YOUR iPhone is great at storing your passwords – but there’s a must-know log-in trick that takes this to the next level.
If you’re using Apple‘s iCloud to save your usernames and passwords, I’ve got a treat for you.
Look for the Shared Groups section at the bottom of your Passwords app[/caption]
You can set up sharing groups so that your family or friends with iPhones can access helpful log-ins.
It’s perfect to use for accounts that you share, as the passwords will stay synced.
So if you update the password, it’ll sync across to your partner or kids on their phones too.
This is perfect for something like Netflix, which lets you share your account inside a household – or even beyond, if you pay.
It was added in iOS 17 in 2023 – but it’s even easier to access with the new Passwords app in iOS 18.
WHAT IS PASSWORDS?
Passwords is Apple’s new way of managing – no prizes for guessing – your passwords.
It builds on the existing iCloud Keychain feature that you might have already used, even if you didn’t know it was called that.
You see it when you log in or sign up to websites on your iPhone.
It’ll save your usernames and passwords so you don’t have to re-enter them manually every time.
And it also suggests strong passwords too, with the added benefit of saving you from needing to remember them.
So from an online security perspective, it’s fantastic.
But the Passwords sharing groups feature is a star trick that you need to be using.
HOW TO USE PASSWORD SHARING
It’s easiest to find on iOS 18, so grab that update in Settings > General > Software Update.
Then navigate to the new Passwords app, which has a logo made up of three door-keys.
Passwords keeps track of all of your log-ins[/caption]
You’ll need to unlock it, and then you’ll want to look at the bottom of the screen.
There should be an option to create a New Group.
Tap that and you’ll be able to give your group a name, and add people that you’d like to share some passwords with.
You can then go into your main list of passwords and add some of them to the Shared Group.
Your Passwords app log-ins wil sync across your Apple devices through iCloud[/caption]
That way, the other person (or people) will be able to see those shared passwords on their own iPhone.
And if you update the password on your device, it’ll change on theirs too.
So consider using this for shared log-ins like home security cameras, your Netflix, a joint bill account, or whatever else you’d like to keep shared.
TWO OTHER PASSWORDS APP PERKS
First up is that you can also use your Passwords app as an authenticator.
USE THE PASSWORDS APP – IT’S DANGEROUS NOT TO
Here’s what Sean Keach, The Sun’s Head of Technology and Science, has to say…
Passwords are a bore. They’re annoying to create, difficult to remember, and are always in danger of being stolen.
So consider using Apple’s Passwords app on your iPhone.
It takes away most of these headaches, and gives you much better protection that manually creating passwords to remember.
For a start, it generates long and complicated passwords that are difficult for hackers to “crack”, or manually guess.
And it also suggests unique passwords, saving you from re-using them. That means if one gets hacked, the others stay safe.
As well as that, it physically saves you the time of having to tap out passwords manually too.
All of these features mean you’ll be far safer than creating your own easy-to-remember passwords that you’re likely to re-use.
As well as that, you’ll be warned when your passwords are compromised, and you can share those log-ins with family and pals too.
It’s one of the simplest ways to instantly improve your online security, so give it a try.
You know when you log into websites and you get sent a code to gain access? Well that’s called SMS verification.
But there’s a safer alternative that uses your phone to generate codes instead.
Just go into the Passwords app and look for the Codes section.
This is where your rolling access codes will appear when you’re trying to log in or sign up to a website using this authentication trick.
Look for this logo on your iPhone – it’s the new Passwords app in iOS 18[/caption]
Secondly, make sure to check the Security section of your Passwords app.
This is where problems with your log-ins will appear.
So you’ll be able to see passwords that have been re-used across multiple accounts here.
Or you can identify passwords that are marked as “easily guessed”.
And you’ll also be able to see if any of your log-ins have been caught up in a password leak.
That way, you can quickly take action and change your passwords on those accounts.
