Apple watch only shows one-time password and not regular password [improved in 7.2.2]

ctgreybeard

I added Dropbox to my Apple watch and it shows OK but only the one-time password is showing, as Dropbox requires the "regular" password first then the generated password I still have to use the phone to log in.

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1Password Version: 6.5
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: 10.2.1, 3.1
Sync Type: Not Provided
Referrer: forum-search:dropbox password

AGAlumB

@ctgreybeard: Correct. I'm sorry for the confusion! 1Password for Apple Watch only shows the TOTP code if it is present, or the username/password if it is not, since it isn't possible to actually login to anything directly on a watch. Let me know if you have any questions!

Ma1k

@brenty > ...since it isn't possible to actually login to anything directly on a watch...
What?! Then what's the purpose of an Apple Watch App?

I need to know both, username + password and the one time password.
Thats also why it's called two-factor authentication. It makes just no sense to show only one factor of the login credentials.

AGAlumB

@brenty > ...since it isn't possible to actually login to anything directly on a watch... What?! Then what's the purpose of an Apple Watch App?

@Ma1k: Well...I'm not completely sure how to respond. Since there is no Safari on watchOS (yet? I'm surprised to see that there are any browsers there at all), 1Password for Apple Watch is meant as a way to have some items in your vault(s) available on your wrist, for cases where you don't have or need to grab a bigger device, rather than a way to login to websites on the device itself. Since the watch is always on me (har har), I use it for things like account PINs, access codes, and combinations primarily.

I need to know both, username + password and the one time password. Thats also why it's called two-factor authentication. It makes just no sense to show only one factor of the login credentials.

I understand what you mean, but I think this is sort of a matter of perspective. Certainly we'll take your feedback and others into consideration as we continue to improve 1Password for Apple Watch, but I did want to give you a better sense of why it's designed this way currently.

With many of my TOTP-enabled logins, I often only need to enter the code so I find it's convenient to simply refer to my watch for that, rather than grabbing another device to use the "full" 1Password. And since TOTP is meant as a second factor, having only the TOTP code available on the watch allows me to effectively use the watch as the second factor. I like that only the TOTP code is stored on my watch in these cases, so that I don't have to worry about someone getting my username and password as well if it's lost or stolen (probably only a matter of time).

That said, we appreciate that you and others would like it to work differently, so we really appreciate the feedback on this. Perhaps we can make it more flexible to accommodate you in the future. :)

hughes7283

I also think it needs the option to show both. I've been wishing for that since I got my watch.

I would love for it to also have a complication to access it quicker. The dock sure did make accessing the 1Password app a lot easier, but some people use it enough to have it as a complication. If security is what you all are worried about then force the user to put a pin on the app on the Watch.

I use the Watch app more than the phone app and wish it could show me all of my info I need and I could access it very quickly. Understandably it won't be as pretty as the phone app, but it's way more convenient than always having to pull out my phone.

AGAlumB

I also think it needs the option to show both. I've been wishing for that since I got my watch.

@hughes7283: Thanks for letting us know!

I would love for it to also have a complication to access it quicker. The dock sure did make accessing the 1Password app a lot easier, but some people use it enough to have it as a complication. If security is what you all are worried about then force the user to put a pin on the app on the Watch.

Well, I'll be... It never even occurred to me since I've been using the Dock so much with watchOS 3, but a Complication might be useful. At first when you said "Complication" I was thinking "Glance", but those are long gone. Also, I don't think it helps that all of my Complication "slots" are spoken for currently, but I can see how others might not be in the same boat. ;)

I use the Watch app more than the phone app and wish it could show me all of my info I need and I could access it very quickly. Understandably it won't be as pretty as the phone app, but it's way more convenient than always having to pull out my phone.

Really?! That's awesome! I get the impression that 1Password for Apple Watch gets much less use than 1Password for iOS in general, so it's really good to hear from a heavy watch user! We don't have anything new and exciting there right now, but maybe you'd be interested in joining the 1Password for iOS beta (which of course will include future improvements to the watch app). This thread is specifically about Login/TOTP, but if you have any other suggestions or feedback for the watch app, please start a new discussion to share with us! :chuffed:

scifitechguy

Let me second this request to show BOTH the password and the TOTP code on the Apple Watch. The TOTP code watch display is nice, but I really don't need to see the site icon displayed. I would much rather have that space display the site password with the TOTP below. The use case is for easy access to account information when not using one's main computer. For example, I frequently log into secure sites from my work computer where I don't have one password installed, so having quick access to the full set of credential factors needed for login would be very useful!

