The 1Password browser extension needs a faster and more complete item management experience
I’d like to start a discussion about the current experience of using the 1Password browser extension, particularly when creating and editing items.
I use 1Password regularly, but I also use other password managers such as Proton Pass and NordPass, and there is one aspect of the 1Password extension that I find particularly frustrating.
Whenever I want to create or edit an item whether it’s a login, credential, software license, secure note, etc. I have to click the + button and wait for the full 1Password window to open.
On my browser (Brave), this usually takes around 10–15 seconds, which significantly interrupts the workflow when all I want to do is quickly create or modify an item.
Note: This does not appear to be related to my Internet connection. The delay consistently occurs when opening the full 1Password interface from the extension.
What makes this more noticeable is that other password managers I use, particularly Proton Pass and NordPass, allow much more item management directly from their browser extensions. There’s no need to open a separate full-size window for such basic actions.
I would really like to see 1Password move in this direction. Ideally, the extension itself should allow users to create and edit items directly, while the full 1Password window could remain available for more advanced management.
There’s another area I think could be improved. Every time I open the extension, the main navigation is essentially limited to:
- All Items
- Suggestions
- Favorites
It would be very useful to have additional quick-access sections such as “Recent Items” and/or “Most Used”. For a password manager we interact with many times throughout the day, reducing the number of clicks needed to find frequently accessed items would make a meaningful difference.
Finally, I’ve noticed something similar with the iOS app. The opening animation and initial loading experience feel a little slow compared with Proton Pass, which opens almost immediately on my device. I’d love to see 1Password focus more on making these frequent interactions feel faster and more responsive.
I’m not asking for a major redesign. My main request is to make the everyday experience faster and more efficient:
- Allow creating and editing items directly within the browser extension.
- Reduce or eliminate the 10–15 second wait for the full window when it is required.
- Add Recent Items and/or Most Used sections to the extension.
- Improve the perceived startup speed and animation of the iOS app.
These may seem like relatively small details, but for software we use multiple times every day, they have a significant impact on the overall experience.
I’d be interested to know whether other 1Password users have noticed the same thing, and I hope the 1Password team will consider improving this part of the experience.