With 1Password, you can securely share a copy of an item with anyone, even if they don’t have a 1Password account. Because you can securely share copies of secrets so easily, you can share items with more people and with more control.
You are always in control
You choose which items to share, as well as who to share them with and for how long. You can stop sharing an item at any time. If you’re a family organizer or team administrator, you can use vault permissions to limit who can share items.
Your original items are not shared
When you share an item using a unique link, a copy of the item is created, with the password history removed. Only the copy is shared, not the original item.
If you change an item’s details after you’ve already shared a copy, your changes won’t be shared unless you share the item again.
Your shared items are end-to-end encrypted
When you share an item using a unique link, the item is encrypted at rest and in transit. All encryption is performed on your device, and all decryption is performed on the device of the recipient:
- 1Password generates a random share secret on your device.
- A copy of your 1Password item is encrypted with that share secret and uploaded.
- 1Password creates a URL from a link to the encrypted item and share secret.
- You share the URL with someone.
The share secret is never sent to the server, so no one at 1Password can decrypt the item.
Your shared items are securely stored on a dedicated server
When you share an item using a unique link, an encrypted copy of the item is stored securely on a dedicated server in Frankfurt, Germany. The server is only used for this purpose and does not store any other 1Password data.
Your family or team can only share items in vaults with certain permissions
If you share a 1Password account with your family or team, they can only share items from vaults where they have certain permissions:
- 1Password Families and 1Password Teams: Allow Editing
- 1Password Business: “Copy and Share Items” and “View and Copy Passwords”
Protect yourself when sharing items:
1Password can’t prevent insecure sharing, but it does make it easier for people and organizations to share copies of secrets in a more secure manner than they might do otherwise. The advantages of sharing items in this way far outweigh the risks. Follow these tips to stay safe when sharing items:
Only share items with people you trust. 1Password allows you to share an item with anyone, even if they don’t use 1Password, but it assumes a level of trust with the person or people you’re sharing the item with. If you don’t trust someone with the password (including the one-time password) or other details of the item, don’t share it.
Use vaults to share items with family or team members you already share a 1Password account with. The most secure way to share items with your family or team is to use a vault you already share with them. Learn how to share a vault with a family or team member.
Use email addresses if you only want to share an item with specific people. If you only want to share an item with specific people, choose to share it using email addresses. They’ll need to verify their email address before they can access the item.
Update an item’s details after you stop sharing. To make sure the recipient doesn’t have an item’s details after you stop sharing, update them. For example, change the password and reset any two-factor authentication associated with the item. Your changes won’t be shared unless you choose to share the item again. Learn how to manage shared items.
If you discover a vulnerability
If you discover a vulnerability in 1Password, submit a report on HackerOne.