1Password using an old master password on iOS and the new password on Mac when synced through iCloud

JimmyZ

I have 1Password on my iPhone & Mac synced through iCloud. I changed my password for my iCloud account and everything on my iPhone that used iCloud stopped working except 1Password (I continued to get updates from my Mac even though it was saying my iCloud password was wrong). Everything on my Mac worked properly.

I contacted Apple support and they walked me through signing out of iCloud in every way I could. In-between I would try to use 1Password. At one point 1Password started showing my password hint from my previous password. At this point I wasn't properly signed into my iCloud account. After a couple more attempts I was able to get my iCloud account working with all my services on my iPhone. Then I tried to sign into 1Password...I got the password hint for my previous previous password (not my new one, not my last password, but the one before that). When I tried that version of the password....it worked.

So now at this point - both devices are syncing through iCloud (I tested adding a new item on both devices and confirmed it showed up on the other) but I sign in with different passwords. My Mac uses the current one and my iPhone uses my old old password. I also went into to settings on both devices and confirmed that it said it was syncing with iCloud with the time stamp.

This seems like a bug with the iCloud kit but its scary that the key chain is behaving this way.

Jimmy

rickfillion

Hi @JimmyZ,

Thanks for writing in. There's a known issue in 1Password for Mac 5.0 and 1Password for iOS 5.0/5.1, where if you update the Master Password on one device, it does not push that new password to iCloud, which means it doesn't get updated on other devices either. We've fixed this issue in Mac 5.1 and iOS 5.2.

In the mean time the workaround is to manually change the Master Password on each device. But this still doesn't update the version in iCloud.

What you'll want to do once you update to Mac 5.1 and iOS 5.2 is to update your Master Password once more. You can use the same password, but going through the process of updating your Master Password will then push it to iCloud.

I hope this helps.

Rick

eturnermd

I'm new to 1Password. A month or two ago, I downloaded the app, I think via my iPhone 6 (running iOS 8.3) from the iTunes store, and installed it. But all I did at that time was to open the app and give it a Master Password. I didn't get back to 1Password till just yesterday, and downloaded the desktop application (version 5.3.2) to my MacBook Pro (running Yosemite 10.10.3). When I opened that up for the first time, having forgotten I had assigned a Master Password on the iPhone version, I assigned the desktop version a whole new Master Password (a lot more secure one--used the Diceware method). When I went back to the iPhone app, it rejected the new Master Password but accepted the one I had given it a couple of months ago. Twice I deleted the app and reinstalled it, and got the message each time that it was syncing with iCloud, but it still rejects the Master Password that set up on the desktop and accepts only the old one from the earlier iPhone app set-up. Also, I thought it might still be syncing, but I see that the few logins 'remembered' on the desktop side are not being transferred to the iPhone side. So it seems like the left hand and the right hand claim to be talking to each other (via iCloud) but really aren't. Suggestions?

littlebobbytables

Hi @eturnermd,

The version of 1Password for Mac that you're running indicates to me that you're running our AgileBits Store version of 1Password for Mac. This is important in relation to iCloud Sync because of decisions Apple made when they released iCloud Drive, iOS 8 and Yosemite.

1Password 5 makes use of iCloud Drive, specifically CloudKit, an iCloud Drive framework for syncing. When Apple released iCloud Drive they decided to enforce a restriction where only apps or applications obtained via one of their stores can use these frameworks. Unfortunately it means our AgileBits Store version of 1Password for Mac is unable to support iCloud Sync.

This is why you're having such difficulties I'm afraid. If iCloud Sync is an important feature to you then you would need to purchase 1Password for Mac from Apple's Mac App Store. If you purchased 1Password for Mac from our AgileBits Store in the last 30 days we can refund you, freeing you up to switch stores. Now iCloud Sync is one of the sync options. There is also Dropbox, another cloud service that 1Password can use to sync. One of the benefits of Dropbox is its cross-platform support as well as support for secondary vaults, both weak in iCloud Sync. If I had to make a suggestion I would go with Dropbox.

Does that help at all? If you have any follow up questions please do ask :smile:

eturnermd

Thanks for your prompt response.

