Keep Your Online Accounts Secure Using Safari Passwords
If you aren't using a third-party password manager, you should be at least using Safari Passwords. This allows you to create strong unique password for your online accounts without having to remember or type them. You can even use those password on your other Apple devices through iCloud.
Related Subjects: Safari (145 videos), Security (128 videos)
Comments: 25 Responses to “Keep Your Online Accounts Secure Using Safari Passwords”
Michael Ritchie
4 years ago
I use the safari password manager and it works fine most of the time but there have been times that a website rejected the random password created. Have you experienced that?
Could it be some websites have a different protocol that doesn’t accept the safari generated password? If so is there a way to make a website accept the safari password?
Michael: Sometimes developers make some poor decisions. I have seen sites that want a short password, or ones that don't allow some characters, etc. But those things are getting rarer. You can always take the password and manually enter a variation of it, fixing it to meet the requirement.
Ryder Cragie
4 years ago
Great video Gary, as always. 😀
Karl
4 years ago
Gary, yes this works great. I went through about 4 years ago and changed all my passwords to strong ones using Safari Keychain. And yes there were/are a few sites that won’t except certain characters and a few that didn’t even prompt me for a unique password. Not sure why that happened. Great video. Thanks
Ronald Hecker
4 years ago
Gary, I use Keychain and also One Password. The latter is driving me crazy always trying to get me to use it. Can I simply stop using that service? Is there anything i would be missing out on?
Ronald: You can stop using it, sure. If you don't need any of its unique features, then you won't be missing out. But it is hard for me to say without knowing how you use it now. Also, note there are plenty of settings for 1Password that you can customize so it appears in fewer places and only when you request it.
Michael Rasmussen
4 years ago
I stopped using 1Password awhile ago, and I'm quite happy using only the Safari/Keychain feature. Gary: Please consider making a specific Keychain video, with tips how to use secure notes, the difference between login and iCloud chains etc.
Michael: Secure notes are pretty straightforward, you just make them and access them in Keychain Access. But I don't think you can access them at all on iOS. As for login vs iCloud -- use iCloud for anything you make as login is just the local keychain for that Mac (that Mac login) and iCloud is what will be saved to iCloud and you'll see on other Macs and in iOS.
Mike Brown
4 years ago
Unfortunately, I need to use my employer's Windows laptop for work and they've locked the browsers down so Safari passwords are not an option for me. I can use Firefox to sync logins on both mac and windows, which works in a pinch.
But, I tend to rely on saving passwords via 1Password on my Mac so I can access passwords via 1Password on my iPhone when I'm at my Windows laptop (God, that was a complicated sentence!). 1Pwd on my iPhone is handy for that and for secure notes.
Garth Wildman
4 years ago
If I am using Safari passwords, can I open a website with chrome and will safari passwords enter the password automatically?
Garth: No. Chrome has its own system using your Google account. A third-party password manager would work between both.
Robert
4 years ago
Is there a way to copy the Safari passwords from Safari to Chrome? Sometimes some websites almost force the use of Chrome, especially banking....thank you.
Robert: You'd think that banks of all places would want you to use a more privacy-oriented browser. You'd just have to go into Safari, Preferences and copy the password, then paste it into Chrome. But don't make the mistake of thinking that because a bank site didn't work for you in the past, that it won't work today. Give it another try. And if it still doesn't work, make Sure you complain to your bank.
Steverino
4 years ago
Hi Gary -- great video as usual. I use Roboform as an additional password manager. One question -- when safari suggests a password -- initially -- the whole password is not visible. Can you copy and paste that password without going into System Preferences? I do use both safari and Roboform.
One draw back is with all these apps like on Apple TV or Firesticks -- typing them in really is a challenge.
Best wishes and stay safe!
Steverino: You can't copy right there and then. As for entering in passwords in Apple TV, you should get prompted to use your iPhone as a keyboard and from there you can actually access your iCloud passwords on your iPhone so you don't have to actually type it.
Scott Hagarty
4 years ago
Hi Gary:
I also use both Safari and One Password. Is there a way to stop Safari offering a password suggestion on a new site? I find that Safari auto fills in a suggestion, but I prefer to generate with One Password. Just wondering if there is a way to shut this off.
Thanks
Scott: I don't think so. But they are easy to ignore. After all, how often do you need to set up a new account at a new site you are joining?
Barry Pless
4 years ago
I watched this one with interest because I am 88 years old and was worried about remembering the generated passwords. You have convinced me to use them. The question now is how to I go about replacing the weaker passwords I have been using and is it reasonable to assume that all sites e.g., dropbox would be accessed through safari or are there many 'stand alone' sites?
Barry: You have to do it on each site in the way the site wants. So go to one site, go into your account settings / profile / user preferences or whatever they call it on that site. Then look for their "change password" functionality there.
Deborah Miller
4 years ago
I am interested in your thoughts regarding the security of Apple's Password Manager vs others on the market.
Deborah: All of them are way way more secure than using weak or non-unique passwords. Relative to each other they all have advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you use them. iCloud is secure enough for almost all Mac users, especially if you are using two-factor authentication.
Bert Mullemeister
3 years ago
Hi Gary
I have successfully changed many current password to the ones created.
Thanks for your recommendation ......nowever
When I try to do it on my Apple ID it will not show me the suggested long password
Hope you can help
Bert: Current password for WHAT? What do you mean by "When I try to do it on my Apple ID" -- do what (login? change password?) And WHERE, exactly? There are many places where you can do things to or with your Apple ID.
