How to Use 1Password: A Beginner’s Guide

1Password is a solid password manager with top encryption and a sleek user interface.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to set up 1Password, how to use it, and how you can maximize its features for your organization.

How to set up and use 1Password

1. Decide on a 1Password subscription

1Password offers five subscriptions: Individual, Families, Teams Starter Pack, Business, and Enterprise. The main differences between these plans are the number of included users and the business-focused features of the Teams Starter Pack and Business subscription. All 1Password paid plans also give you the option of choosing between an annual or a monthly subscription plan.

An Individual plan offers one usable account, while 1Password Families provides five for family members. For Teams, you can get up to 10 users, and Business depends on the number of members you want in the subscription itself. For Enterprise, you can contact 1Password’s sales team for an accurate price quote based on your user count and other requirements.

While 1Password doesn’t have a free version, it offers a 14-day trial for all plans except Enterprise. I would recommend trying one of these plans out first, as it allows you to test drive 1Password’s password manager implementation without paying for a premium subscription. If you want a more in-depth analysis of 1Password and its real-world performance, I suggest checking out our full 1Password review. There, we assess 1Password’s security features, authentication options, and user interface.

Going back to this tutorial, go ahead and click the “Try FREE for 14 days” button on the plan of your choice. For this guide, I chose 1Password’s Individual plan.

2. Set up the desktop app, web app, and browser extension

1Password will then ask you to create your account. After filling in the necessary information, 1Password will ask you to verify your email address, so be sure to do so.

Once done, you’ll be asked to create your Master Password. Technically, this is going to be the only password you need to create on your own.

What’s unique about 1Password is that, aside from the Master Password, you will need your own personal Secret Key to access your account. We’ll get to that later.

For now, go ahead and create your master password.

After creating your master password, you’ll be redirected to the Secret Key page, and 1Password will ask you to click Generate Secret Key. The Secret Key and your Master Password act as the two keys you need to access your password vault. Once you click Generate, 1Password will ask you to save your Secret Key PDF to your machine.

Make sure to save it in a secure place and create a backup copy of it, as 1Password requires both your Secret Key and master password to unlock your vault.

Don’t worry; 1Password will ensure you save it before going any further. Once done, you will officially have your own 1Password account and will be directed to the 1Password web application.

To get the most out of 1Password, I highly recommend downloading both the browser extension and the desktop application. To download the desktop application:

1. Go to 1Password’s official website.
2. Click Product.
3. Download 1Password.
4. Select your platform.

For its browser extension, go to the store where your chosen browser is stored. In my case, I use Chrome, so 1Password’s extension will be available to download on the Chrome Web Store.

Sign in using your master password, and there you go — you can now use 1Password!

3. Use 1Password

The best way to use 1Password is to create a new account and save new login details. To illustrate, let’s try making a new account on Amazon.

When creating a new account, enter the username or email address per usual. Once you’ve entered a username or email, 1Password will automatically suggest a randomly generated password for you. We see it here on Amazon:

This password can be configured to have a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols and can reach up to 100 characters. At default, 1Password will create a 20-character password for you. After clicking on 1Password’s suggested password, a pop-up window will appear, asking you to save the credentials as a new login item. Click save.

After that, you’ve saved your first login! Whenever you return to this site or app, 1Password will automatically appear as an icon on the far right side of the login field.

Clicking that will bring up your saved login and allow you to fill in your username and password in a snap.

This newly saved Amazon login and your other passwords will appear in one of your vaults. Password vaults are where 1Password stores and encrypts all your data and passwords.

That’s it. You’ve now saved your very first log in using 1Password!

How to ensure you’re maximizing 1Password capabilities

1Password is an excellent password management tool that is easy to use and out of the box. To get the most out of the service, I have a few suggestions to help you maximize its features.

Install 1Password’s browser extension and mobile app

To easily access your vault and logins right from your browser’s toolbar, I encourage you to download 1Password’s browser extension alongside its desktop app. This makes saving new logins and auto-filling credentials faster and more accessible, as you won’t have to leave your browser or access the desktop app to save a new password.

Fortunately, 1Password has fairly wide support for most browsers, which includes Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Safari.

In the same vein, downloading 1Password’s mobile app is also recommended. Available for both iOS and Android, 1Password on mobile gives you the same password generation and capturing functionality right at your fingertips.

