1Password Mini Not Available when Extension Helper Disabled

gbrandel

macOS 10.12.6
1Password 7
Version 7.3.2 (70302004)

In 1Password Preferences under Browsers I have deselected/unchecked the item labeled "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running." I do not use (and do not want to use) the 1Password Extensions in any browsers, hence, I have no need to keep the extension helper running. I do use 1Password mini extensively. When I close the main 1Password application, the next time I select the mini application icon from the menu bar I am presented with a dialog box that says "Enable 1Password Extension Helper?" The full text of the dialog box message is as follows:

"1Password Extension Helper is needed to use 1Password in Safari and other web browsers. It runs in the background and gives you quick access to your information at all times."

Since I do not use 1Password browser extensions I select the "Do Not Enable" response button for the dialog. As soon as I select the "Do Not Enable" dialog button, 1Password mini closes.

When I relaunch the 1Password main application, the 1Password mini application relaunches and is available again in the menu bar. While the 1Password main application remains open, the 1Password mini application functions normally. When I close the 1Password main application, the sequence described above repeats.

So, in effect, the 1Password mini application is disabled when the "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" option is disabled. But why would that be the case? Surely the 1Password mini application is a useful functionality whether or not web browsers (and browser extensions) are installed, right? So, why would the 1Password mini application and the 1Password Extension Helper be linked together in this dependent way?

In fact, if 1Password Extension Helper is required to use 1Password mini, then why even make the 1Password Extension Helper an option at all? Just load the Extension Helper silently when you load Mini and remove the option to disable the Extension Helper.

As currently implemented, this is very confusing. Nothing in the user interface nor the online documentation communicates to the end-user that 1Password Mini is dependent on the Extension Helper. Moreover, the Extension Helper does not seem to require that any browser extensions actually be installed--which, again, raises the question of why enabling or disabling the Extension Helper is an option at all.

Is this really the way Mini and Extension Helper are supposed to work or could this be some kind of bug?

Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,
Griffith

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1Password Version: Version 7.3.2 (70302004)
Extension Version: n/a
OS Version: macOS 10.12.6
Sync Type: 1Password Account
Referrer: forum-search:1Password mini

ag_ana

Hi @gbrandel!

When you select the option to not enable the 1Password extension helper, did you try selecting the Do not show this message again option as well?

gbrandel

Thank you for the quick reply. When I select "Do not show this message again" and select the Do not enable button, 1Password Mini immediately closes and the Mini icon in the menu bar is gone. So, the same behavior as before. What is different now is that with the "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" option deselected, when I close the main 1Password application window, the 1Password Mini window also closes immediately without the dialog message and the 1Password Mini menu bar icon disappears from the menu bar. The overall behavior described in my original post did not change, I just don't get the dialog box anymore after I close the main application window. As before, if I go into 1Password preferences and enable the "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" option, then the 1Password mini icon remains available in the menu bar and functions normally even after I close the main 1Password application window.

The expected and desired behavior is to be able to deselect the option "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" and still use 1Password Mini--with or without the main 1Password application window open. As noted in my original post, 1Password Mini is useful for quick and efficient access to vault data regardless of whether or not I am using the browser integration features provided by the Extension Helper.

I have also noticed that when I launch the main 1Password application from the dock, there is a process called "1Password Extension Helper" loaded and running regardless of whether or not the "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" option is selected or not. In fact, after some quick testing, it looks like the 1Password process and the 1Password Extension Helper process are always running together regardless of any option setting. Even when "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" is selected/enabled and I close the main 1Password application window, both processes are still running. Again, as noted in my original post, this begs the question: What exactly does the "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" option do? It looks like the 1Password Extension Helper process is, in fact, always required whenever 1Password is running, regardless of any option settings. True? If so, what is the purpose of the "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" option?

Thank you.
Regards,
Griffith

AGAlumB

@gbrandel: No part of 1Password can do a thing if it isn't running. Keeping the helper running in the background is how you'd be able to use 1Password mini. Otherwise 1Password isn't running at all after you've closed its window. If you open 1Password again, its processes will run. The "Always keep 1Password Extension Helper running" option makes it so that it is still running in the background even if you close the main 1Password app window, so that you're able to access 1Password in the browser, from the menu bar (if you have the icon enabled), or by pressing ⌘ ⌥ \.