Hands-On Mac 179: Using the Passwords App in macOS Sequoia - All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)

Summary

Hands-On Mac 179: Using the Passwords App in macOS Sequoia

Released on April 24, 2025 by TWiT

In the 179th episode of Hands-On Mac, host Micah Sargent delves into the enhanced Passwords app introduced in macOS Sequoia. This comprehensive session offers listeners an in-depth exploration of the app's features, functionalities, and best practices for managing credentials securely and efficiently across Apple devices.

1. Introduction to the Passwords App

Micah Sargent opens the episode by highlighting the significance of the Passwords app as a centralized hub for all credential information. Emphasizing its evolution into a full-featured repository for storing various logins, Micah sets the stage for a detailed walkthrough of the app's capabilities.

"It is a one-stop shop to take care of all of your credential information."
[02:22] Micah Sargent

2. Navigating the Passwords App Interface

Upon launching the Passwords app in macOS Sequoia, users are greeted with a streamlined interface. Micah points out the left-hand toolbar, which categorizes different types of credentials, including:

All: Displays all stored credentials.
Passkeys: Showcases passkeys created automatically.
Codes: Houses verification codes for two-factor authentication.
Wi-Fi: Lists connected Wi-Fi networks along with their passwords.
Security: Offers recommendations for password changes based on security breaches.
Deleted: Contains credentials that have been removed.
Shared Groups: Enables sharing of credentials with designated groups.

"The first thing that I want to point out here is that on the left-hand side in that window, in that toolbar, we have many options."
[02:22] Micah Sargent

3. Managing Passkeys

Passkeys are a standout feature, automatically generated to enhance security and streamline logins without the need for traditional passwords.

Creation and Details: Selecting a passkey entry reveals the associated website, creation date, and additional notes.

"Passkeys are created automatically."
[02:35] Micah Sargent
Editing Passkeys: Users can add notes, modify website associations, or append passwords if a passkey and password are used concurrently.
Sharing Passkeys: The share button (beacon icon) allows users to share passkeys exclusively via AirDrop, ensuring secure transmission.

"You can only airdrop these pass keys to other people. There's no other way to share them."
[04:00] Micah Sargent

4. Verification Codes for Enhanced Security

Under the Codes section, Micah explains the integration of two-factor authentication (2FA) and additional verification methods.

Adding Verification Codes: Users can manually input codes or scan QR codes provided by websites to set up 2FA.

"You can add a verification code using the setup key or simply choose a QR code image if the site has displayed a QR code."

[05:20] Micah Sargent

Recognition and Setup: macOS Sequoia intelligently recognizes verification codes, allowing for seamless setup and management within the app.

5. Managing Wi-Fi Credentials

The Wi-Fi section serves as a repository for all known networks, complete with passwords and security details.

Overview of Networks: Displays network names, associated passwords, and security protocols (e.g., WPA2, WPA3).
QR Code Generation: Users can generate QR codes for networks, facilitating easy sharing and connection for guests.

"You can create a QR code for this network that gives anyone the ability to scan and connect to that Wi-Fi network."

[07:00] Micah Sargent

Security Insights: Offers detailed security information for each network, helping users assess and enhance their network safety.

6. Security Recommendations and Monitoring

The Security tab provides proactive alerts and recommendations to bolster account security.

Password Health: Monitors breaches and compromised sites, advising users when passwords need updating.

"Security gives you recommendations for when you should change a password based on if a website has been hacked or some other way that credentials have been lost."

[08:30] Micah Sargent

Privacy Measures: Utilizes differential privacy techniques to ensure that individual passwords remain secure while allowing Apple to notify users of potential security issues without accessing specific credentials.

"Apple uses differential privacy techniques so that you are not having your specific passwords sent to Apple but instead a comparison to the password that you actually have."
[09:15] Micah Sargent

7. Sharing Credentials with Groups

The app facilitates shared access to credentials within defined groups, such as family or team accounts.

Creating Shared Groups: Users can create groups (e.g., "Family") and designate an owner who manages group members.

"You can create shared groups so you can actually share credentials with other people."

[10:00] Micah Sargent

Managing Shared Entries: Shared passwords and passkeys are accessible to all group members, ensuring collaborative access without compromising individual security.

"This password and this username and this website is shared amongst the group."
[12:00] Micah Sargent

8. Importing Passwords Securely

For users transitioning from other password managers, the Passwords app offers an import feature.

