macOS user experience lacking on many levels

[intheweeds]

After using 1Password for many years, I paid for Enpass in hopes it would be a suitable replacement but have run into multiple usability issues. I would like to know if I am missing some functionality or settings to improve my experience.

- No true background daemon. Instead Enapss requires a Menu Item be visible and a persistent app running that can be accidentally Quit if it is inadvertently brought to the front.

- The keyboard shortcut opens a fresh instance of the auto-fill window despite the browser being the foreground app. There is no contextual awareness that the browser is open and on a login page, requiring the user to manually click on the browser Enpass toolbar icon to achieve the link between what URL you are on and what passwords are associated with it.

- Inconsistent auto-fill in the browser. It's intermittent and disruptive when sometimes a login is pre-filled and other times you must click on the Enpass icon in the browser after clicking on a password entry in the auto-fill dialog.

- The auto-fill dialog has inconsistent locations where it appears. Sometimes in a browser it is pinned to the icon in the toolbar, sometimes it appears in a different location on the screen.

I really want to make the switch from 1Password 7 but Enpass is not a direct replacement for me yet.

[Abhishek Dewan]

Hi @intheweeds

Welcome to the Enpass Forums.

I will gladly assist you with the concerns you are facing with the Enpass app -

"Enpass app can be accidentally Quit if it is inadvertently brought to the front" - 

As Enpass is an offline password manager, all your data is stored locally on your device. Enpass Browser extensions work in conjunction with the desktop application for autofilling usernames, passwords, credit cards, and identities on web pages. That is the reason for the Extension and autofilling to work, the Enpass app needs to be running in the background.

You can change the auto lock behaviour in this case by disabling the option 'Autolock When -> Main Window is closed' from Enpass app -> Settings -> Security so that the app will continue to run in the background even if you accidentally quit the app.

"The keyboard shortcut opens a fresh instance of the auto-fill window despite the browser being the foreground app" - 

To use the Enpass browser extension, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts on the browser. Keyboard shortcuts save you time to activate the Enpass extension, lock the Enpass app, and use Autofill for a single matching item on the browser. I would highly recommend checking this link to know about setting the Keyboard shortcut and the behaviour of each shortcut depending on the browser you are using.

"Inconsistent auto-fill in the browser" / "The auto-fill dialog has inconsistent locations where it appears" -

To investigate this concern, we will require some additional information -

1. The version of the Enpass app, OS, browser and Enpass Extension you are using.
2. The webpages on which you are seeing inconsistent autofill behavior.
3. The webpages/inconsistent locations in which the autofill is popping up. A screenshot showing this behavior for such webpages would also be helpful.

[intheweeds]

Running macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 / Enpass app 6.9.3 (1592) MAS / Firefox 121.0 / FF extension 6.9.4.2

Quote

You can change the auto lock behaviour in this case by disabling the option 'Autolock When -> Main Window is closed' from Enpass app -> Settings -> Security so that the app will continue to run in the background even if you accidentally quit the app.

This is not my experience. If I Cmd-Q to quit Enpass (accidentally, but the app in in focus) it quits completely and no background tasks remain running. Icon is removed from toolbar menu, and subsequently clicking the FF extension instigates an effort to re-open Enpass.app.

My expectation is for an Enpass daemon to run in the background with no icon in the Dock or Toolbar, and require an action more complicated than Cmd-Q to completely shut it down.

Quote

To use the Enpass browser extension, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts on the browser. Keyboard shortcuts save you time to activate the Enpass extension, lock the Enpass app, and use Autofill for a single matching item on the browser. I would highly recommend checking this link to know about setting the Keyboard shortcut and the behaviour of each shortcut depending on the browser you are using.

Unfortunately, this is not the way it is working on my computer. Enpass continues to be inconsistent about when a new tab is opened, sometimes opening a new tab despite that the Enpass FF extension already opened my banking site - if it does not autofill as expected. Using the keyboard shortcut to open the Enpass dialog and double-clicking the site opens another tab.

While I would like to make the FF extension use the keyboard shorcut I have been relying on with 1Password v7 (Cmd-\) when I attempt to set that in the extension preferences "Autofill or show Enpass" I am told it is an "Invalid Combination."

When I use the default (Cmd-Shft-.) to open the extension dialog, it makes the Enpass.app visible/un-hidden in the background. Another issue related to this being an app running the background and not actually a daemon.

For me, the Enpass app still lacks the polish and simplicity of 1Password v7. The inconsistencies in the UI and autofill actions result in me 'thinking about Enpass' where 1P7 is consistent in outcomes and is a noninvasive tool for me.