Apple plans to release its own Passwords app that will compete with rival password apps like 1Password, LastPass and Dashlane, according to a new report. The new Apple Passwords app will be based on the company’s existing iCloud Keychain technology, but will dress it up and make it more user-friendly.
The standalone Apple Passwords app will sync across devices and add advanced features similar to competitors’ offerings. Apple reportedly plans to showcase it at next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference, then roll it out in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS 15. Plus, it will work with Vision Pro and Windows computers!
Apple Passwords app will make managing passwords easy
The company’s decision to release its own Passwords app fits well with the company’s push for better privacy and security. Using a password manager makes it far simpler to generate — and, more importantly — keep track of the unique, complex passwords that security experts recommend. If executed properly, it poses a serious threat to established third-party password managers, which typically charge monthly or annual fees.
News of the Apple Passwords app broke Thursday in a story by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. He described the Apple password manager’s advanced features like this:
The app features a list of user logins and splits details into different categories, such as accounts, Wi-Fi networks and Passkeys, an Apple-promoted password replacement that relies on Face ID and Touch ID. Like most password managers, the data can be auto-filled into websites and apps when a user goes to log in.
Gurman also said the Apple Passwords app will “support verification codes and serve as an authentication app similar to Google Authenticator,” citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the project.
Apple Password app seems destined to sherlock other password managers
iCloud Keychain already makes it possible to manage passwords and even share them with family members and co-workers. However, the functionality remains somewhat rudimentary. Plus, it’s buried in the Settings app. For anyone who’s ever used the iCloud Keychain password manager functionality, spinning the features out into a full-fledged app seems like a no-brainer.
In breaking out and augmenting iCloud Keychain’s existing password management capabilities, Apple follows a long tradition of “sherlocking” apps built by third-party developers. This phenomenon occurs when Apple incorporates features of outside apps into its operating systems, making a competitor’s offering practically useless overnight. (It takes its name from a popular third-party Mac app called Watson, which Apple supplanted by beefing up its own app, Sherlock.)
Apple walks a tightrope when it comes to developer relations in these types of situations. The company woos developers to code apps for its platforms, yet improving its own software in obvious ways can wreak havoc for competitors.
For companies like 1Password, which claims millions of customers use its password manager and says more than 1,000 people work on its software, news of Apple finally getting serious about password management can’t be welcome. The company charges a minimum of $2.99 a month for its service, and Apple likely will release its password manager for free.
One feature of the rumored Apple Passwords app in particular must sound menacing to competitors: “Apple will allow users to import passwords from rival services,” Gurman wrote.
Sneak peek at what to expect at WWDC24
The new Apple Passwords app will be just one item on a lengthy agenda during next Monday’s WWDC24 keynote. Apple is expected to showcase major AI-focused updates to its operating systems for iPhone, iPad and Mac. The WWDC24 keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific Monday.
Want an insider perspective on what’s coming at next week’s big Apple developer conference? Read our post on Apple’s WWDC24 plans.
What to expect at Apple’s WWDC24: AI, major iOS revamp and more
