Setup for family sharing computer

Background:

My wife and I share a desktop and a laptop PC. We use the same windows logon on both. We have separate email accounts. We have a 1Password family. During the trial period and before creating my wife’s vault, I installed the PC version on both computers and installed the browser extension for Foxfire. After importing my passwords, we established my wife’s vault. When we logon to 1Password online we can choose whose vault we want to logon to.

The Problem:

The PC version and the browser extensions are linked to my vault. I have not been able to discover a way to get either of them to offer a choice of whose vault we want to logon to. Is there a setting I am missing? Or do I need to setup separate user accounts on each PC? If the latter, will we still be able to use the same browser?

I'd appreciate any help or suggestions.

1P_Tommy
24 days ago
BuffaloMan

It's not possible to add multiple accounts from the same Family to the desktop application.

I'm a heavy Mac user so the following is geared to that. The same principle would apply to Windows.

1Password is set up as a single-user type of app. That being, one macOS user is able to use the app with their Password. Separate OS user accounts for each of you is the best way to accomplish what you are looking to do. The advantage of this is when you log in, you have your computer in front of you. You have access to your email, instant messaging, customization, and settings.

[Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/set-up-other-users-on-your-mac-mtusr001/mac)

Fast User Switching is the key to this kind of setup. My family has used this feature for a long time now. I think you'll like it once you get it set up, and it's not really a hard task, more of one that you might be unaccustomed to using. [Switch quickly between users on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/switch-quickly-between-users-mchlp2439/mac)

Alternatively, you could also log into each of your accounts using separate browse profiles. Still, you would be unable to use things like Touch ID or Apple Watch Unlock, and even then, only one would be able to use the Desktop app. For this reason, I highly recommend individual macOS user accounts.

7 Replies

1P_Tommy
Moderator
24 days ago
BuffaloMan

It's not possible to add multiple accounts from the same Family to the desktop application.

I'm a heavy Mac user so the following is geared to that. The same principle would apply to Windows.

1Password is set up as a single-user type of app. That being, one macOS user is able to use the app with their Password. Separate OS user accounts for each of you is the best way to accomplish what you are looking to do. The advantage of this is when you log in, you have your computer in front of you. You have access to your email, instant messaging, customization, and settings.

[Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/set-up-other-users-on-your-mac-mtusr001/mac)

Fast User Switching is the key to this kind of setup. My family has used this feature for a long time now. I think you'll like it once you get it set up, and it's not really a hard task, more of one that you might be unaccustomed to using. [Switch quickly between users on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/switch-quickly-between-users-mchlp2439/mac)

Alternatively, you could also log into each of your accounts using separate browse profiles. Still, you would be unable to use things like Touch ID or Apple Watch Unlock, and even then, only one would be able to use the Desktop app. For this reason, I highly recommend individual macOS user accounts.
- BuffaloMan
  New Contributor
  23 days ago
  Thank you for your help. I had come to the conclusion that separate OS accounts and browser profiles was the most probable solution.
  I truly appreciate everyone's time on this.
Tom
Dedicated Contributor
26 days ago
Short anwser, just try and add a second account (which would be your wife's login) to the Desktop Application and see if that works. (The extension would follow the same principle). My assumption would be like with family + business, you can just add multiple accounts in the desktop app. I suggest reading my rambling below before clicking :)
Then add account (and fill in your wife's details)

This might be just me (partially) misreading, but I would suspect 1Password (either app or extension) to only cater to 'accounts' - so I would assume you can just set up 'family Buffalo Woman' and 'family Buffalo Man' as two accounts, just like you would do yourself with being both 'family Buffalo - Man' and 'business Acme Inc - Man'. If you disable biometrics - e.g. force login by password - I reckon it could work as long as each of you 'locks' 1password? I.e. if I lock (or never unlock) my business account both the desktop application and the extension only show passwords for my family account and vice versa?
- BuffaloMan
  New Contributor
  26 days ago
  Great suggestion. Unfortunately the desktop logon screen is not offering the "All Accounts" drop down. It simply shows a "Families" icon with my email address.
  Thanks you so much for taking the time to help.
  - Tom
    Dedicated Contributor
    26 days ago
    Hmmm, apparently the (windows) app doesn't allow me to sign in twice to my Family account (which was what I kinda hoped) - 1P_daniel any suggestions for BuffaloMan ?