1Password is among our favorite password managers, and if you also use it, you should enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to your account. Here’s how to enable two-factor authentication in 1Password.
On 1Password, you can enable two-factor authentication using authenticator apps on your smartphone or physical security keys. Even if you prefer the latter, you’ll have to set up an authenticator app for two-factor authentication on 1Password first. After setting up the app, you can then register your security key.
RELATED: How to Generate Two-Factor Authentication Codes in 1Password
Enable Two-Factor Authentication in 1Password
First, let’s set up a smartphone app that generates one-time passwords for you to log in to 1Password with.
Navigate to 1Password’s website and click “Sign In.”
Enter your email address, secret key, and master password, and then sign in to your account.
Click your name in the top-right corner, and from the drop-down menu, select “My Profile.”
In the left pane, click “More Actions.”
Choose “Manage Two-Factor Authentication.”
Select “Set Up App” from the Get Started section.
You’ll see a QR code and a setup key on the screen. Make sure that you keep a backup of the two-factor authentication setup key. This will allow you to recover your authenticator codes if you lose access to your smartphone.
On your smartphone, you can open any authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator for Android or iPhone. In your authenticator app, you can either scan the QR code or enter the setup key manually.
Once you do this, you’ll see a six-digit code in the authenticator app. Copy the code or just memorize it.
On your computer, click Next.
Now, paste the one-time password that you just copied from your authenticator app. Once you’ve done that, click “Confirm.”
You’ll see a message confirming that you’ve set up two-factor authentication.
Use a 2FA Physical Security Key for 1Password
Physical security keys offer the best possible security for two-factor authentication. Once you purchase a dedicated security key (such as YubiKey), you can use it as the second factor of authentication for 1Password, too. This means that instead of entering a one-time password, you can simply plug in the YubiKey (which is essentially a USB drive) and confirm that it’s indeed you who’s logging in.
Once you’ve set up app-based two-factor authentication as described above, go to 1Password’s two-factor authentication page. Here, you’ll now see another option that allows you to set up security keys to log in to 1Password’s website, Android app, and iPhone app. Click “Add a Security Key” and then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
You should also check out how to use Google Authenticator to protect your Google account.
RELATED: How to Turn On Two-Factor Authentication for Your Google Account with Google Authenticator
