Apple releases iCloud Passwords extension for Chrome and Edge on macOS Sonoma

Here's some good news for Chrome and Edge users on macOS Sonoma. You can access your iCloud Keychain via the iCloud Passwords extension.

The password manager add-on isn't particularly new, it was formerly exclusive to Safari, before Apple released it for Windows users about 6 months ago. Apple has updated the extensions for Chrome and Edge, to add support for macOS Sonoma. The description of the add-on doesn't mention this, but that is probably because the stable version of macOS 14 is yet to be released.

Normally, when you use a third-party browser, you will have to copy and paste the usernames and passwords that you saved in iCloud Keychain, to log in to websites. Of course, we mustn't forget that we need to use TouchID to unlock access to Keychain's password vault, and then again for 2-factor verification. That process can get a little tiresome when you compare it with the Safari experience, where you can simply use autofill to save the time and effort. It also supports two-factor codes that are generated by Keychain.

iCloud Passwords extension for Chrome and Edge

Well, the iCloud Passwords extension for Chrome and Edge can now do the same now. That's quite convenient if you use a Chromium-based browser. The Cupertino company has released the first public beta version of macOS 14 Sonoma, if you have installed it or the Developer build, you can try the iCloud Passwords extension for Chrome or Edge, Brave, Vivaldi or Opera right away. Head to the Chrome web store, or the Microsoft Edge add-ons store, to download the plugin for your browser. Windows users may use the extension too, but it also needs the iCloud for Windows app to be installed on your computer. This is required to sync your iCloud data between your devices, the extension merely simplifies the login experience.

You will need to manually enable autofill every time you open the browser. The process requires you to enter a verification code to allow the extension to pull the data from your Keychain. The passwords that you save in the browser are synced with iCloud Keychain automatically. But to create passwords, you actually need to use the Passwords section in the Settings app.

If you try to install the iClouds Passwords extension and run it on macOS 13 Ventura, it gives an error that says macOS 14 beta is required to use the add-on. It is likely that macOS Sonoma has newer APIs that integrate better with other apps, including iCloud Keychain (Settings app) and in this case, third-party browsers.

It is good to see Apple bring its extension to multiple platforms. With the latest update for the iCloud Passwords extension, the password manager is now compatible with 2 out of the 3 major browsers on macOS, i.e. Apple Safari and Google Chrome (and other Chromium based browsers). The only one that is missing is the Mozilla Firefox add-on. Given that the iCloud Bookmarks is available on Firefox, it wouldn't be unrealistic to expect Apple to release iCloud Passwords for Mozilla's browser.

Would the inclusion of the iCloud Passwords Chrome and Edge extensions make you switch to the built-in password manager? Or do you prefer a standalone, cross-platform password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, etc.?

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