

Intended for testing only at this stage, Passkeys is a part of iCloud Keychain which completely removes the need for a password. In iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, there’s something called ‘Passkeys’, which is Apple’s implementation of the new standard.
#PASSWORD MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR MAC PASSWORD#
This essentially relies on public key infrastructure (PKI), rather than password entry. A recent article on reveals that a new standard known as ‘WebAuthn’ is slowly and quietly being rolled out among tech giants and some of the world’s biggest banks. Are we heading for a password-less future? But it’s yet another reason it’s worth going for the Touch ID version of Apple’s Magic Keyboard if you’re buying a new 24” iMac.

This is the case with certain third-party password managers, too. This means that once unlocked, anyone can technically access my logins for any number of websites, without knowledge of the password.

There’s one exception to this rule, which always makes me feel slightly queasy, and that’s the two iMacs I own that don’t feature any form of biometric security. But virtually every Apple device is now available with biometric security, which means I only need to show up with either my face or fingerprint in order to access my passwords, credit card details and WiFi logins. Well, ok, it does (technically, that’s your device passcode or login password). The best thing about iCloud Keychain is the fact that it doesn’t require a master password. It is easily Apple’s best system-wide feature for someone who uses Macs, iPads and an iPhone, daily. If you ever use any other kind of device, iCloud Keychain is next to useless. But that’s life.īy comparison, iCloud Keychain happily sits in the background, making password creation and management as simple as they should be. That’s not the fault of the developers, and it’s frustrating that only Apple (obviously) has the keys to much tighter system integration. They require plugins, extensions and integrations to work on browsers and across your apps. I’ve tried several third-party password managers including LastPass and 1Password, but they always feel a bit cumbersome. But it does have more of an impact on my day than any other Apple service. ICloud Keychain isn’t as exciting as Universal Control or the forthcoming updates to FaceTime. If you sign up for a new online service, it’ll suggest an ultra-secure password for you and even fill in the infuriating ‘re-enter password’ field, too. It’ll store usernames, WiFi passwords and credit card details in one of the most secure ways imaginable. In typical Apple fashion, we’re told that iCloud Keychain “remembers things”. So, why on earth wouldn’t you use iCloud Keychain if you’re an Apple-only kinda person? What is iCloud Keychain? And guess what? That password needs to be ridiculously secure and impossible to guess.įeels like we’re travelling in circles, doesn’t it? But there’s an inherent problem with those tools. Thankfully, we now have access to countless ‘password managers’. It’s the same thing with passwords – and I speak from personal experience. Sooner or later, your reluctance to head to the doctors is going to haunt you. Alas, if you don’t follow the rules, there’s a high chance nasty people will get into your stuff.īut, just like that doctors visit you keep putting off, it’s far easier to use the same password for everything, isn’t it? And who says you can’t make a note of your iCloud password in the back of your journal, just for ease of access? The countless aforementioned best practices surrounding them are ham-fisted and do nothing more than highlight how inherently insecure passwords are. Passwords feel archaic in a world where you can unlock your phone with nothing more than your face. In the wrong hands, they can cause untold havoc, distress and financial ruin.īut they’re an absolute pain in the arse, aren’t they? They need to be unique, long, random and contain a precise number of letters, symbols and numbers. They’re also a gateway to some of our most personal, treasured details.

We all do, right? They’re vitally important and need handling with care. Today, I want to talk about password management and why, if you’re welded into the Apple ecosystem, I can’t think of a single reason you’d stray from iCloud Keychain.
