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Get to know 1Password for Mac

If you’re new to 1Password, learn how to use the Mac app to manage your passwords, credit cards, secure notes, and more.
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1Password for Mac is the simple, beautiful password manager you’ve been looking for. Easily organize your secure information, save and sign in with your logins in your browser, and have everything available at your fingertips.

Before you get started, set up 1Password on your Mac.

Create and edit items

When you open 1Password, you’ll see a list of all your items, like your passwords and credit cards. Select an item to see its details:

An overview of 1Password 8 for Mac

To create an item, click New Item (or press Command-N) and choose an item type. You can also search for an item type, or select Most popular logins to start with an item template for a popular website.

To edit an item, select it and click Edit (or press Command-E). When you’re done making changes, click Save (or press Command-S).

To see only certain types of items, click All Categories at the top of the item list and choose an item type.

You can personalize your items with your own icons that will appear throughout 1Password. Edit an item and click the item’s icon to get started.

You can also add custom fields, including unique answers to security questions.

Use 1Password in your browser

1Password lets you fill passwords, credit cards, and addresses directly in your browser.

Learn more about 1Password in your browser.

Saving a login inline with 1Password

Use Quick Access to fill in apps

Quick Access makes it easy to fill your details in apps. To open Quick Access, click the 1Password icon in the menu bar and select Open Quick Access (or press Shift-Command-Space).

To fill a username or password in an app:

  1. Open an app.
  2. Open Quick Access. If you don’t see the login item suggested, search for it.
  3. Click Autofill or press Return to fill your username and password in the app.

Learn more about Quick Access and Universal Autofill on your Mac.

Use Quick Access to fill details in apps

Share items

You can securely share copies of passwords and other items you’ve saved in 1Password with anyone, even if they don’t use 1Password.

Select an item, then click Share in the item’s details.

You’ll get a unique link that you can send to others. You can choose when the link expires and who can access it.

Learn more about securely sharing 1Password items with anyone.

Sort items by date modified

Search 1Password

Searching is the fastest way to find what you need in 1Password. Use the search field above the list of items to find what you’re looking for.

You can search and find anything, like items, tags, categories, accounts, and vaults. You can also limit your search to the current view (or press Command-F).

Learn more about searching 1Password.

Search 1Password to find what you need

Sort items

To change how items are sorted in a list, click Sort at the top.

For example, you can sort your items by their title, the date you last made changes to them, or how frequently you use them.

Sort items by date modified

Organize with favorites and tags

You can organize your items with tags or mark them as favorites to quickly access them when you need them.

To mark an item as a favorite, select it, then click in the item’s details and choose Add to Favorites. Or drag items onto Favorites in the sidebar.

To add a tag, edit an item, enter the name of the tag in the tag field, and click Save. Your tags automatically appear in the sidebar.

Learn more about favorites and tags.

Access your favorites and tags from the sidebar

Use collections to create custom groups of vaults

Every item in 1Password is stored in a vault. You can use vaults to organize your items and share them with others. If you have multiple 1Password accounts, each account has its own vaults.

You can create collections to view items from a custom group of vaults from any of your accounts. Click your account or collection at the top of the sidebar and choose Manage Collections. Then click New Collection.

To switch to a collection or account, click your account or collection at the top of the sidebar and choose it.

Learn more about collections.

List of accounts and collections

Move and copy items

To move an item, drag it to a different vault in the sidebar. Or choose Edit > Move, then select a vault.

To copy an item, choose Edit > Duplicate. Or right-click the item and click Duplicate. Then choose the vault to copy it to.

When you move or copy an item, the confirmation screen will show you who will have access to the item in the new vault.

Learn more about moving and copying items.

See who has access to an item

If you share vaults with others, you can see who has access to an item. Click above the item’s title to see a list of people and groups who have access to it.

If you don’t see , then only you have access to the item.

Click the item details area to see who has access to an item.

Use Watchtower

Watchtower tells you about password breaches and other security problems on the websites you have saved in 1Password.

To view your Watchtower dashboard click Watchtower in the sidebar.

To see when a website you have an account for is added to Watchtower, click the account or collection at the top of the sidebar and choose Settings. Then click Privacy and turn on Watchtower options you’d like to see results for.

Learn more about Watchtower.

Use Watchtower in the sidebar

Format secure notes

Add formatting to your secure notes with Markdown. View your text with headers, bold and italic styles, lists, and more.

Learn how to format your secure notes with Markdown.

Use Markdown to format notes

Reveal and enlarge passwords

You can temporarily reveal or enlarge a password to make it easier to see while entering it on another device or reading it aloud.

To reveal a password, hover over it. Then click and choose Reveal.

To enlarge a password, hover over it. Then click and choose Show in Large Type.

Click 'show in large type' to enlarge passwords

Use 1Password in Dark Mode

You can use the 1Password app with a dark background – all the time or whenever your system is set to Dark Mode.

To turn on Dark Mode:

  1. Click your account or collection at the top of the sidebar.
  2. Choose Settings, then click Appearance.
  3. Select Dark from the Theme options.
1Password 8 for Windows in Dark Mode

View item details across your Apple devices

Handoff lets you view an item on one Apple device, then pick it up on another.

When you use 1Password to view the details of an item on one Apple device, click the Handoff icon for 1Password in the Dock of your Mac to view the same item.

Learn more about Handoff.

The Handoff icon for 1Password in the Dock on a Mac

Archive and delete items

To archive an item, drag it to the Archive in the sidebar. Or click in the item’s details and choose Archive Item (or press Delete).

To restore an item from the Archive, click Archive in the sidebar. Select the item you want, then click in the item’s details and choose Restore Item.

To delete an item, drag it to Recently Deleted in the sidebar. Or click in the item’s details and choose Delete (or press Command-Delete).

To restore a deleted item, click Recently Deleted in the sidebar, then right-click the item and choose Restore Item.

Learn more about archiving and deleting items.

Archive and delete items

Lock and unlock 1Password

When you’re done using 1Password, you can lock it. To lock 1Password, choose 1Password > Lock (or press Shift-Command-L).

To unlock 1Password again, enter your account password. You can also use Touch ID or your Apple Watch to unlock 1Password.

Learn how to set 1Password to lock automatically.

1Password is trying to unlock

Click the Touch ID button on the lock screen

Learn more

Still need help?

If this article didn't answer your question, contact 1Password Support.

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