countersign managers such as1PasswordandLastPassare great and passing important . We maintain arecommended list of Password managersfor a reason — a good one makes it easy to utilize strong , unique countersign everywhere on the web , no matter what program or web web browser you happen to use .
But to get the most out of them , you demand to pay a subscription fee . It only take a crap sense – there ’s a cost to running these cloud service . But now that Apple is introducing a standalone Passwords app in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia , I wondered if I could sink my 1Password subscription and save a few bucks a month . I also employ Authy fortwo - factor authentication tonality , and I love it , but since Apple ’s Passwords app support received 2FA keys as well , I could effectively eliminatetwoapps from my iPhone .
When the app arrived in iOS 18 , took the plunge , and I take thatmostusers can interchange their paid password director with Apple ’s free solution . There are a few wrinkles and annoyances , but it ’s definitely “ good enough ” for most quotidian user . Apple could stand up to down up its app in a few place , and it ’s not snuff it to get the task done for power exploiter , but the expectant annoyance I ran into was in reality making the switch , not using the Passwords app after getting it all transferred over .
Making the switch is the worst part
The bad part of propel from 1Password and Authy to Apple ’s Passwords app has been literally make the switch .
flummox parole out of 1Password was easy enough . 1Password can quickly and easy export passwords to CSV data formatting ( comma - part value ) , and the Passwords app apace imports them . It make out with extra well enough , and only a smattering of passwords did n’t signification .
Dealing with those was more pestering – either reconciling the problem in 1Password and export again , or adding them manually . It ’s not hard , but it ’s a tedoius appendage .
Even worse was moving 2FA code from Authy . I eff Authy ’s cloud sync and backup , but there ’s no officialexportfunction . Without relying on third - company tools that I might not confide ( and do n’t want to typeset up ) , that intend logging in to every write up I have a 2FA code for and adding a new one . In many casing , the service only allows a single 2FA codification and I had to disable 2FA and ready it up again from within the Passwords app .
That ’s easy enough – it supports the standard manual computer code or “ scan a QR code with your phone camera ” method . Again , it ’s not a heavy task , but it ’s an time of day of busy work I ’d rather not have had to do .
Then there are other apps . I use Chrome a lot , so I had to grab the iCloud Passwords extension for autofill to function there . I also had to set up the iCloud app on my Windows auto to sync my word there ( Apple leave no password management on Windows , but the passwords sync to the web browser extensions through the Windows iCloud app).If you ’re thinking of flip to lay aside the fee for your password manager , expect it to take a picayune clip . The whole outgrowth take most of an afternoon , and I spent the next few days cleaning up the occasional sorry universal resource locator or duplicated watchword .
Foundry
Good enough for most
Apple ’s Passwords app works well enough for the basic single-valued function most of us rely on . It stores and take login countersign , Wi - Fi parole , 2FA computer code , andpasskeys . It warns you of easy - to - shot word , reused parole , and passwords that appear in major data point break . It ’s also comparatively easy to securely share password with others . Apple also provides its own suggested passwords for new signups .
It does n’t give you much in the way of other features – store cite poster and designation information to autofill in phase , impregnable document storage or preeminence , and so on . Apple has other apps that do those things in encrypted ways , but if you use other platforms and browsers , they ’re not well available .
I favour the port of some other apps to Apple ’s rather footer effort , too .
After setting up the browser app reference in Chrome , you ’ll have to enter a six - digit passcode ( generated by theiCloud Windows app ) to synchronise the browser app denotation with your stored passwords . It wo n’t go in 2FA codes , so you ’ll have to look at your iPhone for that . Good news , though : With macOS Sequoia and the Passwords app , the Chrome and Edge denotation — as well as Firefox as of last December — work on the Mac , too .
Suffice it to say that formostusers , Apple ’s Passwords app scram the job done . It ’s not a luxury experience , but most people do n’t utilize a countersign coach at all … get them in the door this mode is a good affair . If you justloveyour current parole managing director and use it to connect to multiple platforms and browsers , it may well be worth go along to give its subscription fee .
If you primarily use Apple products and Safari , you ’re going to have a smoother drive , and it ’s hard to advocate a pay countersign manager for all but the most finicky of power user .
