1Password v8.10.4 inconsistent with unlocking using Apple Watch

Thorz

I'm sorry that the update to macOS and watchOS didn't resolve the issue. I would recommend following up with our support team over email if you do have any other questions since they'll be in the best position in assist as they have access to your diagnostics report. To prevent having the same conversation in two places at once I'm closing this thread.

-Dave

ref: JFU-86891-384

Hello
I updated today to macOS Ventura v13.4 and watchOS v9.5 which after Apple's release notes supposedly addressed problems with the Apple Watch integration in macOS. Sadly 1Password continues to work unreliably at using the AW for unlocking. One minute the 1P app doesn't unlock with the watch and the next one the unlocking function works just fine. Other apps work without any problem using the Apple Watch to unlock access.

Thanks Thorz, I can confirm we've received your email. We'll take a look and reply to you there as soon as possible. 🙂

ref: JFU-86891-384

1P_Dave

Here's the support number:
[#JFU-86891-384]

Thank you.

Thorz

Thank you for the reply. To clarify, turning on "Log out automatically after inactivity" was just a way to trigger a macOS system prompt so that we could see if your Apple Watch still worked with that. If your Apple Watch didn't work with the macOS system prompt then it would tell us that the issue affects all of macOS and not just 1Password. I wasn't suggesting using "Log out automatically after inactivity" as a workaround or solution for the issue.

Since you are able to use your Apple Watch to authenticate the macOS system prompt we'll need to dig deeper to see what might be going wrong with the unlock process on the 1Password side of things. I'd like to ask you to reproduce the issue one more time and then create a diagnostics report from your Mac:

Sending Diagnostics Reports (Mac)

Attach the diagnostics to an email message addressed to support+forum@1password.com.

With your email please include:

• A link to this thread: https://1password.community/discussion/comment/685809/#Comment_685809
• Your forum username: Thorz
• Please do not post your diagnostic report to the forum. This is for your privacy and security.

The report will be in zip format. Please send the entire file.

You should receive an automated reply from our BitBot assistant with a Support ID number. Please post that number here. Thanks very much!

-Dave

1P_Dave

I have tried what you suggested. Here are my notes about this:

1. Turning on "Log out automatically after inactivity" after 1P didn't let me use the Apple Watch for unlocking indeed worked to fix the issue, but only 1 time. It looks like when macOS ask for authentication with the Apple Watch after enabling this option under advanced security settings, the issue with 1P not unlocking gets corrected and the 1P app can now access Apple Watch for unlocking. There are some important things to point out about this:
2. This process of enabling "Log out automatically after inactivity" to force recognition of the Apple Watch for authentication can only be used one time per login session. Once you have done this 1 time the next time you try to do this you don't get an Apple Watch authentication prompt anymore from the macOS settings. This happens because you have already approved this setting one time with your Apple Watch during your current login session. The switch can now be toggled on or off without needing extra authentication from Apple Watch. If you want to be asked again for Apple Watch authentication you have to log out and log in again. I have not tried locking and unlocking the macOS or waiting a long period of time to see if this setting asks again for AW authentication.
3. I have found another way to enable the 1P app to use Apple Watch for unlocking if it has lost the ability to do it. This way can be used to correct the issue several times under the same login session:

a. Click on the  in the menu bar.
b. Click System Settings.
c. Click Touch ID & Password
d. Under Apple Watch: Use Apple Watch to unlock your applications and your Mac: Disable the toggle for your Apple Watch. Then wait some seconds.
e. Enable again the toggle for your Apple Watch. You will see a brief "syncing" message under your Apple Watch name.

After doing this the 1P app will let you again use Apple Watch for unlocking.

I have to say that this process is far from perfect. Apple Watch unlocking works as expected on all macOS settings without the need for any of these cumbersome workarounds.

Unlocking with Apple Watch is the only thing that made a bit more bearable the lacking of a master password or biometric reprompt (double verification) for eligible items in 1P, a feature offered by all the other big password managers out there. Because it was so easy and convenient to unlock 1P with Apple Watch I could reduce the time the 1P app auto-locks to 2 minutes after the computer is idle to keep the most important items in my vault away from prying eyes. The fact that the integration between 1P and Apple Watch is so inconsistent today is extremely frustrating.

Thorz

Thank you for the additional details. Let me know the result of the troubleshooting test that I described above and we can go from there. 🙂

-Dave

1P_Dave

are you being asked for your account password more often than every 2 weeks?
Yes indeed. It happens almost every day, but it is inconsistent as I have written before. During the same day, there are times when I can unlock 1P completely fine with the Apple Watch but after some minutes/hours I don't get the option to unlock the app with the AW. Auto-lock on the app settings is set to 2 minutes if that information helps in any way.

As a temporary troubleshooting step, turn on "Log out automatically after inactivity".
I will try this later today the next time 1P doesn't show me the AW icon to unlock the app and will report back on this thread.

Some more info that I can add is that my Mac is configured to lock itself down and ask for authentication after 4 minutes of inactivity, 1 minute after the screen saver activates.

Thank you for your assistance.

Thorz

Thank you for the reply. Just to confirm: are you being asked for your account password more often than every 2 weeks? The time frame isn't quite clear in your original description of the issue.

I have noticed that this happens especially after my Macbook Pro has been asleep for some time.

This sounds similar to an issue with macOS that our developers are working with Apple to resolve. The next time that you're unable to unlock 1Password using your Apple Watch after waking your Macbook from sleep can you please try the following test:

1. Click on the  in the menu bar.
2. Click System Settings.
3. Click Privacy & Security.
4. Click Advanced.
5. As a temporary troubleshooting step, turn on "Log out automatically after inactivity".
6. You'll now see a macOS system prompt asking you to confirm the action. You should receive a double-tap notification on your Apple Watch.

Are you able to use the Apple Watch to authenticate the macOS system prompt? Once this test is complete you can turn off "Log out automatically after inactivity" if you wish.

-Dave

ref: dev/core/core#18393

1P_Dave

It's set to "Every 2 weeks"

Thank you