Forum Discussion

PasswordSchmassword's avatar
PasswordSchmassword
Occasional Contributor
2 years ago

No prompt for password key on a new MacBook?

I just bought a brand new MacBook and was surprised when I was able to install and open 1Password without being asked for a password key? Isn't that the entire point of the password key? I was asked for it when I tried to log into the 1PW site for the first time via the browser extension, but that was after I'd installed and opened the 1PW program on the laptop so I already had the keys to the kingdom at that point.

Thanks

1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Browser: Not Provided

macos

1 Reply

Sort By
  • GreyM1P's avatar
    GreyM1P
    Icon for 1Password Team rank1Password Team
    2 years ago

    Hi there PasswordSchmassword

    When you say "password key", do you mean Secret Key? If so, then here's what's happened:

    1Password for Mac and iOS uses the iCloud Keychain to store a version of your Emergency Kit, so that it can find your account automatically when you sign in to 1Password on a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

    If you're signed in to the same Apple ID on both your old and new Mac, 1Password will have found those 1Password account details in the iCloud Keychain and will only need to ask you for your account password to sign in, unless you also have two-factor authentication turned on for your 1Password account.

    So, this means that when you start using a new Apple device, and you're already signed in to iCloud, 1Password can "find" your account details (except for the account password) and offer them to you.

    The other possibility is that you migrated from your old Mac to your new one. If that's the case, all your 1Password data would have come over along with everything else, and would only have needed your account password to unlock. This is because after a migration, your new Mac should essentially be a clone of the old one.

    Let me know if one of those situations applies, or if you think something else might have happened. :)

    — Grey