The bet on Apple's ecosystem is real. You need to use Apple devices to get the most out of Apple services. However, over time, the company has loosened its grip and made its services available on competing platforms. Apple Music on Android and iCloud on Windows are recent examples of this practice. And with the latest iCloud update, Apple is introducing passwords. iCloud on WindowsHere's how to set up and use iCloud passwords on Windows.
iCloud Keychain is Apple's built-in password manager that's shared across your Apple devices, allowing you to sign in to apps and services with a hassle-free experience.
Before iCloud passwords arrived on Windows, one had to export passwords to a file and then import them using a third-party password manager. That time-consuming process is now over. You can now easily use and integrate iCloud passwords into the default Microsoft Edge browser for Windows.
Setting an iCloud password on Windows
Apple has launched a separate app for Windows to allow users to access passwords stored in iCloud Keychain. iCloud Passwords is part of iCloud. You need to use the iCloud app to enable iCloud Passwords on Windows. There is no separate app for it in the Microsoft Store.
Apple has added password switching to the iCloud app on Windows.
Let's set up iCloud and access passwords on Windows.
Step 1: Open the Microsoft Store app on Windows.
Step 2: Search for iCloud and download the app on your Windows device.
iCloud is approximately 550MB in size on Windows. Use a fast internet connection to download the app to your computer. Since you downloaded the iCloud app from the Microsoft Store, you don't need to go through any installation.
Step 3: Open the iCloud app and sign in with your Apple account credentials.
Apple will ask you to verify your identity by adding a verification code. The company will send this code to other Apple devices using the same Apple ID.
Step 4: Enter the verification code and press the Continue button.
That's it. iCloud Home is ready to serve you. You'll see your iCloud Drive, Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Safari bookmarks, and, of course, passwords synced to your Windows device.
By default, the password switch is enabled, and you will be prompted to integrate it with the browsers installed on your Windows computer.
Keep Switch Passwords enabled and click the Apply button at the bottom to apply the changes.
Using the iCloud PassWords app
With the iCloud app installed on Windows, you have now enabled iCloud passwords as well.
Press the Windows key and search for iCloud Passwords. Open the app and sign in using Windows Hello authentication. If your Windows device doesn't have Hello biometrics, you can also use a PIN to access your iCloud passwords.
In short, user authentication must be set up on your Windows device to access and use iCloud passwords.
If you haven't set up such authentication, the app will guide you to set it up from the Windows Settings app.
In our testing, it lasted iCloud passwords in our app approval prompt From the iCloud app. So, we opened iCloud again and re-enabled passwords.
Open iCloud Passwords again, confirm your identity, and iCloud Passwords will sync the data stored from the iCloud Keychain app.
ICLOUD PASSWORD App Overview
Surprisingly, Apple has installed a user interface for the iCloud Passwords app on Windows. It uses Microsoft's design language fluently, with a beautiful translucent effect on the sidebar.
Users can add new entries, edit existing entries, copy passwords, and even delete website data from the app.
Unfortunately, there's no password generator like we get on Apple devices. There's also a dedicated settings page that lets you change the auto-lock duration. By default, it's set to about two minutes. You'll have to keep logging into the app repeatedly.
Use iCloud passwords with Microsoft Edge on Windows
The dedicated app is good, but a browser extension is essential when using a password manager. Follow the steps below to install the iCloud extension with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome on Windows.
Step 1: Open the iCloud app on Windows.
Step 2: Under the Passwords section, select Install extension next to the Microsoft Edge option.
Step 3: Use the download button to open the Microsoft Edge add-on store on the web.
Step 4: Click Get and add the extension to your Edge browser.
Step 5: Select the iCloud Passwords extension, and it will ask for authentication. You'll get this code on your Windows device now that you've already set up the iCloud app.
Add a code to enable the iCloud Passwords extension on Microsoft Edge, and you're ready to use your iCloud password to fill in your login details on the browser.
Merge iCloud Passwords in Windows
Having iCloud passwords on Windows can be a boon for someone switching from Mac to Windows. You no longer need to export/import passwords. Instead, set up passwords from within the iCloud app, and you'll be ready to use iCloud passwords on your Windows device.
