Syncing Mac with iPhone repeatedly asks for master password and does not complete sync

mfromille

I have followed the directions for syncing via wifi exactly. After entering the "secret" it requests "Enter your Master Password on Mollys iMac" so I enter it and hit "unlock" and that screen just pops up repeatedly and nothing happens.

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1Password Version: 5.4.1
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: wifi

mfromille

So now I have attempted to do this over dropbox as well... I successfully got the vault synced with dropbox from my computer. I followed the steps on my iPhone to sync with dropbox (which are NOT the same as the steps in your instructions which makes it confusing). And after "choosing a vault" a blank screen that says "dropbox" at the top but never loads anything after waiting for several minutes multiple times.

AGAlumB

(which are NOT the same as the steps in your instructions which makes it confusing)

@mfromille: Sorry for the confusion! This can actually vary based on your Dropbox setup, but if you have suggestions on how we might make it more understandable (and the specific guide you're referring to), please let me know and I'll be happy to update the guide! Also, in some cases the Dropbox app itself can cause issues (since 1Password will try to handoff to it to authenticate you).

It sounds like your copy of 1Password may simply be damaged, as both Dropbox and Wi-Fi Sync definitely work. Can you tell me a bit more about your setup? You mentioned the 1Password for iOS version, but not the iOS version or the OS and 1Password versions on the computer your'e trying to sync with. Please let me know what you're working with. You seem to be running an outdated version of 1Password too, and that certainly won't be of any help either.

Also, do you have all of your 1Password data on another device, or backed up anywhere? If not, be sure to back it up! Let me know what you find. I look forward to hearing back from you! :)

mfromille

I purchased the product on my computer July 22, order number ch_6eaOlmSLyEucXj. I used the link in the email sent to me by agile bits to download it on both my computer and my phone. I don't think the version on the computer is the problem because it seems to work fine and I had no problem getting my vault into dropbox. I use dropbox regularly with coworkers and clients so I also don't think my dropbox has an issue. It seems to be the phone application that is the problem, because it gets to a critical point and then just freezes or asks the same question over and over. I work from my phone a lot so it is a real problem that I can't access anything from there obviously.

My computer is OS X Yosemite version 10.10.5
My phone is an iPhone 6 with iOS 9.1
As mentioned, the computer version is 1Password 5 version 5.4.1 (I have done every update that popped up)
I just updated my phone version to 6.1.1

After updating my phone version it allows me to go a littler further to where is asks me to "please unlock your 1Password data in Dropbox to continue" and asks for a Vault password. When I type in my vault password (that is working just fine on my computer) it keeps saying "incorrect password."

I also retried with the WiFi sync and it still gets to the point where it asks for my vault password and then when I type it in, the same question pops up over and over again. It doesn't say it is wrong, but it just will not go past that step.

Is the vault password my phone is asking for something different than the vault password I use on my computer? I have tried typing it so many times I know I'm not just making a typo...

AGAlumB

It seems to be the phone application that is the problem, because it gets to a critical point and then just freezes or asks the same question over and over. I work from my phone a lot so it is a real problem that I can't access anything from there obviously.

@mfromille: That's what I was thinking. Delete the Dropbox app from your phone and try again. I've seen many cases where it was damaged, and then when 1Password tried to handoff to it for authentication, it gets stuck. Removing Dropbox completely will allow 1Password to connect to the Dropbox server itself to authenticate. Once you've set up sync, you can reinstall the Dropbox app.

After updating my phone version it allows me to go a littler further to where is asks me to "please unlock your 1Password data in Dropbox to continue" and asks for a Vault password. When I type in my vault password (that is working just fine on my computer) it keeps saying "incorrect password."

The other possibility is that you're opening one vault and using the Master Password of another. So definitely double-check the path to make sure it matches the one you're using on your computer exactly.

I also retried with the WiFi sync and it still gets to the point where it asks for my vault password and then when I type it in, the same question pops up over and over again. It doesn't say it is wrong, but it just will not go past that step.
Is the vault password my phone is asking for something different than the vault password I use on my computer? I have tried typing it so many times I know I'm not just making a typo...

Provided it's the same vault, the Master Password will be the same. Another possibility is that the 1Password app itself on your iPhone is damaged, since that's the other common element (for example, 1Password for Mac is not involved in the Dropbox Sync setup process for 1Password for iOS).

Since you didn't mention if you've got all of your data in 1Password for Mac, I'll say a gain to be sure to backup your 1Password for iOS data and then reinstall a fresh copy of the app from the App Store. Please let me know how it turns out! :)

mfromille

I deleted my phone Dropbox app, and deleted and reinstalled the 1Password app. Still having the same issue once it asks for the Master Password. I only have 1 vault, so as far as I know, there is only 1 master password.

I don't have any data in the phone app because so far I haven't been able to successfully open it! All my data in on my Mac.

At this point, I really wish I never purchased this product. Especially since it is impossible to get help on the phone and every time I get back to this thread it takes another day to get a response (not your fault I realize, but a definite negative for the customer service of your company).

littlebobbytables

Hi @mfromille,

AgileBits are open to the idea of telephone support but if it can't be done well and delivered in a way that appears responsive to the customer then it would only serve as another conduit of frustration. We have a dedicated team (somewhat) scattered over the globe and as our customers are quite dispersed we're talking about 24hr support 7 days a week with enough capacity so people don't suffer hideous wait times. Other companies might use a call centre where their staff simply follow step by step guides to troubleshoot basic stuff - the sort of stuff that may be covered by their pages online. I don't think that kind of support would be satisfactory for most user's expectations. That means telephone support isn't a trivial objective, at least my understanding anyway as both a member of the AgileBits team and as a user of 1Password myself.

Now, back to the issue at hand.

The first thing I would like to check on is if your Master Password strays at all from our recommended character selection, covered in Should I use special characters in my Master Password? The characters detailed there are known to behave no matter the platform while characters outside of that selection can be a possible cause of issue when trying to sync between different platforms. While OS X and iOS are both written by Apple that doesn't preclude the possibility that it can occur here.

Next, and bearing in mind what you learn from reviewing that page, I would like you to attempt to change your Master Password. If your current Master Password fits the guidelines then it might sound daft but I would like you to try changing it to exactly what it already is. All working properly such an action should result in no difference but if something isn't quite right on the Mac this might resolve it by performing a kind of reset. If your Master Password contains any characters that might be problematic I would like to recommend replacing them.

1. Launch 1Password for Mac and unlock your vault.
2. Use the menu option File > Backup to create a safety net. I like to always suggest that just in case.
3. With your Primary vault in focus, open 1Password's preferences and switch to the Security tab.
4. Use the Change Master Password button to 'change' your Master Password.
5. Attempt to try setting up Wi-Fi Sync again.

Your original experience with Wi-Fi Sync is what I get if I enter the incorrect Master Password and given your experiences with Dropbox it would seem very likely the two are related. If the above resolves the issue you should find a small number of animations before finding yourself on one of the standard 1Password for iOS screens with an accessible vault. Please do let us know if this helps at all or if we need to consider something else.