How to add multiple vaults in different Dropbox accounts to 1password 6 standalone for Mac?

davidxia
davidxia
Community Member

I have 1Password 6 standalone version for Mac. I want to add multiple vaults to it. These vaults are in different Dropbox accounts.

I see an option to create a new standalone vault in my Mac app and to sync it to a Dropbox folder in the Dropbox account I'm already logged into for my Primary vault. But I can't seem to sync this new vault with an existing vault in another Dropbox account. Is this possible? If so, how can I do it?

Note: I'm able to add vaults in different Dropbox accounts on my iOS 1Password app after upgrading it to Pro.

My 1Password 6 standalone version for Mac is
Version 6.8.8 (688002)
AgileBits Store

My 1password for iOS is version 7.0.6


1Password Version: 6.8.8 (688002)
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: OS X 10.13.4 (17E202)
Sync Type: Dropbox
Referrer: forum-search:How to add multiple vaults in different Dropbox accounts to 1password 6 standalone for Mac?

Comments

  • davidxia
    davidxia
    Community Member

    I tried working around this by sharing the new vault I'm trying to add via Dropbox's sharing functionality with the Dropbox account that contains my Primary vault. When I try to sync with this vault though, the "Unlock and merge" button makes an invalid sound and doesn't proceed even though I know my password is correct. The "Cancel" button also doesn't work. So the entire dialogue window is stuck, and I can't exit from it. The only way to exit is to force quit the entire app.

    To be clear, I'd like to avoid this workaround as sharing the Dropbox vault seems less secure than being able to use vaults across Dropbox accounts. But if this workaround is unavoidable, it's better than nothing for me.

    See screenshots.



  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @davidxia: I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to do. Since the Dropbox client only works with a single account, literally the only way to use vaults in different accounts would be if one account shares the vault with the other, so that it's also available there. The security is also unchanged since you're using Dropbox either way. And your 1Password data is end-to-end encrypted anyway, so 1Password simply doesn't depend on the sync service to protect your data. I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish, but it sounds like you're trying to combine two different vaults in 1Password, perhaps inadvertently. If you'll let me know what your goal is exactly I'll see if I can suggest anything. Thanks in advance!

  • davidxia
    davidxia
    Community Member
    edited April 2018

    Thanks for replying.

    literally the only way to use vaults in different accounts would be if one account shares the vault with the other, so that it's also available there

    The iOS client can use vaults in different Dropbox accounts at the same time. See screenshots below showing three vaults each in different Dropbox accounts. Is there a way for the Mac client to do the same?

    security is also unchanged since you're using Dropbox either way. And your 1Password data is end-to-end encrypted anyway, so 1Password simply doesn't depend on the sync service to protect your data

    That’s true. The vault file itself is encrypted and requires a password to decrypt.

    sounds like you're trying to combine two different vaults in 1Password, perhaps inadvertently

    If by this you mean use both vaults separately but concurrently then yes this is what I’m trying to do intentionally.




  • Lars
    Lars
    1Password Alumni

    @davidxia

    The iOS client can use vaults in different Dropbox accounts at the same time...Is there a way for the Mac client to do the same?

    No. 1Password for iOS can either leverage the native Dropbox app for iOS OR use the Dropbox API directly, which is what allows the functionality you're describing. On the desktop (Mac or PC, things work differently; there's no way to utilize Dropbox (except in a browser) without installing the native Dropbox app. And you can only be logged into one Dropbox account at a time in the app.

    If you have multiple Dropbox accounts, you could potentially share a Dropbox folder containing the 1Password keychain between accounts, but that's not a use-case that's officially supported, and I can't really give you any tips for setting it up, as I'm not sure how you want it to function. The best way to share data among multiple users and multiple vaults is with a 1password.com membership; let us know if you'd like more information about transitioning to an individual or 1Password Families account. :)

  • davidxia
    davidxia
    Community Member
    edited April 2018

    @Lars, @brenty. Thanks. So it seems the iOS ability to use multiple vaults in different Dropbox accounts is by accident more than design. So then my question is how can I get the below workaround of sharing the Dropbox folder to succeed?

    I tried working around this by sharing the new vault I'm trying to add via Dropbox's sharing functionality with the Dropbox account that contains my Primary vault. When I try to sync with this vault though, the "Unlock and merge" button makes an invalid sound and doesn't proceed even though I know my password is correct. The "Cancel" button also doesn't work. So the entire dialogue window is stuck, and I can't exit from it. The only way to exit is to force quit the entire app.

  • Hi @davidxia,

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that isn’t a configuration that we can support. It may be technically possible, but we don’t have instructions for setting it up, and we’ll be unable to help with it if you do. As Lars alluded the only way we support this kind of a configuration would be with a 1Password membership (specifically 1Password Families, 1Password Teams, or 1Password Business). This kind of an arrangement with Dropbox is just too fragile, and we really can’t recommend that you go down that path. There is a very real possibility of data loss with this sort of a configuration.

    I’m sorry I don’t have the answer you were looking for, but we’d be happy to help you move forward with a solution that does support this kind of sharing. If you’d like to discuss specifics please send us an email to sales@1password.com and include a link to this thread: https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/89396/

    Ben

  • davidxia
    davidxia
    Community Member

    Gotcha. Thanks for explaining. Is the multi-vault across Dropbox accounts on iOS stable enough to use without risk of data loss?

  • Ben
    Ben
    edited May 2018

    You're welcome. I'm not aware of any particular difficulty with that configuration.

    Ben

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @davidxia: Indeed, all of that's handled by Dropbox, so you'd have to ask them. On iOS and Android, their APIs are syncing the data; on macOS and Windows, their clients are syncing the data. I agree that it's interesting that the APIs seem more flexible for your use case than the native desktop client, but I'm not in a position to explain why, just another Dropbox user like yourself. Cheers! :)

This discussion has been closed.