How Apple's iOS 12 Password AutoFill Feature Works With 1Password

Apple in iOS 12 introduced a new Password AutoFill API for apps like 1Password and LastPass, designed to allow password management apps to provide stored usernames and passwords for not only websites but also third-party apps.

1Password has introduced support for Password AutoFill in a beta capacity ahead of the launch of iOS 12, giving us a look at just how simple and easy Password AutoFill makes entering login details.

Note: This 1Password feature is not widely available yet because it is implemented in a beta version of the app, but it will be available for everyone when the 1Password app is updated following the release of iOS 12.

Set Up

Once a password management app that supports Password AutoFill has been installed, the feature needs to be enabled on an iOS device.

Go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts > AutoFill Passwords and toggle on the AutoFill Passwords option while also making sure your password management app, such as 1Password, is selected.

autofillpasswordssetup
You can use third-party password management apps right alongside iCloud Keychain, or you can choose to disable iCloud Keychain and use just a password management app.

How it Works

The Password AutoFill feature lets a third-party app function just like iCloud Keychain, with your sensitive data protected but easily accessible within apps when you need your login information.

When you encounter a login field in an app or on the web, tapping in the entry field will display the stored username and password from your password management app if you've saved one.

From there, you can tap the information to enter it into the app or website's login window, such as in the Spotify example below.

passwordautofillspotify
There are instances where 1Password does not have saved information entirely right or where you have multiple logins, such as in the case of multiple Twitter or Instagram accounts.

In these situations, if you tap on the key icon and then select the "1Password" option, you can view all of the available accounts for a particular service.

In the case of Instagram, this means that when I'm logging into the Instagram app, I see my two Instagram accounts listed in 1Password and I can tap either one to enter my login information.

passwordautofillinstagram
For apps that 1Password cannot automatically identify, you will be able to access your entire password vault to find the login information that you need.

Where it Works

What's great about the Password AutoFill API is that it does not require developers to implement any kind of integrations with your password management app to function, as was required in previous versions of iOS for this kind of functionality.

1Password's Password AutoFill feature, for example, works automatically in most apps and websites, with your 1Password archive available no matter where you're logging in.

passwordautofillonweb
As a caveat, 1Password will not recognize some apps and you'll see a message that the app is "Unidentified" with no identifying information provided. In this situation, you can still access your 1Password vault to search for the password that's required.

1passwordunidentified

One-Time Passwords

When logging into apps and websites that require two-factor authentication, using a one-time password is also simplified.

If your two-factor authentication setup is linked to 1Password, when you log into an app or website that requires two-factor authentication, your password is entered in the field and your one-time authentication password is automatically copied and pasted to the clipboard for easy entry.

passwordautofill1timepass
For apps that use your phone number for authentication purposes, iOS 12 introduces a feature that takes a code from an incoming iMessage and copies it to the clipboard, so two-factor authentication is simplified no matter the method.

ios12automaticsecuritycode

Password AutoFill on Apple TV

Password AutoFill extends to the Apple TV using the continuity keyboard that permits the iPhone to be used to enter passwords and login information on the Apple TV.

For this to work, both the Apple TV and the iOS device need to be signed into the same iCloud account, and from there, the process is identical to using Password AutoFill on the iPhone.

passwordautofill1passappletv
In a text entry field, when prompted to use the iPhone to enter login information, passwords stored in a password management app and linked to Password AutoFill will be able to be entered on the Apple TV.

Note: tvOS 12 and iOS 12 are required for Password AutoFill to work on the Apple TV.

Security

Every time your password management account is activated, you will need to confirm your identity with either Face ID or Touch ID to enter a password.

If Face ID or Touch ID fails, you will need to enter a password. In the case of 1Password, this means that if biometric authentication does not work, you will need to use the master password.

Release Date

1Password's Password AutoFill update will be available following the release of iOS 12, which we expect to see debut next month, shortly ahead of the launch of new iPhones. 1Password is available on Macs and iOS devices for as little as $2.99 per month for an individual account. A free 30 day trial is available from the 1Password website.

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Top Rated Comments

justperry Avatar
85 months ago

1Password is available on Macs and iOS devices for as little as $2.99 per month ('https://1password.com/sign-up/') for an individual account. A free 30 day trial is available ('https://1password.com/sign-up/') from the 1Password website.
Hate these subs, no thanks, the built in keychain does a good job for most of us.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AGKyle Avatar
85 months ago
This is awesome. I don't use 1password because they store the passwords and have already had major breaches. But Enpass, which I use, stores passwords locally only (well really on cloud drives) and they have said they will support this. I don't know why it's taken the industry so long to do this.
Perhaps you've confused us with other password managers, we have not had any breaches at all.

Even if someone did access our servers maliciously they wouldn't have access to your decrypted data. They would need to guess each individual users Master Password and Secret Key combination in order to decrypt it. This would cost significant amounts of time and money, enough time and money that you'd have to be a specifically targeted person where the payoff would be worth it.

No one at AgileBits has access to any user's decrypted data, our servers don't have access, only you have access to the decrypted data. The only way to get that decrypted data is knowing your Master Password and Secret Key. Neither of which AgileBits has, only you have those pieces of information.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iLeoMarc Avatar
85 months ago
1Password allowed this?
Apple provided the API. 1Password added it to their beta.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scottcampbell Avatar
85 months ago
I hope LastPass gets the same integration.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AGKyle Avatar
85 months ago
I don't agree with "major breeches", but they have had their share of flaws. They fix them quickly, but they exist.

https://team-sik.org/sik-2016-038/
https://team-sik.org/sik-2016-039/
https://team-sik.org/sik-2016-040/
https://team-sik.org/sik-2016-041/
https://team-sik.org/sik-2016-042/
Our official response to those is here

https://support.1password.com/kb/201702a/

Note that we fixed those months before they were ever disclosed to the public. It also does not apply to our 1Password.com service and were specific to our Android application. These do not qualify as a breach either.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AGKyle Avatar
85 months ago
Blatant pushing of 1Password by Apple. Personally I will stick with LastPass which I think is unbeatable in the field of password managers.
These features are available to any app developer, including LastPass. Want to make your own password manager and have this feature? You can do it. This is not specific to 1Password, though we were the first to provide it in beta apparently, which is causing all of the Apple media to pick up on it. But don't mistake this as any sort of favoritism, we were just there first and got the media coverage. Certainly something we're thankful for, but I'm not going to claim we're the only password manager that will support this.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)