Use Dropbox to Sync Your 1Password Data

Two applications I use on my Mac daily are 1Password and Dropbox. Not too long ago, I discovered that I could use these utilities together to sync the data stored in my 1Password keychain across multiple Macs.

The process is very easy. To get started, make sure you have installed the latest version of 1Password 2 on all the Macs you want to sync. In addition, install and setup your Dropbox account on each Mac.

In order to synchronize your 1Password data, you first need to upgrade your 1Password keychain to the Agile Keychain format. The Agile Keychain format was designed by the developers of 1Password to improve the functionality and portability of the keychain incorporated into OS X. More information about the Agile keychain format can be found here at the 1Password website.

Upgrading to the Agile keychain format requires you to be running 1Password 2. If you are using the Beta version of 1Password 3, you will need to downgrade to 1Password 2 before continuing with the keychain upgrade process. Older versions of 1Password can be downloaded at their version history page.

To upgrade your keychain, launch 1Password 2 and go to the Keychain tab in the Preferences menu. Click "Switch to Agile Keychain Format" at the bottom and enter a master password for your new keychain. 1Password recommends using the same master password used for your original keychain. If prompted, allow 1Password to access information in your OS X Keychain. Following the upgrade process, your keychain will be located in the following folder:

Home>Library>Application Support>1Password>1Password.agilekeychain

More information about the keychain upgrade process can be found here at the 1Password website.

Once your keychain has been upgraded to the Agile keychain format, it is time to move the keychain file to your Dropbox. Before moving your keychain, I recommend creating a 1Password folder within your Dropbox. This will make the file easier to locate in the future as files accumulate with your Dropbox directory.

To move the keychain file, launch 1Password and go to the Keychain tab in the Preferences menu. Under location, click "Move" and a dialog will appear asking for a new location for the keychain file. Select the 1Password folder created earlier in your Dropbox directory and click "Change Location"

Quit 1Password and make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet. Wait for your keychain file to be uploaded to the Dropbox servers and the process is complete. From this point on, any changes made to the 1Password keychain on any of the synchornized Macs will be uploaded to the Dropbox servers and copied to the other Macs.

An added benefit of storing your keychain with Dropbox is that in addition to having your data synchronized, it is also backed up safely on the Dropbox servers. For more information about moving your keychain to your Dropbox, visit the guide provided here by 1Password.