Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any affiliate earnings do not affect how we review services. Show Apple maintains a strong emphasis on security, continually beefing up its operating systems with secure software features. In this article, we’ll look at its password storage feature called iCloud Keychain. We’ll explain how it works, how to find passwords on Mac and whether it’s worth
using Apple’s password management capabilities. To start, there are two easy methods for accessing your iCloud Keychain. You can find saved
passwords from system preferences or by using your Safari browser. Before you start, make sure to enable your iCloud account if you haven’t already — saved passwords won’t sync over an internet connection unless you’re logged in. In this article, we won’t explain finding passwords with third-party software, such as web browsers or password managers. Visit our review on password
managers for Mac for steps to use those tools. A Mac with iCloud enabled stores the keychain in your encrypted cloud account. Passwords are stored in a local encrypted database if you don’t have the iCloud Keychain. The iCloud Keychain is a solid password manager that provides all the basic features for a secure vault. It’s not the most robust, but it is very easy to use. The best Mac password manager is not our overall best. On a Mac, we recommend Dashlane for great value and expansive features. 1Password is our best overall password manager, but second for Mac. LastPass takes third place. How to Find Passwords on Mac with System PreferencesThe macOS Keychain Access app is embedded in your system preferences. Use these steps to use it to view saved passwords.
How to Find Saved Passwords on Mac with SafariWith Safari, you can still find your passwords if you don’t have iCloud or the macOS keychain enabled. This is handy if you’re away from home, on your phone or just borrowing someone’s computer.
Is iCloud Keychain the Best Password Manager for macOS?In a lot of ways, iCloud Keychain is a streamlined and well-built embedded feature for password management. You don’t have to install another app, you don’t have to pay for an additional service and the data follows you to any Apple device. However, the macOS keychain system is also very basic. It’s missing fancier features that are well-implemented by services like 1Password or LastPass. As examples, you won’t see a family vault, and there’s no way to integrate multi-factor authentication for non-Apple accounts. For a solid Apple device password manager, we recommend Dashlane (see our Dashlane review). Dashlane is built with a wealth of key features for any iOS device, features that should be expected from a good password manager. Nonetheless, it’s worthwhile to give iCloud Keychain a try. Yes, it’s incredibly simple, but that’s a feature rather than a bug. You don’t need new apps or a browser extension when you’re using the macOS ecosystem. Your vault is already protected by Apple’s cloud encryption, and you can save and share that data with other Apple users through AirDrop. Final Thoughts: Mac User Password ManagementApple devices have always been a tightly-knit ecosystem of apps designed to work well together. The iCloud Keychain fits this pattern by integrating into the macOS menus and apps. You get the benefits of a secure cloud storage credential vault without paying extra money or setting up new accounts. To use iCloud Keychain, enable iCloud on your system by logging in to the service. After that, find your passwords through Apple’s system preferences or by logging in through Safari. Don’t forget that you can also log in to iCloud and share passwords to your contacts with AirDrop. Of course, you can always export passwords to one of our better-rated password managers. We hope you know more about finding Mac passwords. For other Mac questions, please leave a comment, so we can write to fit your needs. We’re also interested in your opinions on the iCloud Keychain. Do you use it with your Mac? If not, what pushed you away from the service? Otherwise, thanks for reading and have a great day. |