1Password’s latest update adds a new Nearby Items feature, which promises to improve how you access data tied to a specific location in the real world. Thanks to this feature, typing your company’s alarm codes, accessing medical documents, or even pulling up a Wi-Fi credential is easier than ever.
1Password’s Nearby Items feature was born during one of the company’s hackatons. As explained in a blog post, the goal was to “access your items faster wherever and whenever you need them.” This feature is unique because even if you don’t know or remember an item’s name, 1Password will give you the information you need simply by being at the location associated with it.
The company says this feature has been available in the 1Password labs, and after “fantastic feedback,” it decided to release this function, which makes it “the only password manager in the industry” with something like that.
Here’s how you can take the most out of 1Password’s Nearby Items tool:
- On your 1Password’s app, tap to edit a stored item;
- Select Add a location;
- Then, when you arrive there, the item will appear in the home tab of the 1Password mobile app
The company says there’s also a map view available to easily set and view the locations of items. 1Password gives a few possible examples, such as seeing your travel documents and itineraries at your city’s airports, pulling up local Wi-Fi credentials, and so on.
Like any other item in your vault, 1Password reinforces that location data isn’t stored, shared, or tracked. If you use the app at work, your employer won’t have access to or visibility to your location. The company says it checks for relevant items locally, so your current coordinates never leave the device. In addition, this feature is optional, so you can continue to use the password manager without ever activating it.
1Password is free to download but requires a subscription to work. The personal tier costs $2.99 per month, and it’s billed annually. New users have a 14-day trial.
