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paulvbk's avatar
paulvbk
New Contributor
8 hours ago

sign in 1Password for Windows using camera

Hello

I’ve noticed a change in the Windows desktop app and wanted to check if this is intentional or a regression.

When setting up 1Password for the first time on Windows (fresh install, no existing account on the device), I used to be able to scan the QR code from my printed Emergency Kit using my computer’s camera.

This was extremely useful in real-life emergency situations - for example, when traveling abroad, having all your devices stolen/killed by water, and needing to quickly regain access to my 1Password account from a friend’s laptop or a cyber café.

However, in the current version of 1Password for Windows, the setup screen no longer offers that option. The only available choices are:

  • Typing the Secret Key manually from the Emergency Kit
  • Importing the Emergency Kit file to auto-fill the Secret Key (I won't have this on me, and even then I wouldn't be comfortable putting it on a "public" device)
  • Scanning a QR code displayed on an already-configured 1Password mobile app

There is no longer any option to scan the QR code printed on the Emergency Kit using the desktop camera.

On iOS and Android, this feature still exists — you can scan the printed Emergency Kit QR code easily when signing in. But on Windows, it seems to have been removed.

This creates a practical problem for recovery scenarios where I don’t have a mobile device available, and only have access to my printed Emergency Kit in my wallet.

Thanks a lot for any clarification!
— Paul

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