How to use Apple iCloud’s Keychain - Vision Ireland (2024)

FAQs

How do I use the iCloud Keychain? ›

iCloud Keychain and 1Password are two of the best password managers out there. They both offer a lot more security than writing your passwords down (bad), using short, insecure passwords (really bad), or reusing the same password for every app, service, and site (really, really bad).

If you exclusively use Apple products and do not work in an environment where you may need to share passwords, then keep using Keychain. It's secure and convenient. If you use a variety of devices and browsers, you're going to want a dedicated password manager. There are a lot of options out there.

Keychain Access is a macOS app that stores your passwords and account information, and reduces the number of passwords you have to remember and manage. When you access a website, email account, network server, or other password-protected item, you may be given the option to remember or save the password.

Passwords is a subset of Keychain. You can think of Passwords as a rudimentary password manager to handle your username and password/passkey are securely stored. Additional reading: Set up iCloud Keychain.

Like passwords, passkeys are encrypted and stored in your iCloud Keychain, where they aren't visible to anyone (including Apple). Note: To use passkeys, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, or tvOS 16 (or later) is required. iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication must also be turned on.

iCloud Keychain is a built-in password manager in all Apple devices, like iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. This password manager is very safe, as it comes with AES-256 encryption, two-factor authentication, biometric verification, and a user-friendly platform.

The disadvantages of the iCloud Keychain are that your passwords are all in one big clump, you can't share them with non-Apple users, and features like verification codes or passkeys are difficult to find.

What happens when you turn off iCloud Keychain? ›

Disabling iCloud Keychain will disable all of the pop-ups and prompts related to passwords on your iPhone and iPad. You can disable the iCloud Keychain feature from the Settings app. To get started, open the "Settings" app on your iPhone or iPad.

Both come with a password generator, autofill, syncing, and support several types of information. However, as an iOS feature, iCloud Keychain is convenient and free. On the other hand, 1Password allows you to create vaults and share them with your family or team members.

login: The login keychain stores any passwords, certificates, etc that your account needs. iCloud: The iCloud keychain is everything synced in your iCloud Keychain. System: The System keychain is where system passwords are stored. System Roots: This is where system certificates are stored.

Manage Your iCloud Keychain Passwords

On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Passwords. To remove an account you no longer need, swipe left and tap Delete. To edit the account settings, tap the account name, then Edit, and you can change the username, password, and other options.

Your login keychain password is normally the same as your user password (the password you use to log in to the computer).