How to download and install 1Password on Mac
1Password for Mac comes from 1Password’s website as a small installer that downloads the right app for your Mac. Here is how to install it, sign in and connect your browser so it can fill in passwords.
1Password
- macOS 12 or later
- Apple Silicon and Intel
- Paid. 14-day free trial
Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:
The links go to the developer’s website (1password.com, downloads.1password.com). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.
Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:
brew install --cask 1passwordHomebrew downloads the app from the developer’s server, checks the file and puts the app in Applications.
No Homebrew yet? How to install Homebrew: one command from brew.sh.
Before you download
1Password needs macOS 12 Monterey or later and a 1Password account. If you don’t have one, you can start a 14-day free trial on 1password.com or from the app. The installer picks the build for Apple Silicon or Intel by itself.
Download 1Password only from 1password.com. A password manager holds every login you have, so a fake copy is the worst kind of malware.
How to install 1Password
- Open
1Password.zipin your Downloads folder: it unpacks 1Password Installer. Safari may unpack it for you. - Double-click 1Password Installer and click Open when macOS asks about an app downloaded from the internet.
- Wait while the installer downloads 1Password and puts it in Applications. 1Password opens when it is done.
- Sign in to your 1Password account, or start a trial and create one. Keep your Secret Key and account password safe.
1Password must be in the main Applications folder to work properly, not in an Applications folder inside your home folder.
What to set up after the first launch
- Browser extension. To fill in passwords on websites, add the 1Password extension to your browser. For Safari it is 1Password for Safari in the App Store. Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Brave get it from their own extension stores.
- Touch ID. Turn on unlocking with Touch ID in 1Password’s settings, under Security, so you don’t type your account password every time.
- Opening at login. 1Password can start at login and stay in the menu bar. Change it in 1Password’s settings, under General.
- The installer. Move
1Password.zipand 1Password Installer from Downloads to the Trash once 1Password runs.
If 1Password won’t install or open
- «1Password Installer is damaged and can’t be opened». The download was incomplete. Delete it and download it again from 1Password’s website.
- The installer says «Something went wrong». Check your internet connection and run a freshly downloaded installer: it needs to download the app.
- 1Password misbehaves after an update. Remove it completely and install it again: see how to uninstall 1Password on Mac. Your data stays in your 1Password account.
Alternatives to 1Password
Keep your Mac tidy
System Junk in MacWashing finds the caches apps build up over time and shows how much space they take. And if you move to another password manager, the Uninstaller removes 1Password with its helpers.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Is 1Password for Mac free?
No. 1Password is a subscription, for one person or a family, with a 14-day free trial. The app itself is free to download.
Is 1Password in the Mac App Store?
The current 1Password for Mac comes from 1Password’s website. The App Store has the Safari extension, 1Password for Safari, and the older 1Password 7.
Do I need the browser extension?
To fill in passwords on websites, yes. The app keeps your vault. The extension fills in logins, cards and addresses in your browser.