AGAlumB

@scifitechguy: Thanks for letting us know! Personally, I use the iOS app for logging into websites since it generally saves me the trouble of manually typing the credentials — and the watch really relies on the phone being around anyway. But there are certainly cases when it could be useful to have more information on the watch. We're looking to add more flexibility overall. Cheers! :)

ezaritov

I believe that current implementation is actually a proper one. Typing long passwords into your computer while peeking into your watch is not convenient - the watch screen is going to shut off before I finish entering the password. The whole scenario just does not work right. Having TOTP on screen is at least logical and can be used practically - though, it's really needed if I'm logging in on a computer I do not own. Otherwise, I'd use 1Password browser extensions to fill in the password and other data (though, filling in TOTP experience is not great here - see related post https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/77702/usability-simplify-filing-in-one-time-password#latest )

AGAlumB

@ezaritov: That's a really good point about the watch screen shutoff. That always gets me, but I don't want to use the longer timer as it would really hurt my battery life. I do still think we can do better here though, so we'll see what we can come up with. :)

jhollington

Interesting discussion... and I totally agree that trying to transcribe a password from the Apple Watch screen is cumbersome at best... You're either dealing with the screen shutting off of you're pecking in your password with one hand while holding the watch up at eye level.

In my case, I've been happy with the TOTP-only implementation for the most part simply because I use passwords I know/remember for most TOTP sites that I log into semi-regularly, such that in those cases I really only need/want the TOTP anyway. To me, the whole point of TOTP is that I don't need to have a super-complex, randomly generated password that I change every month.

The main advantage for me to having both on the iPhone is to avoid having to type out a long and complex password on the small touchscreen keyboard. If I'm relying on the Watch, it's usually because I'm sitting in front of a computer with a real keyboard, and since I know the password anyway, it's really only the TOTP I need.

AGAlumB

@jhollington: Thanks for chiming in! Those are really good examples. I generally have my iPhone with me if I have my watch, but I suppose that could change if Apple releases a new one that's more self-sufficient. WWDC is right around the corner. I doubt we'll see new hardware then, but we'll have to see how things develop. Cheers! :)

jhollington

@brenty Yeah, that's the same here obviously as well, which is another reason why I rarely use 1Password on my Watch, to be honest, and it's really just more useful for OTPs than anything else.

While I've got your attention, however, perhaps you can answer one thing I've been having trouble finding a clear answer to.... Do 1Password.com subscription accounts now work with the Apple Watch? I know that hasn't been the case in the past, and the only definitive answer I've been able to find was a post from December that said you folks were still working on it. That's one of the big things that has kept me from pulling the trigger on moving from my legacy 1Password setup to a subscription account.

Drew_AG

Hi @jhollington,

Do 1Password.com subscription accounts now work with the Apple Watch?

They sure do! In late 2016 (probably not long after the post you found), we updated 1Password for iOS with a re-written Apple Watch app, and that included the ability to add items to your Apple Watch from any vault, including 1Password.com account vaults.

Hopefully that gives you the reason you need to pull the trigger on signing up for an account! :)

ziggie216

Looks like someone got to this question before I did since I'm been very confused about the purpose of the Watch app. I probably have not memorized all of my passwords and I don't think I can because of 1P. I rarely save my password in any web login field. In those case, I would still have to pull out my phone to look at the password if I'm logging on with a computer (laptop / desktop) and I don't have 1P installed (for example, using someone else's computer). Having both TOTP and password on the Watch would been a lot useful. Yes the Watch does not have Safari browser, but at least give us the option to view the password.

Ben

Thanks for the feedback, @ziggie216!

Ben

warr

I have a login set to show up on the Apple Watch. When I launch 1p on the watch and select the login, it only shows the one time password keys. Is there a way to also have it show, or only show, the login password? another login works great, but it doesn't have a OTP.

I also noticed that the watch app doesn't show other fields. i have another login that has a PIN I obscure as a 4char password in addition to the site password. that seems expected, but it'd be nice to scroll through pw fields.

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1Password Version: 6.8
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: watchOS 3.2.3
Sync Type: dropbox

AGAlumB

@warr: Thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry for the confusion! I've merged your post with a thread on this same topic. As mentioned previously, 1Password for Apple Watch only shows the TOTP code if it is present, or the username/password if it is not, since it isn't possible to actually login to anything directly on a watch. Cheers! :)

warr

thanks @brenty i didn't see it explicitly stated in that page as clearly as you did just now. alas. maybe i can move my OTP… cheers

AGAlumB

I know some folks create a separate Login item for their Apple Watch with only the TOTP code especially when they use it many times per day. I only have to use it occasionally for accounts. We may be able to offer some more flexibility for Apple Watch in the future. Cheers! :)

acdha

Just wanted to voice support for this. 99% of the time I want to see the OTP but today I’m getting a phone replaced and it’d be nice to have the option to display the password too, just in case, especially because long passphrases aren’t that hard to read off of a watch display.