Import Process: Supports importing from CSV files, allowing users to migrate their credentials seamlessly.

"You may see an import passwords option at the top of your list. This gives you the ability to export your passwords from a different location and import them here."

[13:30] Micah Sargent

Security Precautions: Micah strongly advises deleting the CSV file immediately after import to prevent unauthorized access to unencrypted passwords.

"I strongly recommend that after you export your passwords, if you're going to do that and you create that CSV file, immediately import them into the passwords app and then delete that CSV file."
[14:15] Micah Sargent

9. End-to-End Encryption and Cross-Device Synchronization

Ensuring the utmost security, the Passwords app employs end-to-end encryption via iCloud.

Data Security: All credentials are encrypted, guaranteeing that only the user can access their information across devices.

"This does have end to end encryption with iCloud so as it syncs across your different devices, it'll show up on all of your other Apple devices as saved passwords. But all of it is end to end encrypted."

[15:00] Micah Sargent

Cross-Platform Accessibility: For non-macOS users, Micah mentions that the app can be set up on Windows PCs through the settings, ensuring broader accessibility.

"In your settings under Help there is the option to set up passwords on a Windows PC so at any point you can learn about using the iCloud Passwords app on your Windows computer."
[16:00] Micah Sargent

10. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Micah concludes the episode by lauding the Passwords app for its comprehensive features and user-friendly design.

"It's a really full-featured app that I think they've done a good job of keeping simple to a certain extent where you don't feel overwhelmed by what you're able to do with it but it's all there kind of within the seams."
[17:00] Micah Sargent

He commends the development team and encourages listeners to utilize the Passwords app to enhance their digital security and streamline credential management across Apple devices.

Key Takeaways:

Comprehensive Management: The Passwords app in macOS Sequoia serves as a centralized platform for managing passkeys, verification codes, Wi-Fi credentials, and shared groups.
Enhanced Security: Features like automated passkeys, security recommendations, and end-to-end encryption prioritize user safety and privacy.
User-Friendly Interface: Despite its extensive functionalities, the app maintains an intuitive design, ensuring users can navigate and utilize its features without feeling overwhelmed.
Cross-Device Accessibility: Seamless synchronization across Apple devices, with support for Windows PCs, ensures accessibility and convenience for all users.

For those seeking a robust and secure solution for credential management, the Passwords app in macOS Sequoia emerges as a top contender, blending advanced security measures with user-centric design.

Transcript

Micah Sargent (0:00)

Coming up on Hands on Mac, let's take a look at the Passwords app in macOS Sequoia. Stay tuned.

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Micah Sargent (2:22)

