To "Family" or "Not to Family"

xiamenese

I have been happily using 1Password since v.3 in 2011. I want to set my wife up with it; she too has Mac accounts and iPhone and iPad. I am trying to decide whether to migrate onto 1Password for Families or to set her up with her own 1Password system.

For myself I like being able to keep up to date with the latest betas and to make single, one-off payments for major upgrades, like from v.5–v.6., and am wondering whether it would be more economical to do the same for my wife or to set up monthly payments for Families. For one person, given the rate of major upgrades, I think my present set-up is better, but it's perhaps moot for two people, coming down to how long it will be before it will be necessary to upgrade to a new 1Password 7. We are both pensioners and I am over 70, so "for life" is not the same inducement as it would be for someone decades younger.

So, do the advantages of 1Password for Families outweigh the advantages of more personal control, Dropbox sync'ing, and the ability to keep up with developments as they happen (for me), sufficiently to make the economics better? How is "Family" defined … any 5 people whether related or not, up to 5 people living in the same household, or what? And would I have to remove my current set up from my Macs and re-download from the Mac-App Store? Would I have to set up a new master password on migrating?

Thanks very much for any advice.

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1Password Version: 6.5b1
Extension Version: Safari, Google Chrome
OS Version: OS-X 10.11.5
Sync Type: Dropbox

nmott

Hi @xiamenese!

First I want to thank you for being such a loyal customer and for thinking about getting your wife set up with 1Password as well. It's people like you who help us keep the lights on -- and help make the web a safer and simpler place for people to enjoy without worry.

So, do the advantages of 1Password for Families outweigh the advantages of more personal control, Dropbox sync'ing, and the ability to keep up with developments as they happen (for me), sufficiently to make the economics better?

The good news is that you don't have to choose! You can create a vault outside of 1Password Families that you sync via Dropbox. You can also use the beta builds if you're using 1Password Families. The service doesn't replace what you're currently using; it improves it by making it easy to share with your family, offering access to the latest-and-greatest apps, and making your information available online.

How is "Family" defined … any 5 people whether related or not, up to 5 people living in the same household, or what?

Typically we like to think of a "family" as a group of people that belongs to the same family tree. But I would say that as long as you're using 1Password Families for personal use and not running a business -- which is what we made 1Password Teams for -- then you can invite whomever you'd like. We aren't going to be checking birth certificates or taking DNA samples to see if you're all related ;)

And would I have to remove my current set up from my Macs and re-download from the Mac-App Store?

Nope! You can sign in to the 1Password account you'll create when you give 1Password Families a shot right from your existing app.

Would I have to set up a new master password on migrating?

Absolutely not. In fact, we recommend using the same Master Password that you're already using. This will make it easier to remember your Master Password and wouldn't require you to try to remember which one you decided to use. The app is called 1Password -- we aren't going to ask you to remember two or more just because you want to use our new service!

I think that answers all of your questions. Please let me know if you're curious about anything else, and remember that you can use 1Password Families for free for 30 days to see if it suits your needs. 8-)

xiamenese

Thank you, indeed. The reason I asked about the definition of "Family" is we have a very good friend who I am continually having to rescue from IT snarl-ups—he is slightly dyslexic and I suspect visually dyslexic when it comes to computer UI—and one of the problems in sorting him out being that all his passwords are kept on little torn-up pieces of paper in a folder, and there is confusion between them. I have taken to keeping a record myself of any passwords of his I encounter while dealing with the snarl-ups. It would be a deal-maker for me if I could include him in the 1Password Family, as then the record of his passwords would be secure and on his Mac and iPod—he currently has some Windows phone, not an iPhone, which is yet another issue!

But I do have to come clean. The three of us have a not-for-profit, informative website with no revenue stream, and from which we receive no income. Clearly, a few of the passwords in question are the various admin passwords for that site. 1Password for Teams would be serious overkill, so I hope that having those admin passwords on a shared vault would not be going too far beyond the EULA for 1Password for Families.

I will await clarification from you before going ahead.

nmott

I can definitely see how that would be useful for your friend!

I wouldn't call that a business, I would call that a personal website. If I started a podcast with my wife I would want her to have access to any administrative accounts connected to it, but I wouldn't switch over to 1Password Teams, especially if there's no revenue stream. I think in this particular instance you're in the clear to use 1Password Families with your close friend and with a login for that website 8-)

xiamenese

Thank you very much. I will set about exploring 1Password Families as soon as I have a moment.

8-)

nmott

I'm glad to hear that! Do let us know if there's anything else we can help with :)