We all have so many passwords for online retailers, banks, courts, etc. that you need to have some way to track them all. That's why I recommend that everyone consider getting a password manager app. There are quite a few good ones out there, but I really love the one that I use: 1Password. The app gives me a central location to store all of my passwords in a super secure fashion on my iPhone, plus the app syncs the passwords so that they are also available on my iPad, my PC and my Mac. The idea is that you just have to remember your one master password, and then type in that password to get access in the app to all of your other ones — which you no longer need to remember, so they can be long and complicated, and thus more secure. Better yet, with a new iPhone or iPad, you don't even have to type your master password and can instead just use your fingerprint to start the app.
The most recent update to 1Password was late last month and it added a great new feature called Login Creator. It used to be that when you went to enter a new website password into the 1Password app, you were always presented with the same blank form so you had to fill out the fields from scratch. But with the new Login Creator, the app already knows about hundreds of popular websites.
For example, as you start to enter your Amazon password, as you type the first few letters of "Amazon" the app recognizes the service. Just tap the service as it comes up, and now you don't have to spend as much time creating the entry. You need to provide your username and password (or let the app create a secure, random password for you), but the app already knows other details such as the website address.
If you have been using 1Password for a while, you have already entered your most frequently used passwords like your Amazon password. But if you haven't yet started using 1Password, with the new Login Creator, it is even faster to get up and running.
And 1Password is not just for passwords. Last year, I wrote about how you can use 1Password to create a digital wallet with copies of your license, credit cards, etc. just in case you ever lose your wallet. I also love the Secure Notes feature of 1Password, which gives me a place to type private information that I don't want anyone else to see — such as if I let one of my kids use my iPhone to play a game. I use it to store both secure personal data and some private client-related information that I want to keep privileged and confidential.
If you have been thinking of getting a password manager, I encourage you to try 1Password on your iPhone. If you like it, then you'll also want to get a copy for your computer, but you can start with just the iPhone/iPad app to see if it is right for you. The app itself is free so that you can easily take a test drive, and then with a $9.99 in-app purchase you can take advantage of all of the advanced features such as automatic sync, the ability to use folders, additional categories for items like a driver's license and passport, etc.
Click here to get 1Password (free; $9.99 in-app for pro features):
