Yesterday, Agile Bits released 1Password for Mac, version 7. Having used the application since version one, it's hard to believe they've already got to version 7. Moreover, it's hard to believe that a password manager can get to version 7 and continue to add new and delightful features. Nevertheless, they did.
With the new version, 1Password mini, that menubar tool from which I usually access 1Password data, gets a new design. It looks better, is more functional, and contains more information concerning your passwords and logins. One thing I like about the new version is that it doesn't just limit itself to website logins. If you're trying to sign into an application that requires a password, the latest version of 1Password will suggest a password for that as well.
The 1Password application window now includes a sidebar that provides for a dark theme and gives you easy access to all of the 1Password tools and features. There are a lot of good things about 1Password, including Watchtower, which keeps an eye out for any services you use that have been compromised. However, traditionally those features were not always that easy to uncover. With the new sidebar. You have quick access to them and, hopefully, you will use them more often.
With the new version, you can use markdown in the formatted text field of individual password entries. (Hooray!) Also, the overall design and typography are better. They even had a font created to make the display of passwords easier to read and understand. For instance, you will never confuse a capital "I" and the number "1" again.
I have often considered the notes field in 1Password one of its hidden treasures. All of us have little bits of data that we want to keep on all of our devices and yet maintain security. As an example, I want access to my kids' Social Security numbers, but I don't want to put that information in something as ubiquitous as an Apple Note. Putting that information in a 1Password secure note allows me to lock it behind the 1Password vault. This adds a level of security for this information and keeps the information safe from anyone that otherwise has my unlocked phone in their hands.
I hear increasingly from readers and listeners that do the same thing, and 1Password makes that easier with the new version, adding the ability to place tags on your secure notes. As your list of notes increases, tags can be a big help keeping them organized.
For some time now 1Password has made it easier to share passwords securely with vaults and their cloud family and work accounts. This latest version turns the dial up on all of those features making them more discoverable and easier to use. There is a whole lot more thatyou can read about at the 1Password blog. The new version is free to everyone with a 1Password membership. You can buy a standalone license, and there is an introductory price on that so get on that now.
In short, I’m digging 1Password 7.
Finally, a bit of disclosure. 1Password has sponsored my podcast, the Mac Power Users, for years. If that makes you think I'm a paid endorser, you'd be wrong, but there you go.
