We propose employing a password manager like 1Password, and for a clever reason. It’s possible that passkeys will eventually take over (and I hope to explore them soon), but in the meantime, we’re stuck with passwords and managing them manually is less secure and attention-grabbing. for much more work. For many years, responses like 1Password, BitWarden, Dashlane, and LastPass (which I no longer feature; see “LastPass Releases More Details About Its Data Breaches,” March 3, 2023) have fallen into necessity. -It has category.
Apple’s Keychain Access app has long provided fundamental password control features on macOS, but it’s never really been usable. With macOS 12 Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15, Apple has given passwords a greater user interface in System Preferences and Safari on Mac and in the Settings app on iPhone and iPad. Although the settings screens are categorized as Passwords and the iCloud-based password syncing feature is called iCloud Keychain, Apple doesn’t seem to have an official call for all those password control features, making communication difficult. about them in the same sentence. Like something like 1Password. For this article, I’ll be using the so-called iCloud Passwords for reasons that will soon be obvious.
Although iCloud Passwords didn’t have, and still doesn’t, full feature parity with third-party password managers, it was pretty good. It featured all the basics, such as autocomplete, editing, searching, and even syncing via iCloud Keychain. Over time, Apple added one-time passwords, password sharing, and more. Best of all, it’s also absolutely free.
Despite those improvements, iCloud passwords suffered in one significant way: they only worked in Safari. On iPhone and iPad, this wasn’t a challenge because other internet browsers relied on the same WebKit engine as Safari. (Apple also allowed Safari to be third-party password managers as top-tier alternatives. )But Mac users looking to use Chromium-based browsers like Arc, Brave, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera and Vivaldi, or Mozilla’s Firefox, can do so. Credit to iCloud passwords.
In 2021, Apple released the iCloud Passwords extension for Google Chrome, but only for Windows. In July 2023, Apple updated it to the 2. 0 edition, adding Mac editions of Google Chrome with macOS 14 Sonoma. While I’m happy with 1Password, I’ve been using iCloud passwords for a month on Arc to see if I can introduce iCloud passwords to those who don’t rely on Safari. Although I miss 1Password’s features, the answer is yes: iCloud passwords work fine. At least, that’s true for me: I see reviews on the Chrome Web Store page claiming it doesn’t work or crashes after an update, but I’ve been using it long enough to be able to say it’s functional.
While Apple has released iCloud passwords only for Chromium browsers (and it turns out they work on every variant I’ve tested, too), the company hasn’t done anything for Firefox users. However, an independent developer named Aurélien recently released an add-on for Firefox also called iCloud Passwords. So, this is an option for Sonoma or recent versions of Windows. This doesn’t work for older versions of macOS. We don’t know yet, with only 716 verified users last time (compared to 2 million for the iCloud Passwords Chrome extension), however, I installed it and verified that it works. While I’m a little hesitant to come up with a standalone plugin that interacts with a system-wide password store, it’s Open Source and anyone can view its code on GitHub.
Before we get into the main points about how to use iCloud passwords in a Chromium browser, I need to review the basics of password control in macOS. You can access your passwords in System Settings > Passwords or Safari > Settings > Passwords (they’re identical). ) and you have to authenticate yourself every time you go there. Touch ID or Apple Watch authentication makes this much easier.
Let’s take a look at them all from above:
Nothing about password settings will set the world on fire, but Apple has a solid set of core features.
To autofill your passwords in a Chromium browser like Arc, Brave, or Google Chrome, install Apple’s iCloud Passwords extension from the Chrome Web Store. It’s as undeniable as clicking the Add to Chrome button and acknowledging that you want to install when prompted.
The way you interact with extensions varies a bit depending on the browser, the maximum allows you to load them into a toolbar. In Chromium browsers other than Arc (which has a bug in this area), clicking on a login form presents a notification that you can click to enable password autofill. Arc doesn’t have such a toolbar, however, opting for iCloud Extensions > Passwords has the same effect as clicking the toolbar button or notification.
No matter how you invoke it, iCloud Passwords presents you with two conversation boxes: a system-level conversation box with a verification code, and a browser-level conversation box where you type it. If you make a mistake on your ticket, you’re presented with some other code.
While this verification technique is simple, it is necessary every time the internet browser is launched. As a result, you may want to enter a lot of verification codes. It’s much easier to use biometric authentication via Touch ID or an Apple Look It in 1Password; I’m guessing other password managers have biometric authentication as well.
