Besides new user features such as health tracking, user interface optimizations, and improved messaging, iOS 8 introduces several new APIs for developers that will result in improved App Store apps that tie even deeper into the system. Two of the most notable API additions in iOS 8 are Touch ID and Extensions. The Touch ID feature will allow developers to design applications that can use the iPhone 5s’s fingerprint scanner, and Extensions will allow them to integrate their own software into share sheets within other apps.
1Password, a popular password management program, is testing an updated version of its iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch application that taps into both of these APIs. We’ve gone hands-on with the beta version—which developer AgileBits stresses is still a pre-release build with functionality and interface elements that can and will change—and both features feel right at home in a third-party app. You can find tours of both the Touch ID and Extensions features below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qYSHb3zEFw&feature=youtu.be]
Touch ID:
The Touch ID feature makes perfect sense for 1Password. Instead of needing to type in your vault’s master password or a PIN each time you want to access your password library, you simply just rest any of your assigned Touch ID fingers on the home button. It works just like unlocking your iPhone 5s. If your fingerprint does not authenticate the app for whatever reason, you can always enter your passcode. Above is a video of the Touch ID 1Password unlock feature in action.
The beta currently has options for different time allotments for being required to enter the passcode. For users on non-Touch ID devices, this current beta also allows users to login to their password library with the device’s main PIN code instead of the vault’s master password. Touch ID is perhaps the most exciting new API for developers of password and payment applications.
Extensions:
With 1Password, the Extensions feature exists as a new button within the standard Share Sheet in iOS 8’s Safari broswer. In order to add 1Password to the Safari Share Sheet, you must select it from the list of “extendable” applications.
When you click the 1Password button from the Share Sheet, you are prompted to select the password from your 1Password library. You can authenticate this with Touch ID or your passcode. It works more or less just like a mobile version of the 1Password for Mac Safari extension.
Of course, all of the aforementioned features could be removed or altered significantly by the launch of the 1Password update. The developers have not indicated when the update will arrive, but we assume it will launch around the time of iOS 8 in the fall. 1Password currently costs $17.99 on iOS and $49.99 for Mac.
AgileBits is also working on a 1Password interface update for OS X Yosemite (shown above, in beta). We assume both platform updates will be free of charge, but the developers have not commented on this.
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I use Lastpass at the minute as it’s free for all browsers, $68 sounds like a lot to have this on my mac and iPhone, good to see devs using the Touch ID though.
Right, $50 for an app is not the right price these days.
No matter what, I would not save my banking/credit card #/password/info with any app.
Remember how much was the Super Monkey Ball back then?!
Lastpass is cheaper at $12/year. Curious, what is this doing that Lastpass isn’t?
I think it is worth every penny. I, for one, don’t mind paying developers for such a high quality app, especially one that manages my most sensitive data.
And the customer support is awesome.
Yes, I agree that it is worth the money. It is a great product, with excellent customer support.
Developers have bills too don’t they.
I don’t buy apps often, but the money I spent for 1Password was WELL worth it!! I love that they notify you right in the app when one of the sites you use gets hacked so you can change your password.
I wonder if you are an Estoque with that name… only Estoque’s use S2K’s…
I may have to upgrade our ipads along with our iphones now that 1password can utilize touch id. I’ve been using “itouchsecure” on my jailbroken iphone for a while now and I can’t live without this feature now. 1password is synced across all my macs (4 of the them) ipads (4 of them) and iphones (2 of them).
Yes! This is exactly what I was hoping for. I’m still rocking my iPhone 5 but I plan to upgrade to the (hopefully) iPhone 6 this year. I love 1Password and am very excited about this.
I find 1Password to be a pain-point in iOS. As easy as it is to use on the Mac is as difficult as it is on mobile devices. Almost any improvement would be welcome.
I bought both version (iOS and OSX) a few months back and I’m loving it.
I think it’s natural progression that they integrate Touch ID and Extensions to the app, it’s just what they needed. Right now, it’s easy on OSX because of extensions on the browser you use but on iOS was kind of a pain in the ass, you either had to copy/paste the password onto your browser of choice or you had to use the browser within the app (and I personally didn’t like it).
Hopefully they don’t pull a Tweetbot and decide to launch a different app, then we have to pay again.
So here’s off topic: I’m glad to see the share menu in iOS 8 got far better in-app action icons in the bottom row. Much more distinct. In iOS 7 the shapes aren’t filled, there’s no white background and all icons have thin lines including a thin border, yuck.
And it’s not edge to edge anymore, which is possibly a bad design decision. It looks more like the textual menu’s with the separate cancel button (although it’s a different kind of menu), and edge to edge is better for maximizing the screen space, which is especially great for horizontally scrolling content.