1Password bug deletes all passwords and closes account

TidBITS Talk
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Now using 1Password for Mac 8.12.42. I have used 1Password for Mac for more than 10 years.

Last week I migrated from a 2019-vintage, Intel-processor-based, MacBook Pro 16" running MacOS Tahoe 26.7.1, to a 2024-vintage, Apple Silicon M4 Max, MacBook Pro 16" running macOS Golden Gate 27.2.

Yesterday, in the new Mac, 1Password malfunctioned. About 15 seconds after it was launched, it would quit because, it said, I had done nothing for 60 minutes. After this had happened several times, consistently, l went to 1Password’s Support website. I read all the info and advice there, but I found nothing relevant, so I e-mailed support@1password.com. I got a reply saying, yes, that happens when you migrate to a Mac with Apple Silicon. You must uninstall 1Password, then download and install the latest version.

I did so. I used CleanMyMac to ensure that no trace of the “old” 1Password.app remained. Then I downloaded & installed from the 1Password website.

The fresh version of 1Password exhibited the same bug. I reported this to support@1password.com and eventually I got a reply saying that a “human” would reply. Now, about 21 hours later. I have heard nothing.

Meanwhile, I needed a password for an important account, so I fired up my 2019-vintage, Intel-processor-based, MacBook Pro 16" running MacOS Tahoe 26.7.1, on which 1Password had worked OK. I launched 1Password on that Mac. It opened and declared that it could not do anything for me because my account had been closed. I had not closed my account, at least not deliberately. I suppose that my account had been closed automatically when I uninstalled 1Password from my newer, Apple Silicon Mac.

Bottom line: I have lost ALL my passwords and the support people are taking a long time to help me. At this point I don’t know that my passwords can be recovered. I hope that somehow my Time Machine backups will be useful.

Apple Silicon Macs have been around for at least five years; and the M4 Max processor (which I have) has been around for two years. How can 1Password be malfunctioning NOW, and how can its developers blame the transition to Apple Silicon NOW?

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I also use 1Password. Some quick thoughts for things to try while waiting for an official response from 1Password:

  • If you can find your 1Password Emergency Kit, use it to try and get access to your info.
  • Go to 1Password.com. Try to recover your account using web-based access (instead of app-based methods).
  • If you’re comfortable using AI-assisted search, paste what you wrote above into (for example) a Google “AI Mode” search. AI-assisted searches often are good for troubleshooting because they are similar to texting/chatting with a human. You can ask follow-up questions, challenge answers, and drill into details.
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Thank you. I have my 1Password Emergency Kit. I’ll have to learn what to do with it.

I’ve gone to [``1Password.com``](``https://1Password.com``) and succeeded in recovering my account in the sense that I can see and search my passwords via Safari. I don’t like this method. I prefer having 1Password.app and its browser extensions, but being able to access my passwords at all is a relief.

I am disappointed by the dishonesty of AgileBits regarding 1Password’s incompatibility with Apple Silicon Macs, and by their worse-than-unhelpful response to my bug report.

Thanks again for your suggestion that worked.

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And maybe with that you cleared something essential away that would have had to remain on the computer for the new version to work… (just a guess)

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Thank goodness you got access to the contents of the 1Password vault!

My fear of similar experience led me years ago to routinely making and securely storing the contents of 1PW outside the app. Back then you could make a pdf or export I think into csv, maybe that is no more.

If you can still exfiltrate the data, consider something like this for any future occurrances.

Most recently I saw that the 1PW 6.8.9 running on my Tahoe Mac would not run on OS 28, so I looked around and settled on open source KeePass XC to replace it. I was able to import my 1PW data (spent some hours pruning and proofreading, found a few mishandled items out of thousands) and am off and running with it.

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Having just done such a migration, I can say that all you need to do is download the stub installer from 1Password.com and run it.

I don’t think any of the 1Password data files change at all – it just replaces the application with the Apple Silicon version.

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After more than 72 hours, AgileBits has not replied to my bug report and request for help. 1Password.app still doesn’t work (It quits after 15 seconds.) on my Apple Silicon M4 Max MacBook Pro 16" running macOS Golden Gate 27.2. I was able to see my passwords via Safari, but I have not yet been able to save a copy of them and it has become more difficult just to see them.