Once you set up a password, you'll need to enter it into the Toolkit prompt whenever you plug this drive in to your PC.
If not, you'll need the 32-character reset code on the leaflet. You can then create a reset key that's linked to a Seagate/LaCie account, if you have one. Seagate's documentation says this code should also be printed on a sticker on the drive, but I didn't see this on my review unit, so the leaflet needs to be kept safely. To set up a password, you'll need to first enter the 8-character Secure ID on the leaflet in the box.
To set this up, you'll need to run the Seagate Toolkit software which you will be directed to download if you run the launcher app that's loaded onto the hard drive.
The One Touch With Password drive gets its name thanks to AES-256 hardware encryption. Buyers get a one-year subscription to Mylio Create, a photo organisation tool, plus access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Photography Plan which includes only Photoshop and Lightroom, for four months.
There's a quick start guide which really only tells you to run the Seagate software that comes on the drive itself a separate sheet with printed codes to let you set up and override your password if you forget it and also some instructions for redeeming the free bundled software offers. In the box is a single USB 3.0 cable – not even a second Type-C cable or adapter – plus some leaflets. It's high time that USB Type-C became universal, but for some reason most manufacturers are sticking with this less convenient standard for hard drives. There's a tiny white activity LED in one corner of the top and a USB 3.0 Micro-B connector on the back. The former two are 11.7mm thick and weigh 148g while the latter two, with more physical platters, are 20.9mm thick and weigh 268g. You have a choice of capacities as well: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB. I also would have liked more rounded corners. It won't be noticeable from a distance, but this is the kind of product you pick up and hold in your hand a lot. That said, the plastic fabrication wasn't perfect – I felt a few rough edges, and there's a tiny bit of a gap where the metal meets the plastic. It's disappointing to see a Micro-USB 3.0 port on any product in 2021 It's more of a metallic grey-blue than the pastel tone I was expecting based on photos on Seagate's website and product listings, and the brushed metal finish gives it a denim-like look, which is nicely offset by the white frame. The light blue unit that I received for review is quite attractive. This gives you plenty of choice, in terms of looks – black on black is of course the most sober, and red on white is probably the most distinctive. The body is made of plastic, with a brushed metal panel in your choice of colour that wraps around the top and front. Rather than being bland commodity items, the new Seagate One Touch With Password hard drives are available in six colour options – black, silver, and space grey which have black trims, as well as red, pink, and light blue which have white trims. Seagate One Touch With Password design and features
Do these factors matter when choosing a portable hard drive? We're about to find out.
The One Touch series sits in the middle, with high-capacity options and more utilitarian features. On the high end, the Ultra Touch models are slim, with stylish fabric on the exterior, and value-added software features. Seagate offers its Expansion portable storage series which just covers the basics – you plug them in, and drag and drop files. Seagate has tried both these avenues with its new One Touch With Password product line. We've also seen bundled backup and security software as a value-add, which might help swing buyers' decisions. Some companies have tried innovating with design, but there's isn't much that anyone can do with a plastic rectangle. Still, everyone needs a hard drive for backups – even if you think you don't, you do. Portable hard drives aren't really exciting anymore – there's very little to differentiate one brand from another and you'll often just buy whichever is priced lower.