Having a password management tool in your arsenal is a huge productivity booster, and I’ve been putting 1Password 4 for Mac through the paces for a while. Today it arrives in the Mac App Store, meaning the transition to version 4 on the Apple side of things is now complete. I’ve been using the iOS version as well (I got to beta test it before launch) and the improvements to the Mac version are on par — if not more prevalent — than its iOS counterpart. 1Password 4 for Mac boasts over 90 new features, and I’ll share with you some of the ones that made using the app in its latest iteration all the more appealing.
The interface has been redesigned from the ground up, and I found it a lot easier to navigate as a result. I’m using folders more than ever before with this version of 1Password, which is a testament to its new UI. It’s clean and simple — just the way I like it. They’ve also added an all-new UI of sorts with 1Password mini, a new full-featured menubar utility with full vault search, item details, vault switching, window anchor options, and more.
One of the best new features in 1Password 4 for Mac is the enhanced sharing options baked right in. Now you can have individual items (Logins, Secure Notes, memberships) shared with another person via email or an encoded, secure iMessage. as with the iOS version, if your recipient makes changes and shares the item back to you, 1Password will update your existing item. 1Password 4 for Mac also offers shared vaults, meaning users can create separate vaults to share with business or family members that each get their own sync preferences and locations. This also works with multiple vaults as well. While this doesn’t necessarily eliminate the need for something like the 1Password Emergency Kit I created a while back (which will be updated by next week), it does give users a lot more sharing options. Whether you want to share passwords with a trusted family members or assistant — either entire vaults or individual items — this feature may just persuade LastPass users to join the legion of 1Password ones.
Check out the 1Password 4 for Mac screenshot gallery below. Simply click on an image to move it forward to the next image.
1Password 4 for Mac has also seen some security enhancements, with the addition of 256-bit authenticated encryption and others. These enhancements enable 1Password to not only keep your data private, but also tamper-proof.
Other additions include the return of wi-fi sync, which keeps passwords in sync with the iOS versions of 1Password without using the cloud, and third-party app integration. You can choose to enable support for Alfred, LaunchBar, and Quicksilver, allowing you to quickly search and open logins from any of them.
To celebrate the launch of 1Password 4 for Mac, all Mac App Store customers get 1Password 4 as a free upgrade and all website customers who purchased 1Password for Mac in 2013 will get version 4 for free — so you’re getting a nine-month free upgrade window. The launch sale price for new website and Mac App Store customers is only $39.99 (20% off the regular price of $49.99) and the launch upgrade sale price for website customers who bought before 2013 is just $24.99 ($10 off the regular upgrade price of $34.99).1
After using 1Password 4 for Mac, I can’t fathom going back to its predecessor. The sharing options alone are a huge addition, I love the menubar utility as it gives me quick access to passwords without having my browser open (yes, it opens the browser for you when you select a website that requires a stored login), and the upgrade prices are more than fair. If you’re already a 1Password user this is a worthwhile upgrade (especially if you qualify for the free upgrade). And if you’ve been looking for the best password management tool for the Mac, this is it.
1Password 4 for Mac is password management at its finest — and a whole lot more. Get it today from the Mac App Store.
1 AgileBits doesn’t know how long the celebration sale prices will run for new and upgrade customers, but they’ll make an announcement on Twitter, Facebook, and the Agile Blog when time is almost up.
