1Password password manager: How it works with apps

If you’re like most people, you have dozens of passwords. It can be challenging to keep track of everything from your email account to your bank login. That’s where 1Password comes in.

1Password is a password manager that allows you to store all of your passwords in one place. As the name suggests, you only need to remember one password—the master password to your 1Password account. This makes accessing your passwords easier and more secure because the application generates strong passwords.

SEE: Best encryption software 2022 (TechRepublic)

This blog post will discuss how 1Password works with Android and iPhone apps.

The Password Problem

According to a study by Pew Research (Figure A), three-in-ten U.S. adults are online most of the day, while 48% are online several times a day.

While online, they invariably access dozens of websites and mobile apps ranging from social media to online banking. Unfortunately, most people resort to using the same password across several apps to avoid having to remember multiple passwords.

In fact, the majority of passwords are ridiculously simple and easy to hack. For example, successive studies by cybersecurity companies continue to reveal that the five most common passwords are “123456,” “123456789,” “12345,” “qwerty” and “password.”

This creates a major security problem because once a hacker obtains the password for one app or website, they can quickly access other accounts. This is why it’s critical to use different passwords for every app and website you visit—something that’s obviously easier said than done.

How Does 1Password Work?

1Password password manager deals with the password problem by acting as a secure repository for all of your passwords. You’ll only need to create a strong master password when you create an account. This is the only password you need to remember—everything else will be stored behind this master password.

SEE: Password breach: Why pop culture and passwords don’t mix (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

The password manager is available as a desktop app for Mac, Windows, Linux and Chrome OS. It is also available for Android and iOS and as a Chrome, Firefox and Edge browser extension. You can also use it as a command-line tool.

Filling and Saving Passwords in Android Apps

Download the 1Password app from Google Play and open it.

Create an account

You’ll be asked to sign up when you first open the 1Password app. Follow the on-screen instructions to subscribe and create a master password that’s strong and easy to remember. A strong password should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.

If your smartphone supports it, you should also set up Biometric Authentication such as fingerprint or face recognition for added security. Finally, enable the Autofill option (Figure B).

With your account created, you can now start saving passwords.

Create a new login

Open the app and tap on the + sign at the bottom of the screen. This action opens a new screen where you can select a category. There are over 20 categories to choose from, but for this blog post, we’ll focus on the Login category (Figure C).

Fill a login

After you’ve selected the Login category, you’ll need to enter a name for the website or app as well as your username and password. The name can be anything you want—it doesn’t have to match the website’s name. Once you’re done, tap Save at the top of the screen.

You can now exit the app and open the website or app you just saved the password for. Then, the next time you visit, simply tap Fill Login and enter your master password (Figure D).

The app will automatically fill in the username and password for you.

Save a login

Using Autofill, you can also save passwords in mobile apps. To do this, open the app and tap Fill Login. Next, you’ll enter your master password.

After that, you’ll see a list of apps that are compatible with Autofill. Select the app you want to save the password for and tap Save (Figure E).

The next time you open the app, the username and password will automatically fill in for you.

Filling and Saving Passwords in iPhone Apps

The process for saving passwords in iPhone apps is similar to that of Android apps. Download the 1Password app from the App Store and launch it.

Set up AutoFill

Select the Settings tab in 1Password and then Passwords and AutoFill PassWords. Finally, enable AutoFill Passwords, and select 1Password as your default password manager (Figure F).

Fill a Login

Filling in your login information on 1Password is a breeze with AutoFill. Tap on a username or password field, and the Login item will be suggested at the bottom of the screen or near the top of the keyboard.

If there are no matches, tap on the passwords key icon Passwords. Sign in to your account, and you’re all set (Figure G).

There may be instances where there is more than one login record for the app. In that case, tap on the passwords key icon at the top right of the keyboard and select a different one.

Save a Login

You can also use AutoFill to save passwords in apps. Simply tap the password key icon and then tap Create Login. Next, enter your details, and tap Save & Fill.

For existing login items, tap the passwords key icon, then tap 1Password to create a new login.

Create a Login

Finally, 1Password makes it easy to create new login credentials for the apps on your Apple device. To create a new login, tap the password key icon and Create Login. Next, enter a username, tap next to the password field and adjust the password settings. To complete the sign-in process, tap Save and Fill.

Congratulations, you now know how to use the 1Password on your Android or iOS device. By only needing to remember one master password, the tool makes it easy for you to store and use strong passwords. You can now easily log in to mobile apps with a single tap.