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How to manage passwords on iPhone and iPad with Safari AutoFill

Gotten used to creating and saving passwords with the built-in Safari AutoFill feature on iPhone and iPad, but aren’t sure where they are stored? Or maybe just want to get the feature turned on? Read along for how to manage passwords on iPhone and iPad.

It’s become more and more seamless to use saved passwords in Safari to log in to websites and apps without having to manually type in your credentials on iPhone and iPad. However, sometimes you might need to view your passwords, or you might want to edit or remove old credentials.

We’ll also look at how to turn on Safari AutoFill Passwords on iPhone and iPad if you aren’t using the feature.

How to save and manage passwords on iPhone and iPad

Turn on Safari AutoFill Passwords on iPhone and iPad

Safari AutoFill Passwords is the feature that can automatically save and update your passwords on iPhone and iPad as well as offer to create automatic strong passwords when signing up for new accounts online.

It’s also end-to-end encrypted with iCloud Keychain.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app
  2. Swipe down and choose Passwords
  3. Tap AutoFill Passwords at the top
  4. If not already turned on, tap the toggle next to AutoFill Passwords
    • If you have a third-party password manager installed you may see the option to allow filling from multiple sources (e.g. 1Password, etc.) along with Apple’s iCloud Keychain
  5. Now when you log in to accounts, websites, etc. your iPhone will ask if you’d like to AutoFill, save/update or auto create a new password
  6. Also consider using Sign in with Apple or Sign in with Google/Facebook/Twitter etc. when creating new accounts as it means you don’t have to create another unique login and is a more secure way to manage your credentials
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Keep in mind you’ll need to use the Safari app (Apple’s default browser on iPhone) to take advantage of this feature.

Also, if you’d like to save your passwords from iPhone to your other Apple devices, make sure to head to the Settings app > Your name > iCloud > Keychain > toggle on iCloud Keychain.

We’ve also got a walkthrough on using 2FA AutoFill in iOS:

How to view and edit saved passwords

The easiest way to update passwords is to head to the website or app and type in the new password. Safari AutoFill Passwords will ask if you’d like to update it.

Alternatively, here’s how to view and edit all your saved passwords manually:

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Swipe down and tap on Passwords
  3. Tap Edit in the top right corner to delete multiple logins or swipe from right to left to delete individual items.
  4. Tap on an item to see the details including the user name, password, and more
    • Choose Edit in the top right corner to manually change your stored user name or password

If you see a caution icon next to a saved item (triangle with exclamation mark), that indicates you’re using the same password for multiple accounts or your password may have been compromised in a data breach.

It’s important to change your passwords for any reused or compromised passwords. Apple even includes a Change Password on Website button when you’re looking at saved passwords to easily take care of them.

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