Apple Passwords App: What It Does, How Sharing Works and Where It Stops
Apple's Passwords app stores passwords, passkeys and codes across iPhone, iPad and Mac. See what it does well, how sharing works and where it stops.
If you use an iPhone or a Mac, you already have a password manager. Apple’s Passwords app keeps your passwords, passkeys and verification codes in one place and fills them in for you. For most households it is all you need.
It does have limits, and they matter more for a business than for a family. This guide explains what the app does, and where a business needs something more.
What the Passwords app does
The Passwords app comes with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and visionOS 2. It keeps your passwords, passkeys and verification codes in one place, along with Wi-Fi passwords and any passwords you share with others. Passkeys are a newer way to sign in that uses your Face ID, Touch ID or device passcode instead of a password.
When you create a new account in an app or on a website, your device suggests a strong, unique password for you. The app also warns you about weak passwords, such as one that is easy to guess, one you have used for several accounts, or one that has turned up in a known data leak.
Turning on AutoFill and syncing
Update all your Apple devices to the latest software first. To have your passwords filled in for you, go to Settings (or System Settings on a Mac), choose General, then AutoFill & Passwords, and turn on AutoFill Passwords and Passkeys.
Your passwords reach your other Apple devices through iCloud Keychain, which keeps them up to date on every device signed in to your Apple Account.
Sharing with family and trusted people
On iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS 14 or later, you can create or join a group of trusted people to share passwords and passkeys.
The person who creates the group is the owner, and only the owner can add or remove people. Members can leave whenever they like. Everyone in the group can add, view, change or delete the passwords in it. If a shared password is deleted, you have 30 days to get it back.
The catch when someone leaves a group
If you remove someone from a group you own, they may still have the passwords they could see while they were in it. Change the passwords for those accounts as well.
For a family, that is a small chore. For a business, it matters every time a staff member leaves.
Using it on Windows
iCloud for Windows lets you use your iCloud passwords on a Windows computer, with an add-on for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Firefox. Your Apple Account needs two-factor authentication, and the device that receives the sign-in code needs iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS 11 or later. Either Advanced Data Protection for iCloud must be on, or your Apple device must be close to the PC.
Once you turn on the add-on, the browser stops saving passwords itself.
Where it stops
Shared groups are made up of people’s own Apple Accounts. That works well in a household. In a business, it means work passwords sit in staff members’ personal accounts rather than somewhere the business controls.
For a business with several staff, regular staff changes or a mix of devices, use a business password manager instead of shared groups.
Need a hand?
If you would like help setting up Passwords, or choosing the right approach for your team, see our Online Safety & Protection service, or for businesses our Security & Email Protection service, or contact Your Mac Tech. You may also like our guide to Stolen Device Protection.