Having 1Password’s mobile app also ensures any new accounts you create from your phone’s browser are saved and synced across your devices.

Set up two-factor authentication

For maximum protection, I recommend all new 1Passwords users set up 2FA. This adds an additional layer of security to your credentials, requiring two forms or identification methods before you gain access to your vault.

This helps prevent hackers from getting unauthorized access to your data, especially if they could secure some of your sensitive information and want to try to log in. With 2FA, you make it harder for them to access your passwords.

To set up 2FA, just follow these steps:

1. Open to the 1Password web application.
2. Click your name.
3. Select My Profile.
4. Then click More Actions.
5. Finally, navigate to Manage Two-Factor Authentication.

Make use of biometric unlock

If your computer has a fingerprint sensor, I encourage setting up biometric unlock. This makes logging into your vault more secure and a bit faster. To do this:

1. Go to the 1Password desktop app.
2. Click the dropdown menu next to your name.
3. Select Settings.
4. Go to Security.
5. Then toggle Fingerprint Unlock.

For Windows users, this will pop up as Unlock using Windows Hello. For Mac users, the switch will be to toggle on Touch ID.

Best ways to use 1Password for your business

1Password offers the requisite password manager features we expect: encrypted password vaults, auto-filling logins on sign-up pages, and reliable password generation. On top of these, 1Password comes with interesting features that can benefit your business.

Mark specific vaults as ‘safe for travel’

1Password has a unique Travel Mode that allows you to set specific vaults as “Safe for Travel.” When Travel Mode is turned on, all vaults that aren’t marked as safe are removed from the vault until Travel Mode is turned off.

This is a practical feature for those who attend regular business trips or primarily travel for work. Specifically, frequent travelers can use this to ensure important credentials aren’t exposed whenever they’re going through customs or immigration, and smartphones or laptops are unfortunately checked.

Monitor password strength across accounts

1Password’s Watchtower is another beneficial feature for businesses and organizations. It gives passwords stored in a vault a particular score depending on their strength and overall security.

This is a great way for businesses to flag their account passwords that may be old, reused, or compromised — and have it changed to a much stronger password. This can especially be useful for monitoring a business’ various social media accounts to make sure that no one account is at risk of being hacked.

SEE: SMB Security Pack (TechRepublic Premium)

Create virtual payment cards

If you’re a small business that regularly makes online purchases, 1Password’s partnership with Privacy will greatly benefit you. Through their collaboration, active privacy users can create privacy cards with 1Password. These virtual cards are generated with unique card information — separate from your actual card info.

This affords your business additional security by not having to have payment information out in the open when making online purchases. Keep in mind that this requires an active Privacy subscription to be used.

1Password frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does 1Password work without Wi-Fi?

Yes, 1Password can be used without Wi-Fi, provided you have an active 1Password subscription and membership.

Your passwords, credentials, and other stored items in your vault can still be accessed offline, as 1Password syncs your data across your devices.

Can I use 1Password on my phone?

Yes, you can use 1Password on your phone as it offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android. This lets you view and access your encrypted vault on your smartphone, tablet, and other mobile devices.

Does 1Password have a free version?

No, 1Password doesn’t offer a free version of its password management service. Currently, 1Password only has a 14-day free trial for all its plans except its Enterprise subscription.

In my experience, these 14-day free trials don’t require any payment or credit card information to access. You merely have to visit the official 1Password website to try it out.

Recommended alternative password managers

While 1Password is a solid password manager, other options exist if you feel it doesn’t fit your needs. I recommend you check out three alternatives: NordPass, Bitwarden, and Keeper.

NordPass offers a variety of subscription options that may be more beneficial to users who want more options compared to 1Password’s five-plan spread. NordPass offers one and two-year plans for all six of its Personal and Business subscription options. It also has a free version that allows for unlimited storage of passwords.

To learn more, check out our full NordPass review.

Meanwhile, Bitwarden is a great pick for those who specifically want to use the free version full time. Its free tier offers unlimited password storage and an unlimited number of devices — making it a fully functional password manager without any cost. This is in stark contrast to 1Password’s lack of a free version altogether.

To learn more, check out our full Bitwarden review.

For larger businesses, Keeper may be a better choice. They offer customized bundles and curated pricing depending on the needs of the company. This is aside from the advanced features you can get with their Enterprise plan such as automated team management, command line provisioning, and Azure integration.

To learn more, check out our full Keeper review.