The first public beta of macOS Sonoma, the upcoming significant update to macOS that will be made accessible to everyone this fall, was released by Apple yesterday.
With the release of this update, Mac users will have access to Apple’s password manager in third-party web browsers including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Arc.
You might not be aware of the integrated password manager that comes with macOS, which can safely store all of your passwords. You can view your saved passwords by logging in with your fingerprint or computer password from the system settings.
Using a password manager has a lot of benefits. It implies that you can create unique, complex passwords for each website and service with which you have an account.
Thus, even if a service experiences a data breach, your online accounts will continue to be largely secure. Change your password on the targeted website, then leave.
If you keep your credentials in Apple’s password manager, they are synced with your other Apple gadgets, such your iPhone or iPad, thanks to iCloud. yet what if you work from a Windows computer yet own an iPhone?
Apple launched the iCloud Passwords Google Chrome add-on for Windows in 2021. Shortly later, the business unveiled a comparable extension for Microsoft Edge.
However, those extensions are incompatible with macOS, so if you want to use Apple’s password manager on the Mac, you must use Safari.
When you establish a new account, Safari will automatically fill out the login fields, generate passwords, and keep your credentials in Apple’s password manager. While Google Chrome is a fantastic web browser, many people also use Safari.
With the release of macOS Sonoma, this is set to change, as Apple’s Ricky Mondello noted on Twitter. The business will make the iCloud Passwords plugin available for Google Chrome on Mac.
With the “iCloud Passwords” browser extension, macOS Sonoma adds Apple’s password manager to Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other browsers that use their extension stores.
You may try it right away if you’re using the developer or public beta of macOS Sonoma! [1/n] pic.twitter.com/stkbQqFtfx
By Ricky Mondello on July 12, 2023 (@rmondello).
Since many web browsers are built on the Chromium platform, they frequently support Chrome extensions out of the box. For instance, the iCloud Passwords extension for macOS Sonoma should be supported by Arc and Brave.
Apple is already actively working on bringing the Microsoft Edge extension to macOS, as well as other browsers. Ricky Mondello posted on Mastodon, “We don’t have support for Mozilla Firefox at this time, although it’s a request I understand.
As more websites begin to allow passkeys, having a password manager that you can access from anywhere will become even more crucial in the near future.
For instance, you can now login in to Gmail using a passkey rather than the standard password. Your device creates a passkey automatically, which it then stores in a safe place. It can be synced with your other Apple devices and kept in Apple’s password manager on macOS.
It’s also important to note how passionately many Mac users have been utilizing 1Password as their own personal password manager. But 1Password is now placing more emphasis on cross-platform interoperability and business clients.
Many users may start thinking about switching from 1Password to Apple’s built-in password manager now that it will soon be available via Google Chrome. The release of iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma both include shared passwords.
