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How to use 1Password for two-step authentication codes

Have two-step authentication enabled for your online accounts? Use 1Password? Read this.

Jason Cipriani Contributing Writer, ZDNet
Jason Cipriani is based out of beautiful Colorado and has been covering mobile technology news and reviewing the latest gadgets for the last six years. His work can also be found on sister site CNET in the How To section, as well as across several more online publications.
Jason Cipriani
2 min read

1Password is an app built to help you keep your online accounts secure. The first step of securing an account is using a strong password. The second is remembering that password.

It's easy to come up with one password we feel is strong and that we can remember, then use it across a litany of sites and services. But that's not really safe, nor is it smart. If one account falls, they all fall.

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Another step in securing your online accounts is enabling two-step authentication. This additional layer of security requires you to first enter the correct login information, followed by a six-digit code that's either sent via text message to your phone or accessed through an app such as Authy or Google Authenticator.

1Password has always been convenient for remembering your difficult passwords for you, but a bit of an inconvenience since you had to install another app or rely on text messages (which requires you to have cellular signal whenever you want to log into an account) to receive your one-time passwords.

For those who subscribe to 1Password's service, or those who paid for access to 1Password's Pro features on iOS or Android, you have access to extra features such as the ability to add a one-time password. 

In order to use it, however, you'll need to log into the accounts for which you have two-step authentication enabled and change the method you use to receive the shortcodes. Unsure where to go? Read through this post, which walks you through most of the major services' two-step setup process.

Alternatively, we have a solid guide for switching Google Authenticator from one phone to another, and wouldn't you know it? The same applies to changing your setup to another app. You'll need to have a browser window pulled up on a computer and be logged into the respective settings page for each service before you can switch over to 1Password.

1password-2fa-codes
Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

As far as the process on your phone goes, launch 1Password and find the account you'd like to set up. Select it followed by a tap on the Edit button in the top-right corner.

Scroll down until you find the new section labeled Add new one time password and tap it. Next, tap on the QR code icon to scan the QR code displayed on your computer and press Done.

Follow the rest of the prompts in your browser window to finish the setup process. Going forward, whenever you log into the service and need a shortcode, you can find it by viewing the proper account in 1Password instead of needing to launch yet another app. Or if you're using 1Password on your computer it will automatically copy the one-time password as it enters your credentials. 

Update, Dec. 14, 2017: This post was originally published on March 5, 2015. It has since been updated with new information.