The controversial 1Password 8 for Mac update is now available for download

1password 8 Dark Mode (Image credit: 1Password)

What you need to know

1Password 8 for Mac is now available for download.
The new 1Password 8 update is an Electron app, not a native macOS one.
The new update adds Watchtower and interface improvements.

Fans of the popular password creation and management tool 1Password now have a new version of the company's Mac app to try. 1Password 8 for Mac is now available for download and it brings with it a bunch of improvements — but it isn't going to please everyone.

In terms of what's new, there's plenty. 1Password now looks more modern and fresh than ever before and is every bit the first-class macOS Monterey citizen. The new look is codenamed Knox and allows for a more cohesive look across all of the 1Password apps, no matter the platform.

1Password 8 also offers Quick Access, a "floating panel that is always available, giving you access to all of your 1Password data, wherever you need it." Think Spotlight but for your passwords and you won't be too far off.

The new update also promises a new Watchtower update that adds something called the Watchtower Dashboard. It's a new overall view of your current password situation, showing you how secure your passwords are at the Vault level. You'll even get a rating to show how you're doing — remember, strong, unique passwords are the order of the day, folks!

If all of that sounds good, it's because it is. But there's one thing that 1Password isn't making a big deal of after it received flak during the beta testing period — 1Password 8 isn't a native app, unlike the versions that came before it. The new app was built using Electron and has a back-end powered by Rust. That's something most people are unlikely to notice or, indeed, care about even if they did. But it's something that makes 1Password 8 feel different in ways it can be difficult to put a finger on.

That aside, 1Password 8 is a solid update and you can download it now. If you're a 1Password subscriber you get the update for free while 1Password has shared an upgrade guide for everyone else.

1Password has long been one of the best Mac apps for handling passwords and this new update is no different. Electron or not.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.