We bring good news if you’re a 1Password user and own an Android device. Today AgileBits, the company behind the password management service, announced a significant update to the 1Password for Android, which most notably brings support for fingerprint scanners — something it has long supported on Apple devices.
The convenience of Fingerprint Unlock is only for devices that both run Android Marshmallow (version 6.0) and include a fingerprint scanner (of course), such as the Google Nexus 5X. Those with less fancy phones will get the rest of the updates in the app — which has been bumped up to version 6.0 — so long as they run Android 4.1 or newer.
Those other features include support for teams, plus a redesign that adopts Google’s Material Design and includes a convenient floating button and omnipresent toolbar. AgileBits said also that it has “greatly improved” the WiFi sync feature for updating passwords wirelessly between devices. Users who appreciate this update and like to get new things early, might want to consider joining its Android app beta program.
If you don’t have a password manager yet, you should seriously consider getting one. The basic version of 1Password is free, but you have to buy a package in order to get your hands on more advanced features, such as unlimited storage of log-in/passwords.
Other options include Dashlane, which recently got a major update, and LastPass, the service which was bought by LogMeIn for $110 million last year. The concept of passwords will probably disappear in the future, but, until then, using software to manage passwords across your various Internet accounts is far safer than doing it yourself or using the same combination across multiple accounts.