Bert Mullemeister
3 years ago
Sorry Gary, I should have been clearer
When I click on the Apple ID and select Password and Security, then select change password, an applet appears where I can type my new password but it does not show the long password created by Safari as it does with all the other apps I have successfully changed the password of
Hope this explains it better
Thanks in anticipation
Bert: Do you mean in System Preferences? You'll need to create your own password for this. Your Apple ID is one you will actually have to type from time-to-time. If you aren't using a third-party password manager, you can use a function in the Keychain Access app to create a random password. I have an old video on how to do that, but it still works pretty much the same way: https://macmost.com/creating-passwords-with-keychain-access.html
I use the safari password manager and it works fine most of the time but there have been times that a website rejected the random password created. Have you experienced that?
Could it be some websites have a different protocol that doesn’t accept the safari generated password? If so is there a way to make a website accept the safari password?
Thanks,
Mike
Michael: Sometimes developers make some poor decisions. I have seen sites that want a short password, or ones that don't allow some characters, etc. But those things are getting rarer. You can always take the password and manually enter a variation of it, fixing it to meet the requirement.
Great video Gary, as always. 😀
Gary, yes this works great. I went through about 4 years ago and changed all my passwords to strong ones using Safari Keychain. And yes there were/are a few sites that won’t except certain characters and a few that didn’t even prompt me for a unique password. Not sure why that happened. Great video. Thanks
Gary, I use Keychain and also One Password. The latter is driving me crazy always trying to get me to use it. Can I simply stop using that service? Is there anything i would be missing out on?
Ronald: You can stop using it, sure. If you don't need any of its unique features, then you won't be missing out. But it is hard for me to say without knowing how you use it now. Also, note there are plenty of settings for 1Password that you can customize so it appears in fewer places and only when you request it.
I stopped using 1Password awhile ago, and I'm quite happy using only the Safari/Keychain feature. Gary: Please consider making a specific Keychain video, with tips how to use secure notes, the difference between login and iCloud chains etc.
Michael: Secure notes are pretty straightforward, you just make them and access them in Keychain Access. But I don't think you can access them at all on iOS. As for login vs iCloud -- use iCloud for anything you make as login is just the local keychain for that Mac (that Mac login) and iCloud is what will be saved to iCloud and you'll see on other Macs and in iOS.
Unfortunately, I need to use my employer's Windows laptop for work and they've locked the browsers down so Safari passwords are not an option for me. I can use Firefox to sync logins on both mac and windows, which works in a pinch.
But, I tend to rely on saving passwords via 1Password on my Mac so I can access passwords via 1Password on my iPhone when I'm at my Windows laptop (God, that was a complicated sentence!). 1Pwd on my iPhone is handy for that and for secure notes.
If I am using Safari passwords, can I open a website with chrome and will safari passwords enter the password automatically?
Garth: No. Chrome has its own system using your Google account. A third-party password manager would work between both.
Is there a way to copy the Safari passwords from Safari to Chrome? Sometimes some websites almost force the use of Chrome, especially banking....thank you.
Robert: You'd think that banks of all places would want you to use a more privacy-oriented browser. You'd just have to go into Safari, Preferences and copy the password, then paste it into Chrome. But don't make the mistake of thinking that because a bank site didn't work for you in the past, that it won't work today. Give it another try. And if it still doesn't work, make Sure you complain to your bank.
Hi Gary -- great video as usual. I use Roboform as an additional password manager. One question -- when safari suggests a password -- initially -- the whole password is not visible. Can you copy and paste that password without going into System Preferences? I do use both safari and Roboform.
One draw back is with all these apps like on Apple TV or Firesticks -- typing them in really is a challenge.
Best wishes and stay safe!
Steverino: You can't copy right there and then. As for entering in passwords in Apple TV, you should get prompted to use your iPhone as a keyboard and from there you can actually access your iCloud passwords on your iPhone so you don't have to actually type it.
Hi Gary:
I also use both Safari and One Password. Is there a way to stop Safari offering a password suggestion on a new site? I find that Safari auto fills in a suggestion, but I prefer to generate with One Password. Just wondering if there is a way to shut this off.
Thanks
Scott: I don't think so. But they are easy to ignore. After all, how often do you need to set up a new account at a new site you are joining?
I watched this one with interest because I am 88 years old and was worried about remembering the generated passwords. You have convinced me to use them. The question now is how to I go about replacing the weaker passwords I have been using and is it reasonable to assume that all sites e.g., dropbox would be accessed through safari or are there many 'stand alone' sites?
Barry: You have to do it on each site in the way the site wants. So go to one site, go into your account settings / profile / user preferences or whatever they call it on that site. Then look for their "change password" functionality there.
I am interested in your thoughts regarding the security of Apple's Password Manager vs others on the market.
Deborah: All of them are way way more secure than using weak or non-unique passwords. Relative to each other they all have advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you use them. iCloud is secure enough for almost all Mac users, especially if you are using two-factor authentication.
Hi Gary
I have successfully changed many current password to the ones created.
Thanks for your recommendation ......nowever
When I try to do it on my Apple ID it will not show me the suggested long password
Hope you can help
Bert: Current password for WHAT? What do you mean by "When I try to do it on my Apple ID" -- do what (login? change password?) And WHERE, exactly? There are many places where you can do things to or with your Apple ID.
Sorry Gary, I should have been clearer
When I click on the Apple ID and select Password and Security, then select change password, an applet appears where I can type my new password but it does not show the long password created by Safari as it does with all the other apps I have successfully changed the password of
Hope this explains it better
Thanks in anticipation
Bert: Do you mean in System Preferences? You'll need to create your own password for this. Your Apple ID is one you will actually have to type from time-to-time. If you aren't using a third-party password manager, you can use a function in the Keychain Access app to create a random password. I have an old video on how to do that, but it still works pretty much the same way: https://macmost.com/creating-passwords-with-keychain-access.html