1Password on iOS 5 has no obvious way to sync with 1Password 5 on Mac

I have an old iPad (the very first model) that maxes out at 5.1.1, and has the appropriate version of 1Password on it. My Macs (10.10.5 and 10.11.2) run the latest release of 1Password 5.

Dropbox apparently does not support iOS that old, and does not accept the current password, either in 1Password or in its own app (it asks for a 4-digit PIN).

For WiFi sync, the iOS version asks you to type 2 secrets on the Mac, and the Mac version asks you to type a secret on the iPad. That obviously can't work - neither side is soliciting input from its own keyboard.

Is there an alternative method, such as copying a file from the Mac to the iPad via PhoneView or iTunes? Am I stuck with logging into the Dropbox web page and clicking on the 1Password html file? This old iPad otherwise does everything I need, and I don't want to buy a new one at this time.

Thank you,

1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: ANY
Referrer: forum-search:iOS 5 won't sync with 1Password 5


  • BenBen AWS Team

    Team Member

    Hi Ed ( @eluwish ),

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately there really isn't much of a solution here. 1PasswordAnywhere (the 1Password.html file you mentioned) is being phased out as it isn't compatible with our new keychain format, OPVault. 1Password 3 for iOS (the latest version for iOS 5) was retired in 2012. Dropbox changed their APIs and so v3 can no longer sync with it.

    The only sync that still works is 1Password 3 for iOS with 1Password 3 for Mac, using Agile Keychain (not OPVault). I can't recommend that, but it should, in theory, still work.

    I wish I had a better answer for you here, but unfortunately the original iPad hardware just can't handle later versions of 1Password that can sync.


  • I was afraid of that. I still have a computer or two capable of running 1Password 3, but if there's to be a new cloud format for the password store, it won't work for long.

    I'm concerned about the elimination of 1PasswordAnywhere, though. It was the only way to use 1Password with ChromeOS, and no doubt many other unsupported operating systems that nonetheless have standards-based web browsers. Is there a proposed solution for this problem?

    The only thing I can think of, which is not very secure, is to export the 1Password database as a text file (and I don't know if that is supported anymore, either) and import it into a different password safe application. I really don't like that idea at all.

  • BenBen AWS Team

    Team Member

    Hi @eluwish,

    I'd agree that exporting to a text file is essentially a non-solution. It really defeats much of the purpose of using a password manager. Might as well write them in a notebook at that point.

    it won't work for long.

    Unfortunately that is often a problem when it comes to legacy software/hardware.

    1PasswordAnywhere was designed for 1Password 3, and hasn't had much attention since. It was primarily designed to address the need for access to 1Password on Windows, for which of course now we have a native Windows desktop application. I'd love to see 1PasswordAnywhere brought into the modern age, but unfortunately due to other priorities that is unlikely to happen, at least in the forseeable future. Currently much of our development effort is focused on our 1Password for Teams beta, in addition to our desktop and mobile apps.

    Speaking of Teams, it certainly isn't designed as a 1PasswordAnywhere replacement, but it does have the ability to be accessed from a web browser. I'm not sure I'd necessarily recommend it in this case unless you have other needs that would be met by such a service, but it does do everything 1PasswordAnywhere set out to achieve and much more. It is currently free, while in beta, if you want to try it out and see if it is a solution for you.


  • I decided to "bite the bullet" and get a more up-to-date iPad, and bought a used one that runs iOS 9. The old one was good for reading PDF books, and I had loaded all my O'Reilly books, etc. It served as a reference for software development - but I realize that there were several other applications I routinely used (other than GoodReader) for this function, most importantly cloud storage and a modern web browser.

    I still think that the lack of ChromeOS (and ARM LInux) support is a problem. The web interface filled this need, and 1PasswordAnywhere was a clever solution that did not require a password server. A self-contained (i.e., not a shim to a 1Password app) Chrome/Chromium extension for OPVault access would do the trick.

  • BenBen AWS Team

    Team Member

    Hopefully the new iPad serves you well. :)

    Thanks for the feedback! Happy new year.


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