 1PW mini works and the extension doesn't.
If I use the App Store program there won't be an extension (as those only apply to browsers). But when asked for my Apple ID password, I go to Mini and copy the password. Yes, this could be done in the main program, but the mini window will just close itself after use.
And this situation holds for any non-browser applications that require passwords.
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Hi @1PassswordUser Do those additional posts help in your understanding?
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I guess. I did disable the plug-in in Firefox and the Mini didn't know which website I was on. I guess the extension works like a middle man between the browser and the Mini.
So it is best to install and keep both running.
out of curiosity , what happens if I keep the extension but disable 1Password mini?
thanks a lot for the help
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I guess the extension works like a middle man between the browser and the Mini.
That's pretty much it.
1Password mini is the brains of the operation. It does all the computational work, both for the main app and the extension. The reason we need the browser extension is that the mini doesn't have any authority to fill details in on webpages. Because the browser extension is integrated directly with the browser, it has the power to do the actual filling.
out of curiosity , what happens if I keep the extension but disable 1Password mini?
Now, you can't disable 1Password mini altogether (again, because does all the hard work.) It will always be running when you have the main app open. But you can hide it in the menu bar so that it just does its thing invisibly behind the scenes, and you can interact only with the browser extension. This will be similar to the behaviour of 1Password 3. To hide mini, head over to Preferences > General, and uncheck the 'Show mini app icon in menu bar'.
Mini is handy to keep around though. For example, if you need to log into your iTunes account or any other non-browser application that requires a username and password. You can use ⌘⌥\ ( Command-Option- \ ) to open mini, and use the anchor icon when viewing an item's details to 'pin' the window to your screen for easy copy-pasting. This is one reason that we suggest you select the option to ‘Always keep 1Password mini running’ - you'll have access to your 1Password data, even if the main app isn't open.
I hope this helps, we're here if you have further questions though!
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thanks for the shortcut tips
this has been very helpful
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Happy to help! We're here if you have any further questions or concerns. :)
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