Hello and welcome to Hands On Mac. I'm Micah Sargent and today it is time for us to take a good look at the Passwords app in Kos because it is the one stop shop to take care of all of your credential information. And I realized that it is an opportunity for us to talk about what the passwords app can do now that it is a full featured place for storing all of your login. So let's head over to macOS Sequoia to take a look. All right, here we are in macOS Sequoia with the passwords app opened. And the first thing that I want to point out here is that in the left hand side in that window, in that toolbar, we have many options. Of course, I currently have all selected, but if you'll notice there is a passkeys option that shows you the passkeys that you have created. There is a codes option which we'll get back to, but these are verification codes. WiFi options are also here so you can see the different WiFi networks you've connected to and learn the passwords for those WiFi networks. Security, which gives you recommendations for when you should change a password based on if a website has been hacked or some other way that credentials have been lost and then of course deleted, which removes things that you don't have anymore. This is also the place where you can create shared groups so you can actually share credentials with other people. So let's kind of take a look at each of these categories. First and foremost, passkeys. Now, passkeys are created automatically. So if I click on freeprintscards.com I can see that I created a passkey with the Micah Twit account. Now it tells me when the passkey was created, the website where it is used, and then talks a little bit about passkeys in general. If I hit edit, you'll notice that there's not a lot that you can change. You can add some notes to this. You can change the website if the place where it's supposed to be use is different from what you would expect. And you can also add a password because there are times where a password and a passkey are used together. I'm going to hit cancel here and I'm going to show you that you can also at any point click the beacon icon, which is actually a share button. But the reason why it looks like this is because you can only airdrop these pass keys to other people. There's no other way to share them. So you're not able to, for example, export them and send them in an email or anything like that lets you airdrop them. Now, passkeys can be sorted by title, website, date created, date edited, and then of course, in ascending and descending order, those sorting orders apply to all of these codes are for verification codes. If I click the plus icon, I can add a verification code using the setup key. So when you create a two factor authentication code or what is called a verification code because it may be a third factor, maybe some other factor in the list that will show up as a string of characters. And you can paste that in here, but you are also able to simply choose a QR code image if the site has displayed a QR code. What's great is that right clicking or control clicking on that code lets macOS recognize that it is a verification code and then gives you the ability to set it up that way. So here I have all of those options to add verification codes and keep those in my passwords app as well. WI FI is, as you might imagine, a way to keep track of different WiFi networks. So if I click on one of these, I can see the name of the network, I can see the password, or I can see that there is a password and then I can actually create with the QR code option a QR code for this network that gives anyone the ability to scan and connect to that WI FI network. You also, I love this, get to see the security for that specific network. So this is set up with WPA2 personal, my personal network is set up with WPA3 and you can forget the networks here, you can also share them and you'll notice that the share icon is a full on share sheet icon, meaning that you can send it as an email, a message, anything like that. And when you do it will just send as the credentials themselves. It's not any kind of special file or anything like that. Now we don't currently have any security options here, but if we click on more about security recommendations, it will take us to a website that talks about the way that it helps you to keep track of whether something has been compromised. So in this case, if there's a data leak or some other thing, then it will help you to keep track of the fact that a data leak has happened. And the way that Apple does this again you can read more about. It involves differential privacy techniques that make it so that you are not having your specific passwords sent to Apple but instead a it's it's a comparison to the password that you actually have. Again, the best way for you to kind of understand is by reading through this documentation about how Apple notifies you of security issues. And then of course as I mentioned, deleted is the place where you have your deleted passwords. On the left here we can also hit the plus icon to create shared passwords and pass keys. So if you have logins with multiple people, this is the way to set that up. If we click continue we can create a group. We would call it family I, the Micah Twitter account is currently the owner and then I can add people and I would type in a name like myself. I'm not going to click on that because it will reveal some of my personal information, but I can go ahead and click Create with just me here and then add those people later. And then what I want to do is find the accounts that would be shared between people. So that might be, you know, a Netflix account for example, or if you all use the greeting card service together, then maybe that's one that gets shared amongst the group. So now this password and this username and this website is shared amongst the group and by clicking on this I can also see that there aren't currently any issues with this specific password. Everything's good to go there and everything looks nice from that point on. I am able to then use this along with anyone else that I add to my family group and they will also have access to these passwords. The other thing that I wanted to show you is that if you go to the all page you may see an import passwords option at the top of your list. This gives you the ability to export your passwords from a different location and import them here. It does need to be a CSV file and I strongly recommend that after you export your passwords, if you're going to do that and you create that CSV file, immediately import them into the passwords app and then delete that CSV file. You don't want it sticking around because it is an unencrypted version of your passwords that's not good to have anywhere. Get rid of it quick after you've imported. Lastly, I want to mention that this does have end to end encryption with icloud so as it syncs across your different devices, it'll show up on all of your other Apple devices as saved passwords. But all of it is end to end encrypted. And then for those of you who don't have macOS who are tuning into Hands on Mac for the times when I talk about iOS and other things, I want to mention that in your settings under Help there is the option to set up passwords on a Windows PC so at any point you can learn about using the iCloud Passwords app on your Windows computer. So folks, that is a look at the Passwords app in Kos Sequoia, the ability to create passwords, add passkeys, sign in with Apple and manage those credentials across your different sites and accounts. It's a really full featured app that I think they've done a good job of keeping simple to a certain extent where you don't feel overwhelmed by what you're able to do with it but it's all there kind of in within the seams. So great work to the team who worked on Passwords and great work to all of you who've tuned into this episode of Hands On Mac. We appreciate you being here. I'll be back next week with another episode but until then it is time to say goodbye. Remember email me micahwit TV and to those of you tuning in to the version that is available to the public I should remind you Twit TV Club Twitter to get ad free versions of all of our shows including this one. And now we've brought back our yearly plan to those of you who've asked for it. So monthly or yearly we'd love to have you in the club. Thanks so much and goodbye.