Multiple vaults can't be synced with iCloud? [Correct, iCloud only syncs Primary]

2

Comments

  • notok
    notok
    Community Member

    I too use multiple vaults to separate my various types of accounts. I have vaults for financial records, work records, and the basic personal records. This week, I am turning in my computer to have the logic board replaced (it is under warranty). I am spending a bunch of time trying to figure out how to get the non-Primary vaults onto my "backup" computer. Syncing over multiple vaults over iCloud would enable me to avoid this problem.

  • Hi @notok,

    Dropbox or 1Password Families would be your best bet:

    How to sync your 1Password data

    Both of these services allow for syncing of multiple vaults between computers.

    Ben

  • notok
    notok
    Community Member

    Thank you Ben. I did read the string of posts. Like the original poster in this thread, for various reasons Dropbox won't work for me. Since it is really just me and I have no intention of sharing userid and passwords, families seems overkill.

  • Understood. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of the currently available options. :)

    Unfortunately I'm not aware of any plans at this point to make changes to the way 1Password interacts with iCloud, but we do appreciate the feedback and will take it into consideration as we move forward.

    Ben

  • Shark88
    Shark88
    Community Member

    I would also highly appreciate the ability to sync multiple vaults with iCloud. I do not want to install dropbox just for that. However, I have some concerns, that your efforts to push you own 1Password online account are distracting you from developing such a feature. I hope I am wrong here.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Shark88: It isn't a distraction, but it's important to keep in mind that with 1Password.com, we're able to give ourselves exactly what we need when it comes to database structure and syncing; so we're absolutely focused on that right now. CloudKit is a huge improvement over the old iCloud, but it's very much a one-size-fits-all that isn't a perfect fit for anyone. Hopefully we'll be able to add support for multiple vaults in iCloud in the future though.

  • steveoo
    steveoo
    Community Member

    I came to this post looking for a simple explanation on why I couldnt sync multiple vaults with iCloud. Needless to say I'm very disappointed by the responses or lack of willingness to provide this feature. I also use a separate vault for personal credentials, separate vault for work, and separate vaults for contract jobs I do on the side. I do not need or want to share any of these vaults. So the whole Teams thing is not something I want.

    I currently sync them all via wifi and it's a real pain to use on an ongoing basis. Dropbox is out of the question. It's simply a matter of trust.

    Hopefully this will be added in the near future otherwise I'll be looking for alternatives.

  • I do apologize @steveoo but syncing multiple vaults via iCloud is not currently on the horizon. It is certainly something we might consider in the future, but even if we were to put it on the roadmap it wouldn't be done in the near future.

    I understand that isn't the answer you were hoping for but I'd rather be up front with you about the reality of it.

    Ben

  • smythg
    smythg
    Community Member

    +1 for wanting to sync multiple vaults via iCloud. I love 1Password but I must admit it does sound like you are holding back on implementing this feature to push single users to the Families product. I can't believe it is difficult to write to a separate iCloud file for a second.

    Is there a technical problem being able to have two vault files on iCloud?

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    +1 for wanting to sync multiple vaults via iCloud. I love 1Password but I must admit it does sound like you are holding back on implementing this feature to push single users to the Families product.

    @smythg: Not really at all. 1Password has supported a single vault in iCloud since the feature was added in 2011 or so, long before we ever imagined the 1Password.com service. We try to be forward-thinking, but that's a bit of a stretch. At that time the 1Password.com we've built today was not even possible with the technology at the time. :dizzy:

    I can't believe it is difficult to write to a separate iCloud file for a second. Is there a technical problem being able to have two vault files on iCloud?

    1Password's entire database in iCloud is effectively a vault itself. We only get one container. This is actually a great fit for the way OPVault works, and this was designed concurrently. So to do multiple vaults there, we'd have to rearchitect both the database structure itself and the apps to know how to use it — effectively, we'd have to develop a third vault format. So yeah, more difficult (and much more work) than you might think. ;)

  • smythg
    smythg
    Community Member

    Thanks for the reply Brenty and explaining why it is not that straightforward. That is helpful and reassuring to me.

