Apple's new iOS 18 iPhone software, along with iPadOS 18 and macOS 15, could gain a fully-fledged Passwords app, according to a report from Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. This will be built on iCloud Keychain, a familiar part of Apple's different operating systems, but be located in one easily-accessible place.
Gurman says Passwords will not only be offered to iPhone, iPad and Mac users, but also to those lucky enough to own a Vision Pro, presumably as part of the rumored visionOS 2.0 upgrade. There will supposedly also be a Windows version too, if you need to take your passwords outside the Apple ecosystem.
As well as your log-ins for various accounts, the Passwords app will also house Wi-Fi network details, plus your passkeys if you've got any set up. It'll also be able to act as an authenticator app for accounts where you have 2FA set up.
The (pass)word on the street
iCloud Keychain and various options within the Settings apps already allows your iPhone or other Apple device to manage passwords, but the options are located separately, making effective management tricky. A dedicated app seems like it'll be a much more intuitive way to check and access your log-in details.
The fact that Gurman claims you'll be able to bulk import your passwords into the app suggests Apple is indeed aiming at the best password managers like 1Password or Keeper. But as exciting as this sounds, this Passwords app is unlikely to be the focus of WWDC 2024 next week. Instead, expect Apple's AI additions to its various OSes to take center stage this time.
Before the event begins, catch up on the rumors in our iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 hubs. And make sure you know how to watch WWDC 2024 if you want to tune in yourself.
