It’s been nine months since 1Password 8 entered an “early access” beta, but the software has finally arrived for average users. And man, this update was long overdue. The 1Password 8 redesign looks fantastic, and its new features will dramatically improve the experience of using 1Password on a Mac.
Information on 1Password 8 has been floating around for a while, and the update arrived for Windows users last November. Still, we’re going to run through everything that matters, starting with the design.
While 1Password 8 doesn’t make any groundbreaking design changes, it’s a lot less cluttered than 1Password 7. All of those messy Watchtower tabs are now integrated into a single dashboard, for example. Plus, bright colors and pretty graphics help make everything feel more intuitive. (I also like that the Mac app gets that glassy transparency effect—something that’s missing from Windows.)
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Along with the redesign, 1Password is adding five new features to its macOS client:
- Autofill Across macOS: Users can now autofill passwords within Mac apps and system prompts.
- Quick Access: A Spotlight-like interface that lets users find and log into websites using saved credentials, even when the 1Password app is closed. (Keyboard shortcut CMD + Up + Space.)
- Item Catalog: Colorful and guided menus to help users search for items, create new items, and categorize new items.
- Watchtower Dashboard: Instead of splitting all of its information into a bunch of tabs, Watchtower Dashboard puts all of your security recommendations into one place. There’s also a new security score and improved alerts.
- Developer Tools: Developers can generate, manage, and access secrets within development workflows using SSH management and an updated CLI.
To me, two of these features are serious game-changers. Autofill support for apps and system prompts is wonderful; I hate copy-pasting credentials from 1Password to Steam, VST authenticators, and other apps that automatically sign me out for no reason. And that Quick Access panel, the thing that looks like a Spotlight viewer, that’s awesome. (It reminds me of how 1Password integrates with Alfred.)
The new Watchtower Dashboard consolidates a ton of those 1Password tabs, which I appreciate, and the Item Catalog looks like an inviting way to get new users comfortable with 1Password. I’m also excited about the new Developer Tools, though only vicariously, as I will probably never use them.
You should be able to install 1Password 8 from the company’s Downloads page. We haven’t verified whether 1Password 7 will prompt Mac users to update or if the app will appear on the App Store.