1Password Travel Mode: Protecting Your Data at Borders

Last updated: March 2026

When you cross an international border, customs and immigration officers in many countries have the legal authority to search your electronic devices. They can ask you to unlock your phone or laptop and inspect what is on it. 1Password’s Travel Mode helps you control what data is available on your device during these situations.

How Travel Mode Works

1Password stores your credentials and sensitive data in vaults. Normally, all your vaults are accessible on your device. Travel Mode changes that.

What happens when you turn it on:

• You mark specific vaults as “Safe for Travel” in your 1Password account settings
• When you enable Travel Mode, all vaults that are not marked as safe for travel are removed from your device entirely
• Only your designated travel-safe vaults remain accessible
• When you arrive at your destination and turn off Travel Mode, your other vaults sync back to your device

Why removal matters more than hiding:

Travel Mode does not just hide your sensitive vaults behind a password. It removes the data from your device. This is an important distinction:

• A password can be coerced – someone can demand you unlock a hidden vault
• Data that is not on the device cannot be accessed, period
• There is nothing to find because there is nothing there

Think of it like leaving valuables in a hotel safe instead of carrying them in your bag. If someone searches your bag, the valuables simply are not there to find.

Setting Up Travel Mode

Before your trip:

• [ ] Log in to your 1Password account on the web (1password.com)
• [ ] Review your vaults and decide which ones you actually need while traveling
• [ ] Mark those vaults as “Safe for Travel” in your vault settings
• [ ] Move any sensitive items you do not need on the road (work credentials, financial logins, personal documents) into vaults that are not marked safe for travel
• [ ] Create a minimal travel vault if needed, containing only what you will use during the trip

Right before departure:

• [ ] Enable Travel Mode from your 1Password account settings on the web
• [ ] Verify on your devices that only your travel-safe vaults appear
• [ ] Confirm that sensitive vaults are no longer visible on your phone and laptop

After arriving:

• [ ] Log in to your 1Password account on the web
• [ ] Disable Travel Mode
• [ ] Your other vaults will sync back to your devices

What to Put in Your Travel Vault

Keep it minimal. Only include credentials you will actually use while traveling:

• Hotel booking confirmation login
• Airline account
• Travel insurance details
• Personal email (if needed)
• A basic payment method

Do not include:

• Work email or corporate system credentials
• Banking and financial account logins
• Sensitive personal documents
• Client data or proprietary information
• Cryptocurrency wallets or recovery phrases

Important Considerations

• Laws vary by country. Research the data privacy and border search laws of your destination before traveling. Some countries have broader search authority than others.
• 1Password Teams and Business accounts allow administrators to enable or disable Travel Mode for team members. If you manage a team, consider setting Travel Mode policies for business travel.
• Do not rely solely on Travel Mode. It is one part of a travel security plan. Also consider using a clean/travel-only device, enabling full-disk encryption, and using a VPN on public networks.
• If you receive suspicious emails during travel claiming to be from 1Password, your company IT team, or border authorities requesting account access, do not click any links. Forward the email to ForwardToSafety.com for verification.

Travel Security Checklist

• [ ] Review and organize vaults before the trip
• [ ] Mark travel-safe vaults
• [ ] Enable Travel Mode before departure
• [ ] Verify sensitive vaults are removed from all devices
• [ ] Enable full-disk encryption on laptop and phone
• [ ] Set up a VPN for use on public networks
• [ ] Disable Travel Mode after arriving safely
• [ ] Change any passwords you used on untrusted networks during travel

Key Takeaways

1. Travel Mode removes sensitive vaults from your device – the data is not hidden, it is gone
2. Only carry credentials you actually need while traveling
3. Enable Travel Mode before you reach the airport, not at the border
4. Research border search laws for your destination
5. Combine Travel Mode with other travel security practices (VPN, encryption, clean devices)