“Apple’s password manager for Macs, iPhones and iPads, iCloud Keychain is designed to keep passwords, credit card details, Wi-Fi logins and lots of other critical data safe while also making it much easier for you to create and recall complex passcodes,” Jonny Evans writes for Computerworld.
“When you enter a new password in Safari, you’ve probably seen iCloud Keychain ask if you would like it to save it for use across all your devices,” Evans writes. “So long as you are running iOS 7.0.3 or later or OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later, iCloud Keychain will store the following items securely in iCloud. Once secured in iCloud Keychain, you will be able to access all these items securely from any Apple system logged into your Apple ID.: Safari website usernames and passwords; Credit card information; Wi-Fi network information; Ensure Mail, Contacts, Calendar and Messages are synced across all your devices; Protect, access and deploy your LinkedIn, Twitter and other Internet account logins and passwords.”
“Is iCloud Keychain safe?” Evans writes. “Technically, iCloud Keychain is highly secure: Keychain passwords and credit card numbers are encrypted with 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). End-to-end encryption, your data is protected with a unique (device) key and your device passcode, which only you know…”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We use iCloud Keychain and Keychain Access extensively and recommend Apple macOS and iOS users do so, too.
Always use unique passwords and use Apple’s Keychain Access and iCloud Keychain to create and manage them. When used properly, it works like a dream.
SEE ALSO:
A comprehensive guide to Apple’s very useful iCloud Keychain – January 4, 2017
Apple’s built-in Keychain vs. 1Password or LastPass – April 29, 2016
Generally works well. What is very useful is when it can pull a website login on a mac and use that for an iOS app login.
Safest method is to manually enter your password when needed. Anything that ‘saves’ your password can be hacked and stolen. 101 of security.
Hey trondude, but if you have over a hundred email accounts, bank accounts and other websites (such as MacDailyNews, Netflix, Apple ID, WiFi, Amazon & other places you shop, Frequent Flyer, Utility Companies, Skype, etc.) – each with different passwords, then you have to keep them all written down in a book. You have to carry the book with you wherever you go. You must keep the book up-to-date with constantly changing passwords or adding new ones each time you add a new website. And then, if you lose the book, it’s not encrypted!
Trondude So you remember dozens or 100+ different passwords for different sites? Or you reuse passwords?
Yes, cause my brain is like a sponge….LOL
Honestly, I don’t use 100+ passwords so if you do, good luck then…..
… it sounds like you just use one password for everything. Let me guess, is it “1,2,3,4,5” ?
Question, I have to take my laptop to Apple for a screen repair. How would you recommend I give them access to the laptop
and Turn Off the keychain? is that reliable?
or I know I sound paranoid, because I am, but if I only gave them access to my Guest user, are my keychains, still not accessible? it always seems like they wipe my drive every time they touch it anyway. ok, Any help would be appreciated.
You just have to trust them. You do trust them all right? LOL
Keychain has lost dozens of account names/passwords for me. In many cases I’ve been unable to recall which one I used and so have lost the ability to log in.