1Password 4.2 for Mac improves upon 1Password mini, AutoSave and item editing

1password 4 mac

We’re pretty big fans of AgileBits‘s 1Password for iOS and OS X (Jeff and myself are converts). But why bother with a third-party app when Apple’s new iCloud Keychain feature in iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks keeps all your website and app passwords, Wi-Fi logins and credit cards synced?

Lots of reasons, mainly because iCloud Keychain won’t sync plenty of personal items like private notes, software serial numbers, bank accounts, passports and what not.

That’s where 1Password comes in handy. First and foremost, 1Password uses a robust architecture to ensure that your private data remains private. Apps to manage passwords usually tend to be cumbersome, but that’s never been the case with 1Password.

The software has been praised for its sleek interface, rich feature set and handy tools like browser extensions and the 1Password mini app which patiently sits in your Mac’s menu bar to make remembering new passwords a hassle-free affair.

AgileBits is now introducing a new edition of 1Password for Mac which further refines the experience of using 1Password mini, the AutoSave feature and item editing. Read on for the full reveal…

As reported by MacStories, 1Password 4.2 improves upon the companion menu bar app by letting you actually edit items. That’s a nice little time saver because previously you needed to launch 1Password to edit your stored passwords, notes and other data.

Also new: fuzzy search and the ability to access and view your secure notes, making it more powerful and saving you diving into the main 1Password app.

Pictured below: the 1Password mini menu bar with anchored windows.

1Password for Mac (1Password mini 001)

As before, 1Password mini makes it easy to find logins and passwords in a snap by enabling you to access  these items – along with favorites and more item categories – right from your 1Password vault.

And should you need to generate a strong password, iPassword mini (along with browser extensions) can do that for you, no need to launch the full 1Password app.

As for other changes, 1Password 4.2 now makes it possible to switch between vaults while editing, resume editing an item if 1Password is closed and AutoSave new logins in your primary vault (support for multiple vaults was added in 1Password 4.0).

And here’s a splashy video.

Last but not least, 1Password 4.2 features an improved URL matching for sub-domains (it now recognizes differences between site domains) and lets you sort by Category in Security Audit.

1Password 4.2 for Mac (Lenient URL Matching)
The new Lenient URL Matching feature in 1Password 4.2.

The full list of changes in 1Password 4.2 for Mac:

  • 1Password mini
    • You can now edit items directly within 1Password mini!
    • Edit generated passwords in 1Password mini, too
    • Greatly improved URL matching makes logging in to sites with sub domains easy
    • Configure URL matching for sub domains in 1Password > Preferences > Browser
    • Improved support for multiple Chrome profiles
    • By popular request, 1Password mini now shows Secure Notes!
    • 1Password mini now supports fuzzy search. For example: “oogle” will now return items named “Google”
  • AutoSave
    • 1Password’s AutoSave window will prompt to save new Logins in your primary vault by default
    • AutoSave now searches all vaults before asking to save/update new Logins
    • You can now choose which vault to use when saving a new Login
  • Item Editing
    • You can now resume editing if 1Password locks or quits in the middle of a change
    • You can even switch vaults while editing an item and resume editing when you switch back
    • Easily rename tags directly within the sidebar
    • Item note editing now supports Undo/Redo
  • Backups
    • New Find Backup button allows you to restore external backup files
    • You can now restore from a backup when launching 1Password for the first time
  • Syncing
    • Improved sync performance
    • Improved sync error reporting
    • New Languages
    • Catalan and Danish localization
  • Tweaks
    • Use Go&Fill from the main application even when your browser is not open
    • You can now sort by Category in Security Audit
    • Improved import from CSV
    • Squashed many bugs reported by our awesome customers

The new version is now available from the AgileBits website as a free upgrade for existing users. The Mac App Store edition is pending approval and should be available shortly.

If you’re interested in 1Password, buy it from the Mac App Store for $49.99.

The download is 33.8MB. A Mac with a 64-bit CPU and OS X 10.8.4 or later is required.

The iPhone and iPod edition is a $17.99 value.

The 24.8MB universal app requires iOS 6.0 or later.

We’re still waiting for a complete 1Password makeover for iOS 7 though (it’s being beta tested as we speak)