Image credit — 1Password
1Password, the popular password management app, has announced a new feature called recovery codes designed to make it easier for users to recover their accounts. This new feature is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to improve the user experience.
The new recovery codes will allow users to regain access to their 1Password account even if they forget their master password or lose their Secret Key. Before recovery codes, if users forgot their master password or lost their Secret Key, they would be locked out of their account and unable to access their data. This caused frustration and stress for both users and 1Password support.
With recovery codes, users can create a unique code that can be used to regain access to their account. The code can be generated from within the 1Password app for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, or 1Password.com, and should be stored in a safe and secure location.
Recovery codes are reusable and will remain valid after they’re used. If a user recovers their account with a recovery code, they will be asked to create a new master password and will receive a new Secret Key. The new Secret Key will be used to log in to the 1Password account on all devices.
1Password has stressed that the introduction of recovery codes does not change the security of 1Password accounts. The company claims that the recovery process is safe and requires two separate steps to complete: email verification and the recovery code. That said, Secret Keys are not going away, and recovery codes are intended to be used only if the user forgets their master password and/or loses their Secret Key.
Creating recovery codes within the 1Password app | Image credit — 1Password
Family Organizers of 1Password Families accounts will still be able to recover accounts for other family members. However, recovery codes will give family members an additional option to regain access to their accounts themselves.
According to 1Password, millions of people trust the company with their sensitive information. As such, the introduction of recovery codes is a welcome addition to provide peace of mind to its users.