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    Syncing with 1Password for iPhone and iPod touch

    If you want to sync your 1Password Logins, Identities, Secure Notes, and Wallet items between your Mac and iPhone or iPod touch, you can download 1Password touch or 1Password touch Pro from Apple’s iTunes App Store and follow the setup guide in this document. A Wi-Fi network with at least 1Password touch 2.0 and 1Password 2.9.16 are required.

    Our iPhone applications can synchronize data with any Mac as long as all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. In most cases it means that both your device and Mac will have to be near each other, or at least in the same building. It is not yet possible to synchronize 1Password between your Mac and device over the Internet.

    To learn how to set up Wi-Fi Sync, you can watch the short tutorial screencast embedded below. You can also follow the step-by-step instructions in the rest of this document.

    1Password Screencast: Wi-Fi Sync with 1Password touch 2.0

    Enable Wi-Fi Sync

    Step 1: Open 1Password touch on your device, tap the More tab in the bottom toolbar, and go to Settings. Then tap Wi-Fi Sync, and flip the switch to on:

    iPhone Searching Local Network

    Don’t forget: your iPhone has to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.

    Step 2: Tap the Allow New Connections button, enter your 1Password touch Master Password, and tap the keyboard’s Go button. This displays the sync setup screen with two secret phrases you must enter into 1Password on your Mac in the next step:

    Sync setup screen and secret phrases

    Step 3: Open 1Password on your Mac, unlock it with your Master Password, and you should see your iPhone or iPod touch appear in the sidebar under the “Sync” heading:

    iPhone Sync

    Click your device icon in 1Password 3’s sidebar, then the “Sync Now” button in the lower right to perform your first sync. To confirm that you control both your Mac and your device, you will need to enter the two codes from step 2 into a popup dialog in 1Password on your Mac. If entered properly, the sync will begin, but be patient. Depending on how many items you have, your initial sync could take 10-30 seconds, or perhaps even longer.

    You can customize some preferences on this device settings screen, such as picking between syncing all your items or just specific folders of them (read more about this in our 1Password touch Pro comparison document), and whether syncs occur automatically when you have 1Password open on both devices.

    Step 3: The Alternate Version: Sync by IP address

    If for any reason your Mac is having trouble finding your device, you can manually add your device by its IP address. This method is not recommended for your regular sync routine, but it can work in a pinch or for troubleshooting.

    To sync 1Password with your device by its IP address, simply follow the guide above through Step 2. But instead of doing the first part of Step 3, scroll down on the Wi-Fi Sync screen of your device and tap Advanced. There you will find an IP address and port number that you need to enter into 1Password on your Mac:

    1Password touch sync Advanced IP address screen

    In 1Password 3 on your Mac, go to Help > Troubleshooting > Sync using IP address…. On the sheet that appears, type in the IP address and port number you got from your device, then click the Add button. If done correctly, your device will be listed in the Wi-Fi Sync window by its IP address. You should now be able to sync just as if you used the more automatic method described above.

    Be warned, however, that syncing manually by your device’s IP has a catch: depending on your network configuration, your device may not obtain the same IP address every time it connects. If you actually do get a different address later, you will need to go through this setup process again. This is why we do not recommend manually syncing by IP address as a long-term syncing option.

    More Details

    You can view the sync process on your device, as your Mac’s name will appear at the top of the Wi-Fi sync window with a display of how many items are syncing just below.

    1Password touch sync progress

    1Password will sync with 1Password touch in the background, automatically when they are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and you will see a subtle notification of sync activity. The iPhone OS’s Network Activity Indicator, pictured below, will display in the menubar next to the signal strength and wireless carrier icons, informing you that a sync is in progress.

    1Password touch menubar sync notification

    If 1Password is running on your Mac and you start 1Password touch on your iPhone or iPod touch, a sync will begin, but you can still browse your items on either device during the sync. On the other hand, if 1Password touch is running on your iPhone or iPod touch and you start 1Password on your Mac, a sync will still begin automatically.

    Troubleshooting

    If you have trouble with getting 1Password to see your iPhone or iPod touch, or with actually syncing data, please try some solutions listed in our Sync Problems and Solutions document.