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November 22, 2021
Question

1Password keeps blocking TextExpander [Secure Input]

  • November 22, 2021
  • 14 replies
  • 552 views

TextExpander is one of those critical applications I use on my Mac (and iOS Devices) as important to me as 1Password, DefaultFolder, and a handful of others. What's driving me crazy is 1PassWord keeps blocking TextExpander and doesn't unblock it when it doesn't need to. I can understand why 1Password itself might not like applications snooping its text fields. I'm okay with that. But when it blocks TextExpander system-wide and then doesn't release it so that I can now no longer use TextExpander until I close 1Password and wait a few minutes, that's not acceptable. You need to fix this. I'm using the current Beta of 1Password 8.


1Password Version: 7.0.2
Extension Version: 2.1.4
OS Version: 12.0.1

14 replies

1Password Employee
November 22, 2021

Hi @leicaman

I'm sorry for the trouble with Secure Input. Are you able to identify the circumstances where this occurs? For example — when it happens, is the 1Password window open? Is your cursor in the account password field, or is 1Password unlocked? If you close the 1Password window ( ⌘W ) is Secure Input released?

Please let me know what you're able to find. Thanks!

Ben

November 23, 2021

I just tested it, and I had just launched TextExpander. And then I followed up with launching 1Password and it immediately blocked TextExpander. But this time, when I closed the window, it released TextExpander. Yesterday it wasn't releasing it.

So I quite 1Password and then relaunched it and now it isn't blocking it. I'll keep and eye on it over the next few days. TextExpander had a few hard crashes yesterday, but seems to be working again properly. So maybe it was something else going on?

Thanks for getting back to me.

Eric

November 23, 2021

@leicaman:

So I quite 1Password and then relaunched it and now it isn't blocking it. I'll keep and eye on it over the next few days.

Sounds good! Let us know if you find something out :)

February 9, 2022

I just started running the 1Password 8 betas on macOS 12.2 to see if I wanted to stick with 1Password (I'm not a fan of Electron apps so seeing how it works and how much memory it uses compared to version 7). I now regularly have TextExpander not work and it seems to be 1Password's fault (although TextExpander can't always tell which process it is), If I quit 1Password, TextExpander works. It happens often (but not always) even if 1Password is running but not the app I'm currently using.

1Password Employee
February 10, 2022

Hey @daveother

I'm also a TextExpander user, but I haven't been seeing this. Fortunately, I think, a couple of my colleagues have. Hopefully that means we'll be able to track this down and fix it. Thanks for the report!

Ben

ref: dev/core/core#12760

February 11, 2022

1Password 7 seems to allow TextExpander to work in 1Password except when unlocking or in the password fields (i.e., TextExpander works in the search field). Version 8 doesn't seem to let TextExpander work any time. That's not a big deal, but I wonder if it's related to why TextExpander won't work at all most times when 1Password Version 8 is running.

Version 8 also seems less reliable in Safari - sometimes takes a couple clicks on the 1Password icon or a couple tries of keyboard shortcut. If I can reproduce that reliably, I'll start a separate thread. It's still beta so I'll withhold judgment until final version, but right now I'm nervous it's going to be a regression for me.

February 11, 2022

An to clarify, what I meant by:

Version 8 doesn't seem to let TextExpander work any time. That's not a big deal, but I wonder if it's related to why TextExpander won't work at all most times when 1Password Version 8 is running.

TextExpander doesn't work in 1Password search field or anywhere - that's not a big deal. But to need to quit 1Password often to make TextExpander work is a major hassle.

1P_PeterG
Community Manager
Community Manager
February 18, 2022

Hi @daveother, thanks for your reporting here. We've been able to replicate it and will look into how this situation can be improved. Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you saw on your system. 🙏

Oh, and just to let you know:

Version 8 also seems less reliable in Safari - sometimes takes a couple clicks on the 1Password icon or a couple tries of keyboard shortcut.

We have verified that this is a separate issue, which we're following up on as well. And we'll keep the improvements coming!

ref: dev/core/core#8209

February 18, 2022

Thanks for following up. I’m glad you can replicate them and hope you can fix them.

February 18, 2022

I use the app "Contexts" to replace my alt-tab menu with something a little more useful, which requires Secure Input to be off to work. As such, any time an app improperly keeps secure input on after I'm done with whatever I'm doing is very noticeable.

1Password 8 beta probably quits secure input when I defocus the window about 90% of the time. The rest of the time, secure input remains on even after I've moved away from the 1password app (still open) and requires my killing the app to turn off.

Unfortunately I do not have a consistent reproduction.