Need help with iOS and Mac backup

gumbymac1

I may have a rather unique situation and I'm hoping someone can help me out. My wife and I used to both have iPhones. We both had 1Password installed and we used the desktop version for Mac (ver. 3.8.22). I switched to LastPass when I went to Android because at the time, there was only a Reader app for Android. My wife has continued to use 1Password on her iPhone but just bought a new iPhone 6 this week. I want to try switching back to iOS and use her old iPhone but I can't export her 1Password database to Dropbox so I can import it onto her new phone. It asks for the Master Password on her old phone and neither of us can remember it. When I launch 1Password on the Mac, the Master Password I remember DOES work but there are many entries that are on her iPhone that aren't in the Mac app so it doesn't look like she's synced in awhile. When I open the preferences on the Mac app, there is no WiFi option. We used to sync that way, but I've since reinstalled all the software and maybe the version of 1Password I'm using doesn't have that option?

I know Master Passwords can't be reset, the vault has to be destroyed, but I'm wondering if I'm overlooking something. Could she have changed the master password on just her iPhone app?

littlebobbytables

Hi @gumbymac1,

It is possible to change the Master Password from any copy of 1Password, be it on an iOS device or Mac and that does apply from version 3 and up.

Now in 1Password 3 for iOS (AKA 1Password for iPhone or 1Password Pro) it was possible to set up a PIN as well as a Master Password. Is it your wife has no access to 1Password 3 for iOS or is it just the Master Password that she has forgotten?

If it's just the Master Password then we can recover the contents of the vault.

For ease I would recommend the following.

1. Create a new OS X user account. Don't log into Dropbox as it's easier if there isn't a visible .agilekeychain.
2. Launch 1Password 3 for Mac and create a new vault when requested. Don't forget this Master Password.
3. Unlock 1Password 3 for iOS on the old iPhone (assuming the 4 digit PIN is remembered).
4. Go to More > Settings > Sync > Wi-Fi in 1Password 3 for iOS and if it isn't on turn it on.
5. If a window doesn't pop up on the Mac to enter the two secrets then close down 1Password for Mac and launch it again.
6. Enter the secrets.

Once it has synced you should have the contents of your iOS vault in the vault in this temporary OS X user account. The key part is you know the Master Password for this vault. You can find the .agilekeychain in ~/Library/Application Support/1Password/1Password.agilekeychain If you copy this .agilekeychain back to your (or your wife's) real OS X user account then you can use that to get 1Password for Mac.

Now are you still using 1Password 3 for Mac and are you hoping to sync that version with 1Password 5 for iOS? I ask because many things changed between versions 3 and 4. So 1Password 3 for Mac can only Wi-Fi sync with 1Password 3 for iOS for example or 1Password 4/5 for Mac with 1Password 4/5 for iOS. We could place this .agilekeychain in Dropbox and tell 1Password 3 for Mac and 1Password 5 for iOS to use it, I just want to make sure the instructions are for the right versions.

The first thing is to make sure the above steps work. I did test it before writing and it all worked but I just want to make sure you report success in creating a usable .agilekeychain first. Let us know how it goes and the versions and we'll take it from there :smile:

gumbymac1

Thanks for the rapid reply. I actually was able to do something very similar. I just thought my wife didn't know her master password for the iOS app. She did have it so I was able to do a wifi sync to the Mac app and get her data onto the computer so I could back it up. Now I can update my Mac app and transfer her data to her new phone. Thanks!

Ben

Excellent! Thanks for the update. :)