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Apple passwords deserve an app

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Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#401
post #4

I tried going all-in on using iCloud Keychain (correct term?) for my passwords from having previously used LastPass. In short. 1. The experience on Windows is terrible. They can claim it's cross-platform but it's truly a sub-par product. 2. On Mac it's tied specifically to Safari. I use Safari a lot but if I'm in a different browser then my passwords are unavailable. 3. The GUI is buried in System Settings. Heaven fo…

> 1. The experience on Windows is terrible. They can claim it's cross-platform but it's truly a sub-par product. Like a lot of other Apple stuff, I'm only able to use it because I don't use anything non-Apple for anything "serious" that involves a GUI. Windows is for gaming, Linux is my file storage and docker-service-running server that I only interact with over SSH and Web. Ditto Notes, all their Office-type progra…

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Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#402
Regardless of how great they might make an interface for it, passwords are the last thing I haven't given to Apple. If I lost control of my Apple ID, it would be a disaster, but at least it wouldn't expose everything else as well. I have a hard time getting over this mental hurdle, so it's 1Password for the foreseeable future for me, no matter what they do here.

Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I definitely appreciate the 'security forward' approach... but what about end of life planning or general 'dad's in a comma and XYZ needs to happen'? 1Password with a 'parents vault' that my wife and I share has been a life changer for coordinating family access to important accounts AND ensuring solid passwords are being used.

I don’t share passwords with family, they all know good password hygiene though and use generated passwords for all their services. For end-of-life scenario apple does have digital legacy https://digital-legacy.apple.com/

Speaking as someone who has lost six family members and managed four of those estates since 2019, these digital legacy features are generally incomplete or developed with little view toward reality. Edit: they’re often also not setup by the user or if they are, they’re not reliably updated.

Apple’s implementation, for example, starts a timer that will eventually nuke the account, and it doesn’t provide access to end-to-end encrypted data. That data specifically includes iCloud Keychain, which many people use to store their credentials.

I understand the privacy reasons for that, but when we die we are leaving behind increasingly large or complicated estates of accounts, services, apps, and devices with various and sometimes unpredictable safeguards. Having a loved ones actual credentials has been invaluable every time I’ve managed an estate.

I absolutely understand what you’re saying and I don’t necessarily disagree with it. But break glass access to credentials has proven important in my experience. Especially where continuity of that access is relied upon by others.

Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#404

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s interesting. I don’t share any passwords with family and have taught my kids to share passwords with no one (written in a sealed envelope as backup). I don’t like shared passwords although if I really had to, I would just enter it once and let iCloud save it to their account. Stinks if I have to change the password, but I almost never change passwords.

I definitely appreciate the 'security forward' approach... but what about end of life planning or general 'dad's in a comma and XYZ needs to happen'? 1Password with a 'parents vault' that my wife and I share has been a life changer for coordinating family access to important accounts AND ensuring solid passwords are being used.

I have a piece of paper with my passwords sealed in an envelope stored in a safe place. A few trusted individuals know where that is.

This is much more reliable and durable than having 1Password still be around when I need it.

Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#405
post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bitwarden lets you do this with an 'Organization'. Free to share things between two accounts, looks like $40/yr to share between up to 6 users.

Free if hosting Vaultwarden yourself.

But then your family rely on you for problems, so if anything happens to you, they potentially lose access to their passwords.

Self-hosting is great, for as long as you're around to provide support.

Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#406
post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The GUI is buried in System Settings. Heaven forbid you need search it's only a simple 37 clicks away! I do: Cmd+space > "keychain" > Enter. Still not ideal but it's the fastest method I know. What do you mean, i.e. how do you access the GUI from the system settings? I tried finding keychain there but couldn't figure out where it is.

It's available as "Passwords" in the system settings. I think they added it recently to align it with iOS and iPadOS, where there is no mention of it being Keychain at all.

That's way nicer than what I've been using (i.e. Keychain Access). I'll likely switch to Passwords. Thanks!

Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#407
post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Make an alias to Keychain access. Sorry, but that also doesn't mean anything to the average user. If anything it's made it more complicated for them—they will remember to type in "key" before they learn how to make an alias That I don't have an issue with the word "keychain" doesn't mean it's not bad UX for the average Mac OS user

Specifically, what functionality would you like? If you do control-space (to bring up spotlight) and type in password, what do you want it to do and what is missing?

If I type in "password" I get a bunch of results that aren't what I need

My wife asks me weekly "honey, what's that word I gotta type to see my passwords again?"

Re: Apple passwords deserve an app

#409
post #4

I tried going all-in on using iCloud Keychain (correct term?) for my passwords from having previously used LastPass. In short. 1. The experience on Windows is terrible. They can claim it's cross-platform but it's truly a sub-par product. 2. On Mac it's tied specifically to Safari. I use Safari a lot but if I'm in a different browser then my passwords are unavailable. 3. The GUI is buried in System Settings. Heaven fo…

Apple makes a iCloud Passwords chrome extension: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/icloud-passwords/p...

The reviews are brutal.
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