I had not yet paid for 1Password 5 from your store -- I was planning to demo it for a little while before making the purchase -- so no harm done.
If I do make the purchase (of 1Password for Mac) through the Mac App Store, should I first uninstall the demo version I downloaded from the AgileBits store before installing the new one? Or can I simply install the new one over it?

Second question: forgetting about price for a moment, and assuming one is using only Apple platforms, would you still suggest Dropbox sync over iCloud?

littlebobbytables

Hi @eturnermd,

1. You can certainly run the demo for a while and if you do decide that a) you like 1Password for Mac and you wish to continue with it (which we hope you do :wink:) but b) you do want iCloud Sync then that's not a problem. After you purchase 1Password for Mac from Apple's Mac App Store and download it from their App Store (that bit is important and sometimes people miss that) you would merely need to drag the AgileBits Store version to your Trash. Once you know the trick they're easy to distinguish. The AgileBits Store version is titled 1Password 5 while the Mac App Store version is titled 1Password. The first time you launch the Mac App Store version it will see that it hasn't been run before but that you have a vault from the AgileBits Store version. It will import it and all that is left is to set up the preferences as you like and reconfigure sync.
2. I find syncing is a really personal preference. For some that only want to use iCloud the suggestion of switching to Dropbox will result in a red mist descending. Me? I'm not a cloud person at all. I trust iCloud and Dropbox equally but I simply prefer to keep total control over all of my data. It is stored on my machines, my local backups and I sync using Wi-Fi. I'm the kind of person that started foaming at the mouth when Apple released Mavericks but forgot to mention that USB syncing of Contacts and calendars no longer worked between iTunes and your iOS devices. To me Dropbox has two advantages over iCloud. 1) you can share folders between Dropbox accounts. This allows you to share a secondary vault between people if that's something you would like to do. 2) Cross-platform support. Dropbox works on every platform and version of 1Password currently available today. iCloud sync is only between Apple devices. Those that prefer iCloud tend to present their case with the fact that they have to have the iCloud client installed anyway and they don't want the Dropbox client too or they have a personal objection to Dropbox.

Does that help at all? I realise I haven't given a black and white response to 2. So much of it really is preference that I don't feel there is a right or wrong way. I trust the two cloud services and most of the team here use Dropbox so security-wise etc. I have no issue with Dropbox. As you haven't purchased 1Password for Mac yet I'd say just go with preference :smile:

eturnermd

For me, part of the trial is seeing how syncing works between my iPhone and Mac. If I want to go with iCloud syncing, then I won't be able to sync my devices until after I've made the purchase through the Apple App Store. I gather than I can use Dropbox syncing or use the more cautious non-cloud approach using the demo. But if I do one of those two latter approaches, then later make the purchase of the version through the Apple App Store, can I then switch to iCloud syncing, or must I stick with my earlier commitment to the syncing method I selected during the demo period?

littlebobbytables

Hi @eturnermd,

You're certainly not committed to selecting one sync method at the start. You can try out Dropbox or Wi-Fi Sync now and then switch to iCloud Sync later if you wish. Now of the two, Dropbox will give you a much better idea of how syncing over a cloud service will be like. Of course if you find that Dropbox syncing works well maybe you won't want to switch to iCloud Sync.

All that we would recommend is that you don't regularly jump between different sync methods. The first time you set up sync 1Password has to treat the sync data and the local vault as having never synced before. So it treats everything with a bit more caution. After the first sync 1Password retains certain information to make syncing easier going forward. Each time you disable sync and then enable it again 1Password has to go through this cautious portion of the behaviour again. I just mention that to give you a good grounding on how it works as this is what some people do. Now trying Dropbox and then switching once to iCloud is fine, even if you then later switch back - we just advise against constant jumping between the options.

Did that help?

eturnermd

Yes, thanks. My only suggestion is that there be a warning (or a more obvious one, if there's one there already) to people downloading Password for Mac via the AgileBits store that they won't be able to sync with their devices using iCloud, which I bet the vast majority of Mac-plus-iPhone users use.

Drew_AG

Hi @eturnermd,

Thanks for the suggestion! We actually do mention that on the AgileBits Store, so it's something you would see before purchasing a license there.

If you have more questions about that or need anything else, just let us know - we're always happy to help! :)