Apple is dedicating itself with great effort to everything related to the security of their devices. Following this logic, among the many features introduced with iOS 12 comes the advanced management of complex passwords.
Thanks to the use of an iCloud, in fact, with the new version of the operating system it will be possible to memorize and manage extremely complex passwords (and therefore hardly detectable by malicious people).
With iOS 12 managing complex passwords will not be difficult
By taking advantage of your iCloud account, the passwords and the related autofill will not only be linked to a device – any device connected to iCloud (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac) will be able to share the passwords in question.
The automatic password generator from Apple in iOS 12 comes into operation when you create a new account via Safari or a third-party app.
When you select the password entry field on the account setup page, iOS immediately creates a strong and random password for the account in question. Thanks to iOS 12, this is immediately saved on your “virtual keyring”, ie iCloud.
Just tap Use strong passwords to confirm your intentions and the information will be saved to your blockchain as soon as you finish setting up your account.
Automatically enter passwords at a later time from the keychain
After tapping the username or password field, the account or saved accounts will be displayed above the keyboard in the QuickType bar. Touch the desired account, then authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID or the passcode of your iPhone. Once you are logged in, iOS uploads your account information to the appropriate fields, allowing you to log in without even needing to know your password.
If you do not see your account appear above the keyboard, touch the key icon on the far right. Provide your Face ID, Touch ID or passcode to view the passwords saved on iCloud, then touch the relevant account information to automatically upload it to the login fields.
View and edit saved passwords
To view and edit your account information in the iCloud blockchain:
- open the Settings app
- touch Password and account
- select Website and app password
You must use Face ID, Touch ID or the passcode to go ahead and, once done, you can view and change the password saved in the cloud, as well as change weak passwords or otherwise considered unsafe.
Alternatively, with the Show My Passwords command, you can jump directly to your list of login details with Siri. In the Password and account menu, you can disable Automatic password filling if you wish, even if (given the great security guaranteed by this new management method) it is a rather useless option.
The situation changes if you use a third-party password manager like LastPass or 1Password, and you want to keep the autofill integrated into those apps – in this case, you can enable Automatic password fill and deselect the iCloud Keychain option. However, this means that you will not be able to create complex passwords automatically as described above.
In conclusion
Improving the general security of the iPhone is the main mission of iOS 12. In addition to offering users an easy way to create complex passwords for their accounts, the new update turns the Safari browser into a much more powerful tool.
With the passing of the updates, the road traced by the Cupertino colossus seems now quite clear – to win on the competition, the password is security.
