Best password managers for Mac and iPhone
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Remembering the numerous passwords we use on a daily basis can be a real pain. Whether it’s logging into Amazon to order a new book, checking your online banking or settling down to watch something on Netflix, seeing the log-in box appear can make your heart sink.
Then there’s the fact that each site seems to require a different length or combination of certain characters, meaning you need different ones for nearly every site or service (which, sadly, is also a good idea). How are our limited human brains supposed to store all these weird strings of letters, numbers and special characters? All I want to do is stream Star Trek: The Next Generation for the 50th time, not prove my intellectual prowess!
Password managers can help you manage all your passwords and login information across your Mac, iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices. Apple offers iCloud Keychain, but is that the best password manager for Mac and iPhone, or is there another password manager for Apple devices that would do a better job.
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These carry the burden of remembering everything for you, as you just have to create one master password, after which the app takes care of logging into all other accounts. They even make recommendations for really secure passwords, so you don’t rely on the mixture of your birthday and the name of your first pet.
Having only a single login to remember? That sounds good to us.
Need some help coming up with a safe and secure password? Read our tips to make your passwords even stronger.
Updated with details of Apple’s Password app.
How password managers work
The idea of password managers is to simplify the way you access your various accounts. Instead of having to memorize multiple complex passwords for each of the services you use you need only recall one password – or provide a fingerprint or Face ID – and the password manager will automatically fill in the required details for you. Just remember this is only as safe as the password you use to unlock access to all your passwords – so don’t lock them all behind an easy-to-guess password, like your pet’s name.
The password managers also offer various other features. For example, they can generate random, highly secure passwords for your accounts, they can warn you if your password has been compromised, and some can advise you about existing insecure passwords and support your efforts to update them.
Obviously, security is a high priority—as the manager apps have the virtual keys to your kingdom—which is why all of the options listed below use high-grade encryption to protect your details.
Many also feature digital wallets so your bank details can be safely stored and used to make purchases online without having to root around in your pocket or bag for the card number and expiry date.
A good Password Manager makes it easy to use strong, unique passwords everywhere on the web, no matter what platform or browser you happen to use. But to get the most out of them, you need to pay a subscription fee.
Do you need a password manager? Is Apple’s Password app enough?
Now that Apple has its own standalone Passwords app (which arrived in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia) do you need another Password Manager?
As you will see from our review below, and our full review of Apple’s Passwords app, most users can replace their paid password manager with Apple’s free solution. Most people don’t use a password manager at all, so getting them in the door this way is a good thing – and Apple Passwords is definitely good enough for most everyday users.
The problems arise if you are trying to switching from an existing Password Manager. Indeed, the biggest annoyance we ran into was making the switch and getting everything transferred over, as you can see if you read: Apple’s free Passwords app can replace your paid password manager (kinda).
If you just love your current password manager and use it to connect to multiple platforms and browsers, it may well be worth continuing to pay its subscription fee.
If you’re thinking of switching to save the fee for your existing password manager, by all means move, just expect it to take a little time.
For more ways to keep your data safe, read our iPhone security and Best Mac security tips articles.
Best Password Managers for Mac and iPhone
Apple Passwords – Best For Basics
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