Apple launches the challenge to 1Password and LastPass: a new password manager could arrive with iOS 18

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, during WWDC 2024 which will be held on June 10, Apple could present a new app for iOS 18 and macOS 15 simply called Passwords.

It would be a password manager separate from the one inside Apple operating systems (present, for example, in the iPhone Settings menu).

The sources Gurman spoke to said the app is powered by iCloud Keychain, a long-standing Apple service that can sync passwords and account information between different devices.

What features might the Passwords app have

According to sources, the app features a list of user logins and divides the details into different categoriessuch as accounts, Wi-Fi networks and Passkeys.

It also supports verification codes for two-factor authentication similar to apps like Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator, therefore it is configured as a more structured software than the current one in the system settings.

Passwords is also able to import credentials from other managers such as 1Password and LastPassand will also be available on Vision Pro e Windows. For the moment, there is no talk of an Android version.

Like most password managers, data can be automatically entered into websites and apps when the user logs in to them.

Apple’s goal in introducing a separate app for this purpose, Bloomberg reported, would be to convince more people to use strong passwords and to strengthen the privacy of its devices. The connection to this reasoning escapes us, but the key could be drawing attention to passwords by presenting a specific app.

Obviously, Apple’s entry into this sector and the possibility of importing credentials from other managers would be a clear declaration of war against rivals such as 1Password and LastPass.