iOS 18 is a huge release for iPhone users. It brings major improvements to system apps like Photos, Messages, Notes, and more. The update also introduces a brand new app: Passwords, which makes password management on Apple devices easier than ever. Here’s a look at everything that iOS 18’s new Passwords app can do.
Password management via a new iOS 18 app
In previous versions of iOS, Apple supplied a password management tool as part of the Settings app. Using iCloud Keychain, you could have passwords automatically generated for you and saved inside Settings under the Passwords screen.
In iOS 18, passwords are breaking out of Settings and into their own, dedicated app.
If you’ve already been using the existing Passwords features of iOS 17 and earlier, there’s not a whole lot to get excited about with the new Passwords app. It offers much of the same functionality, but with a bit more organization and accessibility than before.
Open Passwords and you’ll see a design similar to the Reminders app, with a variety of categories immediately visible:
- All
- Passkeys
- Codes
- Wi-Fi
- Security
- Deleted
You’ll also see a section for Family Passwords if that’s a feature you’ve taken advantage of through Family Sharing previously.
Finally, at the bottom of the screen you’ll find the option to create a new shared group of passwords. Create the group name, then invite other users to join the group with you.
Groups are a great way to sort your passwords into what are essentially folder. You can then share relevant ones with others, but that’s optional.
Passwords app across all major Apple platforms
One essential component of a successful Passwords app is that it needs to exist across all your devices. Apple has taken that to heart and built the new Passwords app not just on iPhone with iOS 18, but it’s also available in iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and visionOS 2. You can even access your stored passwords on Windows via the iCloud for Windows app.
Benefits of iOS 18’s Passwords app
Even though there may not be a whole lot new about the Passwords app for users who already benefited from the previous iCloud Keychain features, the main target audience for Passwords is likely people who don’t even know what a password manager is.
The average user probably has never heard of 1Password or LastPass, and they may or may not be aware that the iPhone can automatically create and store passwords for them. For users like that, a new Passwords app showing up on their iPhone’s Home Screen should hopefully lead to a more secure computing future.
For the rest of us, though, it sure is nice not having to dive into Settings every time we need a password.
Wrap-up
The new Passwords app is, in a way, an acknowledgement that Passkeys are going to take a long while to fully replace passwords. And in the meantime, we could all benefit from tools that make password management more seamless and accessible. The Passwords app should do just that for the millions of users installing iOS 18.
Are you going to use the new Passwords app in iOS 18? Let us know in the comments.
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