Apple plans to build a password management app right into the next versions of iPhone and Mac operating systems, reported Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Thursday. The new app, simply called Passwords, will compete against existing password managers like 1Password and LastPass, which typically charge people a monthly fee for generating and storing unique passwords. Apple plans to reveal the app at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10.
Apple already generates and stores unique passwords through iCloud Keychain, a feature that syncs passwords across all Apple devices you own as well as Windows PCs through a browser extension. But passwords stored in iCloud Keychain live — weirdly — in the Settings app, often making them cumbersome to find or change. Having a dedicated app for passwords built into Apple devices would not only make this easier but also give people one more reason to stay in the Apple ecosystem.
Just like its rivals, Apple’s Passwords app will reportedly split passwords into different categories like accounts, WiFi networks, and Passkeys (here’s our deep dive explaining how they work). It will also allow you to import passwords from rival apps and will fill them in automatically when your device detects you’re logging into a website or an app. Passwords will also work on Apple’s $4,000 Vision Pro headset, and, just like Google Authenticator and Authy, will support two-factor verification codes. What is still unclear is whether the Passwords app will let you securely store files and images in addition to passwords, something that both 1Password and LastPass offer.
In addition to Passwords, Apple is expected to reveal the next versions of iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, WatchOS and VisionOS on Monday. The new versions of the software will reportedly be infused with brand new AI features.
Source: www.engadget.com