    One other generally comment. I do like that AgileBits does not shy away from and responds to the awkward questions on these forums. Many software shops just ignore them or even delete the posts.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    Thanks for the reply Brenty and explaining why it is not that straightforward. That is helpful and reassuring to me.

    @smythg: Any time! Believe me, if it were simple, we'd probably have done it already. And while as a multiple vault user myself I can tell you it's nice that Dropbox can accommodate me in this regard, it also is a lot more complex because of this. Every time I try to find the right vault in Dropbox in that long list, part of me longs for the simplicity of iCloud. :lol:

    One other generally comment. I do like that AgileBits does not shy away from and responds to the awkward questions on these forums. Many software shops just ignore them or even delete the posts.

    Well, being the one to respond to the awkward questions now and then, I really, really appreciate you saying so. ;)

    In all seriousness, we love hearing from you and the rest of our awesome customers, and frankly it's good that we have to challenge our own assumptions and look at things from a different perspective. It can certainly be difficult and uncomfortable to reply sometimes, but no pain no gain, right? I know I appreciate it when people are straight with me, so I try to do the same. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and this kind of back and forth discussion is what I love most about the forums. Cheers! :)

  • kroark76
    kroark76
    Community Member

    I too am disappointed in not having this option over iCloud. I don't need to share. No need for Teams. Just another vote for the ability to sync multiple vaults via icloud.

  • Thanks for the vote @kroark76. :) Unfortunately I'm not aware of any definite plans to implement this, but I'll certainly pass the vote along.

    Ben

  • Sifer
    Sifer
    Community Member

    Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but I faced exactly the same issue as the OP so I wanted to share my solution. Like the OP, I have several vaults that needed to be synced over all my iOS devices and Macs, and I am the only one who uses the vaults. This may seem obvious to many, but perhaps it will be of use to someone:

    1. On a Mac, merge all of the vaults into a single new vault.
    2. Organize by folder and/or keywords.
    3. Share the single new vault over iCloud.

    You will need 1Password Pro for iOS in order to organize via folders and keywords.

    This method enables me to separate work and personal data.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Sifer: That's actually a really cool solution, since no single vault has a limit! I'll also add that tags could also be used to great effect as well. Certainly the Pro Features help a lot since you can easily select individual folders or tags in the Organize tab, but I did want to add that the free version will also allow you to access any data sync'd from other devices, just without the easier navigation. Cheers! :)

  • multiVaultSync
    multiVaultSync
    Community Member
    edited January 2017

    I'm another one of those people who wants to sync multiple vaults with one iCloud account using one Apple ID. According to Ben, I don't exist.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    I don't see where Ben said that, but regardless I believe in you! Thanks for letting us know you'd like to be able to sync multiple vaults with iCloud. :)

  • fletom
    fletom
    Community Member

    This is a really important feature for me too. Surely there's no technical reason why you can't allow syncing as many vault databases as you want with iCloud?

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @fletom: Certainly it's probably technically possible to get multiple vaults to sync with iCloud, just a matter of designing around that, coding it, and testing -- in other words, easier said than done. It isn't possible with the way 1Password is designed today, so it would require many technical changes under the hood to make it work if we go that route in the future.

  • mrandy
    mrandy
    Community Member

    So glad I read this thread as I was just about to create a second vault for all my work passwords. Since I use iCloud sync too - Dropbox not an option - I guess I will have to stay single vault for now. :(

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @mrandy: Hopefully it will become possible in the future, but for now if a single vault works for you you can sync it with iCloud.

    However, you may want to consider a 1Password subscription, since it gives you access to all of the apps, the web interface, and does away with license management and sync configuration altogether — you simply login to your account to authorize a device and access your data:

    1Password.com

    Either way, thanks for letting us know that you'd appreciate an option for multiple iCloud vaults. :)

  • multiVaultSync
    multiVaultSync
    Community Member

    Guys, let's be honest for a second. This feature is never going to happen. If it did happen, 1Password's subscription service would be cannibalized out of existence. They rely on keeping this feature out of 1Password to maintain the revenue that funds their payroll account.

