Ever found yourself in the struggle of securely juggling your credentials on two different ecosystems? For Apple users, the seamless harmony of iCloud Keychain to store passwords is a blessing. But if you're also a Windows PC user, things quickly become less than pleasant.
If you store your passwords on iCloud Keychain but have been looking for a hassle free and equally secure alternative for Windows, you need to cease that search. Let me introduce you to iCloud Passwords – an app that bridges the gap and lets you access your hallowed iCloud Keychain data right from your Windows 11 machine, without a smidgen of worry about security compromise.
What is iCloud Passwords for Windows?
iCloud Passwords is an extension to iCloud Keychain for Windows. iCloud Keychain needs no introduction for Apple users. Still, for the uninitiated, Keychain is the native password manager across all Apple platforms.
Now, iCloud Passwords is an app that allows you to access all the passwords stored in your Apple Keychain on a Windows platform. It is extremely convenient if you are someone who tends to use Apple and Windows devices simultaneously or frequently.
You can use iCloud Passwords as a standalone app to access your passwords as well as install it as a browser extension to enter credentials directly on your favorite websites.
The best part is that iCloud Passwords not only allows you to access the stored passwords, but you can also edit, remove, or add existing or new credentials right from your Windows device and they'll sync across your Apple devices.
All being said, iCloud Passwords comes bundled with the iCloud app, and like it or not, you will have to download iCloud in order to use iCloud Passwords. It is kind of a bummer as iCloud tends to run some unnecessary processes in the background, but I guess that's the trade-off you will have to settle with.
Install and Setup iCloud App from the Microsoft Store
First, head to the Start Menu and click on the 'Microsoft Store' icon. In case the icon is not pinned, type Store to search. Then, from the search results, click on the 'Microsoft Store' icon to launch.
After that, type 'iCloud' in the search bar and hit Enter to perform a search.
Then, from the search results, hover over the 'iCloud' tile and click the 'Get' icon on the iCloud tile to download and install the app on your PC.
Once installed, head to the Start Menu and type iCloud. Then, from the search results, click on the 'iCloud' tile to proceed.
After that, enter your Apple ID credentials to log in. You will also be prompted on your Apple devices to approve the login.
After authentication, you will see the settings screen. Ensure to check the 'Passwords' option. You can also enable other options like iCloud Drive, Photos, and Bookmarks. We've covered the rest of the iCloud apps in detail in the guide below.
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Once done, click 'Apply' to save the changes.
Use iCloud Passwords on your Windows Computer
There are two ways you can use iCloud passwords, either using the web browser extension or by heading to the app, if and when needed.
To install browser extensions, from the iCloud settings screen, click on the 'Install Extension' button following your preferred browser. This will bring an alert to your screen.
Now, click on the 'Download' button to launch the browser. (Here, we are showcasing the process with Microsoft Edge).
Next, on the browser window, click 'Get' to proceed. This will bring an additional dialogue box to your screen.
From the alert box, click 'Add extension'. That's it, the extension is now ready to use.
In order to use the saved credentials, head to the website you wish to log in. Then, on the 'Sign in' page, click on the 'iCloud Passwords' extension icon.
In case you are not able to see the icon on the toolbar, click on the 'Extensions' icon and then click on the 'Eye' icon following the 'iCloud Passwords' to pin it to the address bar.
Now, you will be prompted to enter a code to enable 'iCloud Passwords'. The verification code will be displayed on the bottom right corner of your screen. This is a one-time process for the current browsing session. That is, once you enter the code, you can use the extension to access stored passwords or add new passwords until you quit the browser. When you restart the browser, you will have to re-enter the code, though.
Once you have entered the code, you will be able to see the saved credentials for the website. Click one from the list to use.
When you create a new account on any website or login somewhere for which the credentials aren't saved in iCloud Keychain, you'll also get the option to save the password to iCloud Passwords provided that the extension is active, i.e., you entered the code for the current browsing session.
View, Edit, Remove, or Add Credentials on iCloud Passwords
If you want to view, edit, remove, or manually add any credentials to iCloud Keychain from your Windows 11 device, you'll need to head to the iCloud Passwords app. Head to the Start Menu and type iCloud Passwords. Then, from the search results, click on the 'iCloud Passwords' tile.
After that, click 'Sign in' and provide authentication by entering your user account password or using Windows Hello (PIN, biometrics, etc.).
Once authenticated, you will be able to see the list of saved passwords on your iCloud Keychain. You can also search for a particular password using the search bar on the top left.
To edit a particular password, navigate to the credentials using the left sidebar, and from the right section, click on the 'Edit' icon.
On the next screen, you can edit the username and/or password. Do note any change here will reflect across all the devices that have access to iCloud Keychain. You can also generate a password by clicking 'Generate strong password'. Once done, click on the 'Save' button.
To add a new password, click the '+' icon in the left section. This will bring a new window to your screen.
From the separately opened window, add the credentials along with the website address. If you are yet to create an account, you can use the 'Generate strong password' option. Once done, click 'Add Password' to save it.
If you wish to delete a password, navigate to it using the left sidebar. Then, from the right section, click on the 'Trashcan' icon.
An alert window will appear on your screen. Click 'Delete' to permanently delete the credentials.
Being able to access your iCloud Keychain passwords on Windows is very useful when you tend to use both devices. Even if you do not use the Apple ecosystem but have been looking for a reliable and secure password manager, there is none better than Apple.
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