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padmakrishnadev's avatar
padmakrishnadev
New Contributor
2 months ago

Question about device security and 1Password

Hey everyone,

Long-time 1Password user here, I trust it to keep my most sensitive data secure across all my devices.

I've been looking into getting a classic game running on my phone and came across a version of Hitman Absolution for my Android device.

Before I even consider installing anything from a source that isn't the official app store, I wanted to tap into the knowledge of this security-focused community. My main priority is ensuring the integrity of my device and, most importantly, my 1Password vault.

My Main Concerns:

My understanding is that modern Android has security features, but I'm not an expert on how they interact with apps installed from third-party sources.

  • Could installing an application from outside the ecosystem potentially compromise the sandbox that protects apps like 1Password?
  • What are the primary risks I should be aware of? Am I mostly looking at intrusive ads, or could there be keyloggers or other data-scraping threats?
  • Are there any specific precautions or settings within Android that I should enable before (or after) installing something like this to ensure my other apps, especially 1Password, remain isolated and secure?

I know the simplest answer is "don't do it," but I'm genuinely curious about the technical aspects and the real-world risks involved. Any advice or best practices from you guys would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks for your time and expertise

android

1 Reply

  • 1P_Dave's avatar
    1P_Dave
    Icon for Moderator rankModerator
    2 months ago

    Hello padmakrishnadev​! 👋

    Thanks for the question! We have an article that talks about this general subject here: 


    1Password can't protect you on a device that has been compromised by malware. While the 1Password app does use whatever platform protections exist to keep your information safe (for example, the ability to screenshot inside the 1Password for Android app is turned off by default), a compromised device is a hostile environment that no app can fully protect against. You should only use 1Password on trusted devices. 

    I recommend that you only install apps from trusted sources, such as the Google Play Store. Installing apps from unknown or untrusted sources runs the risk of malware being installed on your device. You should also make sure that you're always running the latest versions of both Android and 1Password so that you remain protected against the latest known threats. 

    -Dave