After a long beta period, 1Password 8 for Mac is out today. The new version brings with it a new design, the ability to group vaults together in custom Collections and support for SSH keys.
One of my favorite additions is Universal Autofill. Dave Teare explains:
Nearly two decades ago we set out to create the most complete and deeply integrated password manager for Mac users. And today we’re thrilled to announce a new feature that raises that bar: you can now fill anywhere on your Mac using ⌘.
This is actually real! 1Password can now fill into Mac apps like Zoom, Spotify, and the App Store, and also other places like Terminal and system prompts.
We leverage the incredible accessibility frameworks provided by Apple to analyze the app structure. We then use the same brain that powers 1Password in your browser to accurately and securely fill fields and log you in.
Universal Autofill handles everything for you, including one-time 2FA codes. It even presses the Enter key for you.
(This support document outlines the feature in greater detail.)
In short, it exposes 1Password information from anywhere within macOS. It cuts the need for copying from 1Password and pasting into other applications way, way down.
I’ve been running the beta on my Macs for quite a while and have been happy with the new release.1 Not everyone will be, however. As outlined in this support document, 1Password 8 requires a 1Password membership; local vault support is a thing of the past. I have been using 1Password for Teams at work and 1Password for Families at home, so this doesn’t change how I use — or pay for — the product, but I’ve heard form folks who don’t like this change.
Then there’s the fact that the Mac app is not built using traditional Mac technologies, but rather uses Electron with its back-end using Rust. 1Password says this will let them keep the product more consistent across a range of platforms. I honestly do not really care about this change. Sure, 1Password 8 feels a little less native than it would otherwise, but I think the team has done a good job overall with how the app behaves on macOS. The truth is that most people don’t know anything about the technology used to build apps. 1Password is still the best password manager on the market in my book, Electron or not. I think the debate is mostly silly anyway.
All in all, 1Password 8 brings with it some nice new features, and I am happy to keep 1Password in the same spot in my Dock it has occupied for years.
- Disclosure: 1Password is an on-going sponsor of my podcast Mac Power Users. While they pay me to read ads on the show, this blog post is not part of any campaign or partnership I have with them. I pay full price for my 1Password accounts and the folks at 1Password are reading this blog post at the same time you are. ↩