Move existing 1Password data to a 1Password account

@jlg

I am currently using the 1Password app on my iMac, and I am about to sign up for a 1Password account.

Awesome! Welcome to 1password.com.

The instructions indicate that I should use my existing Master Password: is this a requirement to be able to migrate my data successfully?

No. And frankly, if your current Master Password for your standalone 1Password data is weak or you worry it's been compromised, you shouldn't choose the same one. What using the same one does is prevent you from having to remember another long, strong password if you already have a perfectly good one you know and like. Be aware, though, that whatever you choose for your 1password.com account will be the only Master Password you use from here on, so make sure it's a) good and strong and b) something you can remember.

Does this mean that I will not be using the app any more once I have migrated my data, and that I will only be using the web based platform?

No. What it means is that you'll be adding your newly-created 1password.com account into 1Password for Mac alongside your existing standalone 1Password data. That's how you merge: you have the two separate vaults (one local to your Mac, the other in your 1password.com account) open, side-by-side in 1Password for Mac, and you transfer/migrate the data from the standalone vault into the 1password.com vault. Then, when you're finished doing that and your old Primary vault is empty, you remove it and go 1password.com account-only.

...does "saved items" refer to all of my existing data stored locally? How can I check that the move was successful?

Yes. And you can check by looking in your 1password.com vault. If you want to be really certain, you can sign into your account in a browser, and see if the data is there.

...the video describes a step where the user is actually prompted to delete the old local vault. So what is exactly the best way to get this done?

Either using the steps in the video, or you can visit 1Password's Preferences > Advanced (the gear icon at the top right of the Preferences window), and UN-checking the box marked "Allow creation of vaults outside 1Password accounts."

...how do I know that it is safe to remove my old vault?

Look at it -- is it empty? If so, it's safe to remove because there's nothing in it any longer. You can use the vault menu at the top left of the main 1Password menu to switch vaults to the Primary vault, and if you see no items there, go ahead. If you want to be extra-cautious, before you begin the process, you can visit 1Password Preferences > Backup and click "Backup Now" to create a backup of the current state of your data before beginning the migration process. That way, if anything goes truly pear-shaped, you'll be able to roll back to an existing backup.

...with the standard 1Password account (not 1Password families), is it possible for both my wife and I to run the 1Password app for ios on our respective phones and access / share the same vault, or does this require the family account?

The best way to do this would be the use of a 1Password Families membership, but if you want to, you can use an individual account. You'd need to share the Master Password and Secret Key with your wife, and there'd be NO individual vaults at all; everything for both of you would be all jumbled up in the same account, which both of you could see/use on your respective devices.

A 1Password Families account is much better-segmented for multiple person use: each family member (up to five, with a 1Password Families account) gets his/her own Private vault, plus access to the family-wide Shared vault. That way, each of you can keep your own personal items separate -- not because you want to keep secrets from one another, but because you both will likely have a Login item called (for example) "Facebook." If everything is kept in the same vault (like it would be if you used an Individual account, which Facebook login should 1Password use when you try signing in there? You'd have to constantly be selecting yours or your wife's for sites at which you both have an individual login. But with 1Password Families, you can still put items where you have only one login that you both need/want, like the family Netflix password, into the Shared vault.

Hope this was helpful, but if you have any questions, let us know. Honestly, don't worry: if you follow the steps to get yourself transitioned over, you'll do just fine.

@jlg - that's excellent news! I'm so glad to hear it was smooth sailing. And thanks for the kind words, we really appreciate it. We genuinely love what we do - helping bring people greater security and privacy, so I'm glad it shows. :)