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How to manage passwords on iPhone and improve your security

Elena Constantinescu

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iPhone stores passwords in iCloud Keychain, Apple’s built-in password manager. It’s convenient but has some drawbacks. A major issue is that it doesn’t work well with other platforms, making it hard for Apple users to use their passwords and passkeys outside the Apple ecosystem.

Additionally, the company collects a lot of data and has been accused of making misleading privacy claims(new window). Apple users concerned about their privacy might want to reconsider relying heavily on Apple products and explore privacy-focused alternatives to better protect their personal information.

This article shows how to find passwords on iPhone as well as how to delete them if you’re ready to switch to a privacy-first platform. Not ready to switch completely? We’ll show you how to improve your iCloud Keychain privacy and how easy it is to migrate your data.

How to find saved passwords on iPhone 

There are three ways to locate passwords on your iPhone: using the Settings app, Spotlight Search, or Siri. Here’s how to use each:

Using the Settings app

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and, depending on your iOS version, tap Passwords (iOS 14 or later) or Passwords & Accounts (iOS 13 or earlier).
  3. Authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
  4. You will see a list of websites and apps, so you can tap one to view its saved passwords. You can also use the search bar at the top to quickly find the password you are looking for.

Using Spotlight Search

  1. From the Home screen, swipe down from the middle of the screen to access Spotlight Search. Alternatively, you can swipe right on the Home screen until the Spotlight Search bar appears.
  2. In the search bar, type Passwords to bring up the Passwords (iOS 14 or later) or Passwords & Accounts (iOS 13 or earlier) section from the Settings app.
  3. Follow the remaining steps above.

Using Siri

  1. Activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri” if you have that feature enabled. Alternatively, press and hold the Home button (on an iPhone that has it) or the Side button (on an iPhone without a Home button).
  2. Once Siri is activated, say something like “Show my passwords” or “Open my saved passwords”. You can also ask Siri to show a specific password by saying something like “Hey Siri, what’s my Netflix password?”
  3. Siri will prompt you to authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
  4. After authentication, Siri will take you to the Passwords (iOS 14 or later) or Passwords & Accounts (iOS 13 or earlier) section in the Settings app.
  5. Follow the remaining steps from the Settings app section above.

How to delete saved passwords on iPhone

Follow one of the methods above to reach the Passwords (iOS 14 or later) or Passwords & Accounts (iOS 13 or earlier) section of your Settings app.

Individual passwords

  1. Select a website or app.
  2. Tap Delete Password at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Confirm the deletion if prompted.

Multiple passwords at once

  1. Tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen.
  2. Select the passwords you want to delete by tapping the circle next to each entry.
  3. Tap Delete at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Confirm the deletion if prompted.

How to turn off password autofill on iPhone

Even if you’ve deleted all your passwords, if you don’t turn off iCloud Keychain’s password autofill feature, it will continue to pop up as an option anytime you try to fill in a password field. 

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and, depending on your iOS version, tap Passwords (iOS 14 or later) or Passwords & Accounts (iOS 13 or earlier).
  3. Authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
  4. Tap Password Options.
  5. Tap the toggle switch next to iCloud Keychain to off.

Does iCloud Keychain protect your passwords?

The iCloud Keychain uses advanced encryption to protect your data, including end-to-end encryption so that no one can see your Keychain data, not even Apple. However, it has some limitations:

  • Privacy concerns: Although iCloud Keychain data is encrypted, other iCloud data (like Mail and Calendar) is not end-to-end encrypted by default, meaning Apple can access this information.
  • Limited features: iCloud Keychain lacks several features found in other password managers, such as the ability to easily share passwords with anyone or store secure notes or custom entries.
  • Device compatibility: iCloud Keychain works best within the Apple ecosystem. It does not integrate well with non-Apple devices like Android phones or Windows laptops.
  • Passkey interoperability: Apple’s passkeys mostly work with its own products, making them difficult to use on non-Apple devices — passkeys become more secure and user-friendly as more devices use them. Plus, Apple passkeys can’t be shared or exported.
  • Closed source: iCloud Keychain is not open-source, so independent security audits are not possible. You must trust Apple to identify and fix any security vulnerabilities.

How to improve your iPhone password protection

Before implementing the steps below, make sure to follow basic security practices for your iPhone(new window). For example, you should keep iOS updated, use Face ID or Touch ID, have a strong device passcode, regularly review app permissions, and only download apps from the App Store.

1. Use strong, unique passwords

Avoid using easily guessable passwords. Instead, your passwords should be at least 12 characters long, complex (a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters), and unique.

Proton Pass can generate strong passwords for you and keep them in a safe place.

2. Enable two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your Apple ID. Even if someone guesses your password, they would still need to pass a second verification step to access your account.

3. Enable Advanced Data Protection

Advanced Data Protection(new window) is an Apple feature that is turned off by default. When enabled, it extends end-to-end encryption to more types of iCloud data, including backups, photos, and notes, beyond the apps that already have this protection by default. It can’t be enabled for managed Apple IDs or child accounts, though.

4. Disable iCloud syncing

If you don’t use specific Apple apps, such as Mail, Calendars, or Contacts, it’s safer to turn off iCloud syncing for these services since they can’t be protected with end-to-end encryption. 

Proton Pass keeps your data safe and private

Proton Pass is an encrypted password manager for iOS and other platforms that keeps all your passwords stored in a safe place. You can easily import passwords from Safari, generate strong passwords, autofill(new window) them, and safely share passwords with anyone.

Our app supports passkeys on multiple platforms, which you can easily share or export. Additionally, you can use a built-in 2FA authenticator to add two-factor authentication to any account that supports it, protect your real email address with email aliases, write secure notes, protect your payment details, and create vaults.

Pass Monitor is a feature that checks your account’s security. It uses Password Health to identify weak or reused passwords, and Dark Web Monitoring to check if your personal data is leaked online. Plus, Proton Sentinel provides advanced security against hackers.

We use end-to-end encryption to make sure no one can see your passwords and other personal information — not even us. All our apps are open source and audited by third parties. Furthermore, we are primarily owned by a non-profit dedicated to promoting online privacy.

Improve your iPhone password protection by signing up for a free Proton Pass account.

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