How to use your fingerprint and other biometrics to unlock 1Password
You can quickly use your fingerprint, face, or eyes to securely unlock 1Password on all your favorite devices. That means you won’t have to manually type out your 1Password account password to open your vaults and access your saved passwords, credit cards, and more.
Here’s how to unlock 1Password with your fingerprint, or with a simple glance, instead of your account password on a phone, tablet, PC, or laptop.
Unlocking 1Password with biometrics
So you’re ready to use your face, eyes, or fingerprint as a password. Just remember: biometric unlock doesn’t replace your 1Password account password, or any of the account credentials that you’ve saved in your vaults. Instead, it’s a quick and easy alternative to typing out your 1Password account password.
Biometric authentication isn’t just convenient – it’s also secure. That’s because we never scan nor store your fingerprint, face, or other biometric data. And it’s hard for an attacker to steal any of this information from your device.
How to set up 1Password Biometric Unlock
1Password supports all the biometric unlock methods created by Apple, Microsoft, and Google, including Touch ID, Windows Hello, and Android biometric unlock. This makes it easy to set everything up and ensures that 1Password always feels like an integrated part of your devices.
Here’s what you’ll need to do to set up and use Biometric Unlock on your devices.
Mac (Touch ID)
- Before you can use Touch ID to unlock 1Password, you’ll need to set it up on your Mac
- Once you’ve done this, open 1Password and select your account at the top of the sidebar, followed by Settings
- Choose Security, then select Touch ID
- Select your user account at the top of the sidebar and choose Lock
- Enter your account password to unlock 1Password and your private vaults
- After this setup, you can place your fingerprint on the Touch ID sensor to unlock 1Password – the sensor is usually located at the top right of your keyboard
iOS (Touch ID & Face ID)
- The first step is to set up Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad
- Next, open and unlock the 1Password app
- Tap Settings, then Security
- Turn on Touch ID
- Place your finger on the Touch ID sensor to unlock 1Password and access your vaults
If you’re not able to use Touch ID or Face ID for any reason, you can still unlock using your 1Password account password.
Windows (Windows Hello)
If you want to use Biometric Unlock on Windows, you’ll first need to set up Windows Hello on your laptop or PC.
Then, open 1Password for Windows and select Settings, followed by Security.
Choose “Allow Windows Hello to unlock 1Password,” and you’re all set!
After the setup, you’ll see a message from Windows “making sure it’s you” when you open 1Password. Place your finger on the sensor or look into the camera to unlock 1Password and access your vaults.
Android (fingerprint, face, or eyes)
Wondering how to use Biometric Unlock with 1Password for Android? Here’s how:
- First, make sure you’ve set up your Android device so it can be unlocked with your fingerprint, face, or another form of biometrics
- Open 1Password, choose your account or collection, then go to Settings, then Security
- Tap to turn on any biometric unlock options you want to use
- Tap the icon for your account or collection and choose Lock
- Enter your account password
Linux (fingerprint or other biometric)
You can also unlock 1Password for Linux using your fingerprint or another form of biometrics. Just like other platforms, you’ll need to start by heading to your Linux computer’s system settings. To get started:
- Open and unlock your 1Password for Linux
- Select the account at the top of the sidebar and go to Settings
- Choose Security, then select “Unlock using system authentication”
- Lock 1Password, then unlock it using your 1Password account password
- Now you can open 1Password with biometrics, your Linux user password, or a security key
Don’t forget your 1Password account password, even after you’ve set up Biometric Unlock on all your devices. You may be asked to enter it occasionally, and it’s your fallback if you ever encounter problems with Biometric Unlock.
Biometric Unlock: Fast, convenient, and secure
Biometric Unlock lets you quickly get into your 1Password account without compromising on security. Using a fingerprint, face, or eyes also makes it easier to use a longer and more secure account password, since you won’t be typing it out so often to unlock your vaults.
Biometric Unlock is a fast, convenient, and secure way to access your password manager, so why not try it today?
Try 1Password for free today and use your fingerprint, face, or eyes to quickly and securely access your saved passwords.