Once you’ve enabled the password autofill feature, it’s incredibly easy to use. Just click on a login form and iCloud Passwords will detect this action and present you with passwords that fit the domain of the site you’re on. Click one to enter your settings in the login form fields. Normally, only one password will appear, however, if you have logins to other sites within the same domain, as I do in the screenshot below, you can choose one.
(By the way, this important detection is one of the main reasons to use a password manager: you can’t trick them into helping you enter a password on a malicious site masquerading as anything else. A human may not realize it, but app1eArraycom apple. com in the eyes of a password manager).
If a login form has a username box and a password box, iCloud passwords will be filled in automatically. If the login procedure asks you to enter your username first and then the password after updating a form or page, you will most likely want to click re-autofill password separately. 1 Password is most efficient by inserting the password into the moment box that appears without requiring manual intervention.
One last thing. If you want to create a new account, iCloud passwords almost notice and offer you to save your credentials. What it unfortunately doesn’t do is create a strong password for you. Instead, it suggests creating a strong password in System Settings > Passwords. or by opening the page in Safari (bottom left, forget about the corrupted graphic icon). That’s because Safari automatically generates strong passwords and saves them to your password collection when you click Use a strong password (bottom right). So, the most productive component of courage is switching to Safari when creating new accounts and then coming back to log in with the new credentials. If you’re using System Settings > Passwords instead, you’ll need to click the menu, select New Password, click Click the Create Strong Password button, copy the password, go back to your browser, and paste it.
I’ve discussed a few reasons why iCloud passwords don’t fit 1Password, but let’s combine them all here so you can get an idea of the difference. iCloud Passwords:
You can work around the latter limitation by using the browser’s features. Chromium browsers can autofill all payment methods and addresses, but by default, iCloud passwords block those functions from running, even if they don’t help you in this area. If you bypass the iCloud password by blocking browser autofill, you can get the most productive of both worlds. Follow these steps:
Once you’ve done all that, you’ll find yourself in a scenario where iCloud passwords autofill your login details and your browser autofills in credit card details and gets you around. The browser-level interface is a little different, but it works well: you just want to click on a credit card or treatment box and then click on the desired dataset in the pop-up window.
Now that I’ve written this article, I fully admit that I’m going to turn off iCloud passwords and go back to 1Password because it’s less difficult to use and autofills in more information. Also, my almost 1000 logins are stored in 1Password. I use 1Password’s quick access pop-up to locate and enter credentials in Arc logins so iCloud passwords can’t forget them. In the last month, I’ve migrated 73 logins to iCloud passwords, and while my daily passwords max out logins, I never go a week without having to bring more than 1Password.
But with the addition of the iCloud Passwords extension for Chromium browsers and smart browser settings for addresses and payment methods, it’s nearly impossible to rely on Apple’s free password control tools.
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Since I use Safari 99% of the time and have undeniable password manager needs, Keychain works wonders for me. I also don’t use non-Apple platforms or Chromium browsers.
My objection to 1Password is based on two principles that I try to respect: I don’t really like subscription-based apps, and I don’t like electronics-based apps, which I don’t like Mac users. Even though I have 36GB of RAM on my M3 Pro, I get irritated to use a lazily created app that uses the electron and, to add insult to injury, demands a subscription payment (even if it’s not significant).
So far, those principles haven’t in any way stopped me from choosing which apps to run on my Mac.
Thank you for the thoughtful and informative article.
By the way, I think that and ••• labeling menus is at the limit of crime interface design.
Don’t beat around the bush, let me know what you think.
While I agree with you, I want to emphasize that what makes “the use and ••• of menu labeling” a capital offense is that no clues appear when flying over the enigmatic symbol.
The Keychain app has supported secure notes for years, offering a haven for this type of information. However, it’s true that it unfortunately doesn’t sync with an iOS interface even when users have iCloud Keychain enabled. That makes it Mac-only, which limits its usefulness, I suppose.
Of course, Notes also provides secure notes and can hold all kinds of data (including images, PDFs, etc. ) and sync nicely in iCloud with other devices you’ve connected to your Apple ID.
I have yet to come across a genuine need for a third-party password manager. But then again, I use Safari as my number one browser and I don’t want any of my knowledge to sync with a Windows machine. With iCloud Keychain and Secure Notes, I’m good to go. Especially now that I don’t even want an MFA-compromised app anymore, because iCloud Keychain even covers that component those days.
For me, the biggest limitation of Apple’s built-in password/keychain manager is that it’s protected by your Mac’s password. This means that if you repair your Mac and the technician wants your computer’s password, they can also access all the passwords on your keychain. In many cases, this can be avoided by creating a separate administrator account, but most home users don’t know how to do it and are rarely inspired by technicians.