AGAlumB

Thanks for letting us know! It sounds like your vision is better than mine if you can read the passwords, but it's something we're considering making optional in a future version. ;)

griffbrad

I'd also appreciate having the ability to see both the password and the OTP on the Watch. With the Series 3 and LTE out now, I have a handful of important 1Password accounts on my watch just in case I need to login while away from my phone and laptop. Obviously, I wouldn't be logging in on the Watch directly -- just referring to the necessary info there.

AGAlumB

@griffbrad: That's a great point! Thank you for bringing that up, now that "standalone" Apple Watches are out in the wild. :)

ref: OPI-2660

oldino

I have added OTP to an account just to test this feature in 1password (I have only discovered it today) and I was shocked when on my watch I only had the OTP left instead of the standard password.
Since I use similar passwords and logins for sites, where maybe a number or a letter changes, it would be very easy to have a quick look on username and password together with OTP on my watch. Using digital crown to switch between the 2 would be perfect (an option to choose what to show by default, maybe based on account, would be just perfect in my opinion).

rudy

@oldino,

Thanks for the feedback.

Rudy

chazzunokuthunuchtec

I add my vote to requests for the option to show the username, password, and OTP and optionally other security questions or other fields; or to be able to customize it to show only the OTP. I have iPhone X and iPad and Apple Watch series 3 with LTE, and I will nearly always use iPhone or iPad (iOS) when able, but some times it's nice to have it on the watch.

I see that you don't include it because the Apple Watch does not have Safari nor the ability to login directly. But, if on a strange computer and don't have the iPhone (rare) it would be nice to at least have the option.

I see that there is a desire for the watch to only act as the 2nd factor. But because 1Password is secure and has both factors (all info) on macOS and iOS it would be good to have the option on the watch (or not to).

That said, I submit I will typically always use 1Password for iOS when on strange computers, purely for the convenience (readability on a better or larger screen, and to be able to use two hands without the watch screen sleeping). Though I will nearly always use iPhone or iPad there may be times when I will have only my watch with me (shudder to think I forget my iOS device, but it happens) when on a strange computer.

AGAlumB

@chazzunokuthunuchtec: I can't recommend logging into accounts on strange computers, but I agree it would be better to have more flexibility here, especially as newer models of Apple Watch become more powerful and capable on their own. Thanks for your feedback on this! :)

TheDave

I have to say, I'm still confused as to when/how the Apple Watch app itself is useful. I thought I might put a bit of critical information on my watch to help me out if my phone dies or is stolen while I'm traveling. A few things that might be useful:

My 1Password account. This seems like the #1 thing I will need because I can get everything else I need from here. Apple Watch only shows my username and password, no secret key. #fail. (No URL either, but I'll remember it, so probably not a big deal).

My FastMail email account. I get only a TOTP code, but no URL, username or password. #fail. Again, I'll manage the URL and username, but I need both the password and the TOTP code to login.

On this topic, why do I mention needing the URL? Well, someone in my life was traveling and used Google to find FastMail, then ended up entering his credentials on the wrong site. I can imagine making the same mistake with services I use less frequently, and you could make this mistake too. Don't believe me? Quick, without a search engine, your flight was just rebooked and you need to login to get some details, what is the URL for the airline Jet Time?

Maybe I'll try iCloud so that I can access my address book? I have my username and password, but unfortunately I use two-factor authentication which sends a popup or text to the phone I don't have. I know, I'll use my security questions! Sadly, I use randomly generated secure answers since security questions are inherently insecure. And they're not on the Apple Watch either, so #fail again.

My Passport details. #success all the needed details are here!!!

Ultimately I don't see how the 1Password app is ever really useful for those of us who use unique passwords for each site and also use TOTP. Even for day-to-date use, I'm just not seeing how/where this app solves any problem other than for very basic sites that only use a basic username/password.

As for a solution, is there a technical reason you can't just show the entire 1Password record for all of the normal data fields? I don't think we need the metadata (tags, dates, web form details, password history), but pretty much all of the rest seems like it would be very useful to have.

schmots

Adding my support for hoping for the ability to switch between one-time-passwords, and username/password on entries that have both. Other than that I love 1password, I have used it for years, and I recommend it to everyone.

AGAlumB

@schmots: Thanks for letting us know, and for the kind words! We're always considering ways to make the app more useful to everyone. :)