    I'm not here to debate whether this is right or wrong or anything else. I just want to point out the obvious conflict and why it's a waste of time to sit around hoping for this feature.

    Your options are to pay up for 1Password's subscription service, to get another password service, or figure out a way to use Dropbox within the 2GB free limit for your passwords.

  • Those are the options, yes. For a long time I used Dropbox, with a free account, to manage multiple 1Password vaults. 1Password.com does a much better job of it though, so I'm no longer using Dropbox for 1Password (I do still use them for other things).

    Ben

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @multiVaultSync: I understand where you're coming from, but that doesn't quite make sense. By that logic, we'd simply remove 3rd party sync support to drive users to 1Password.com subscriptions. Also, iCloud sync being limited to the Primary vault predates even the initial development of 1Password.com by years. Finally, we've got some pretty hefty vaults here, but I haven't heard of anyone whose 1Password data isn't able to fit in their Dropbox account — even a free one. So Dropbox definitely continues to be a good alternative for syncing multiple vaults, but as Ben mentioned, we recommend 1Password.com in most cases because it's a better experience: it's easy, works the way users expect it to, and if it breaks we can fix it.

  • Waterford
    Waterford
    Community Member

    Uh oh. I just discovered this problem with syncing Mac to iOS via iCloud. With multiple vaults. I guess now I move all of the secondary vault material back to the primary, and then tag the individual secondary items with the (now) obsolete vault names. Sigh. I guess if I were AgileBits, I would just kill the idea of multiple vaults for Mac based users. At a minimum, maybe have a disclosure up front - "If you sync with iCloud, you will be unable to do so with multiple vaults in the future. You can only sync the primary vault." Would have saved me an afternoon's work.

  • Ben
    Ben
    edited March 2017

    Hey @Waterford,

    Thanks for the feedback, but I'm not sure I'd agree such a warning make sense considering it is possible to sync multiple vaults using iOS+macOS using either a 1Password membership or Dropbox. :)

    Ben

  • Waterford
    Waterford
    Community Member

    Hey Ben, Exactly correct. But not with iCloud. That was the point of my request. I have to think that most people choose a synchronization partner prior to creating multiple vaults, as they go about incorporating 1P into their daily routines. And so a simple text message in the app, under synchronization, or a note of some kind during setup would be helpful in precluding wasted effort.

    The customers using standalone 1P are some of your longer, more loyal customers. I have repeatedly praised 1P in the Wall St Journal's commentaries. And I am one of the lucky many that had the opportunity to pay for 1P twice: first through your storefront - because I thought I was supporting Agile - and then again through the App store when Apple made changes to MacOS. Telling me I can now pay continuously on a subscription basis to sync multiple vaults or choose Dropbox (some of your customers have issues with Dropbox) after having paid twice - that seems to be a little off key, respectfully.

    Appreciate your reply. I am concluding that this dead horse has been flogged yet again.

  • multiVaultSync
    multiVaultSync
    Community Member
    edited March 2017

    You guys seriously don't get it. AgileBits has dozens of employees in (high cost-of-living) Canada working on a single password manager product. Your one-time payment is nothing when it comes to feeding that many mouths. Their survival depends on your perpetual payments. They need you to hit the single-vault sync road bump and then give in to a perpetuity made payable to their massive staff. If they give in to mulit-vault password sync, their over-staffed company will collapse.

    All these people are depending on you:

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Waterford: Ben isn't suggesting that you pay for something you don't need or want. If you see a value in the benefits of 1Password.com, only then should you pay for it. If you have a setup that fits your needs, there's no harm in sticking with it. Frankly I wish that I felt that way about my iPhone, as I feel like I've outgrown it and that means spending the money on a new one later this year probably... :lol:

This discussion has been closed.