(Credit: Zain bin Awais)
Everyone hates passwords, and everyone likes password autofill, the browser feature that automatically enters the password you’ve forgotten for the site or app that you need to log in to. Apple devices use Apple’s Keychain secure storage system for autofilling passwords, but you don’t have to use Keychain if you prefer a third-party password manager. Anyone who uses both Windows and Apple devices has a strong reason to use a third-party cross-platform password manager. The problem is changing password managers on your iPhone is not obvious, but it's not hard.
We tell you how to change password managers using 1Password; the same procedure applies to any third-party password app that supports autofill.
Account for a password manager
Step 1: Install Your New Password Manager
Start by installing your password manager of choice from the App Store. Follow the prompts to create or log in to your account. Your password manager then prompts you to go directly to the password autofill settings in the Settings app.
Step 2: Get Into Your Password Settings
In the Settings app, tap on Passwords. Don’t be distracted by settings with similar names. You want the Passwords option on the first menu, just below Wallet & Apple Pay.
In the Passwords menu, tap the second item, Password Options.
In the Passwords Options menu, make sure that AutoFill Passwords and Passkeys is switched on (green).
Step 3: Enable Autofill and Authenticate Yourself
In the same menu, under Use Passwords and Passkeys From, look for a list of apps that support password autofill. The first one shown is iCloud Keychain. It is likely switched on, and unless you have a strong reason to turn it off, you can leave it on.
To enable autofill from 1Password, move the slider next to 1Password to the right, making it green. Your phone then prompts you to authenticate yourself, and when 1Password displays a message saying that autofill is enabled, you can start using it in your browser.
The next time you log in to a website on Safari, 1Password will prompt you to use your saved password for it.
How to Use More Than One Password Manager
If you use multiple password managers, like 1Password and Keychain, and for some reason you don’t want to use the password stored in 1Password, tap the key icon in the lower right of the password prompt. This brings up a menu of all the password managers you’ve enabled, and you can tap on the manager that has the password you need.
If you decide to ditch your third-party password manager, all you need to do is go back to the Password Options menu, find the slider next to the app’s name, and slide it to the left.
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