How does iCloud Keychain work if you're on a non-Apple device?

[sfgiants320]

I was considering abandoning LastPass for my password keeping/generation needs and instead going with iCloud Keychain, since I have a Mac and an iPhone (and will soon buy an iPad.)

I have a question, though — how does iCloud Keychain work if I need to access my logins on a non-Apple device? For example, if I'm in the library and need to login to my Gmail or Dropbox to print something from a Windows PC, how would I access my Gmail or Dropbox login info if I have it stored in iCloud Keychain? Would I just look it up on my phone? What happens if for some reason my iPhone's battery is dead or I don't have my phone with me — how would I access my passwords then?

Any advice would be much appreciated thank you!

 

[whsbuss]

I was considering abandoning LastPass for my password keeping/generation needs and instead going with iCloud Keychain, since I have a Mac and an iPhone (and will soon buy an iPad.)

I have a question, though — how does iCloud Keychain work if I need to access my logins on a non-Apple device? For example, if I'm in the library and need to login to my Gmail or Dropbox to print something from a Windows PC, how would I access my Gmail or Dropbox login info if I have it stored in iCloud Keychain? Would I just look it up on my phone? What happens if for some reason my iPhone's battery is dead or I don't have my phone with me — how would I access my passwords then?

Any advice would be much appreciated thank you!

Yes you can access those passwords on your iOS device. Settings->Safari->Passwords & Fill-ins

 

[sfgiants320]

Awesome, thanks. So it sounds like I'm out of luck if for some reason I don't have my phone on me? Since there's no iCloud Keychain web interface like there is with LastPass?

 

[richwoodrocket]

How does iCloud Keychain work if you're on a non-Apple device?

Awesome, thanks. So it sounds like I'm out of luck if for some reason I don't have my phone on me? Since there's no iCloud Keychain web interface like there is with LastPass?

Your passwords will be stored in your iCloud, so you can access the passwords from any devices you have set up with iCloud Keychain.

 

[Jessica Lares]

iCloud Keychain is useless for looking up passwords and such, which is why I don't use it. I'm using Locko on my Mac, and oneSafe on my iThings. If you need to keep stuff on hand, and not just log in, I'd suggest you go the app route.

As for the iPhone dying on you, well, I've luckily never had that happened. But it's easy enough to plug it into a USB port, which I do on my TV's DVR sometimes.

 

[whsbuss]

iCloud Keychain is useless for looking up passwords and such, which is why I don't use it. I'm using Locko on my Mac, and oneSafe on my iThings. If you need to keep stuff on hand, and not just log in, I'd suggest you go the app route.

As for the iPhone dying on you, well, I've luckily never had that happened. But it's easy enough to plug it into a USB port, which I do on my TV's DVR sometimes.

Why is keychains useless? I find all my passwords anytime I check on iOS or Mac

 

[Jessica Lares]

Why is keychains useless? I find all my passwords anytime I check on iOS or Mac

How do you pull them up on iOS? I know how to do it on a Mac.

EDIT: Oh, yeah, now I see. I don't know. It's still not as nice as having an app.

 

[Primejimbo]

iCloud Keychain is useless for looking up passwords and such, which is why I don't use it. I'm using Locko on my Mac, and oneSafe on my iThings. If you need to keep stuff on hand, and not just log in, I'd suggest you go the app route.

As for the iPhone dying on you, well, I've luckily never had that happened. But it's easy enough to plug it into a USB port, which I do on my TV's DVR sometimes.

Why is keychains useless? I find all my passwords anytime I check on iOS or Mac

I been using 1Password on everything (my daughter uses it on her Mac as well) and it's so much easier to look up passwords. I have about 30-40 entries in the iCloud Keychain (much more in 1Password) and to search for them is a joke. Trying to scroll through which password I need isn't fun.
I'm guessing other password manager apps have a search too so you can find the password you're looking for. I wish iCloud Keychain let you put you own password too, not just websites.

 

[sfgiants320]

I been using 1Password on everything (my daughter uses it on her Mac as well) and it's so much easier to look up passwords. I have about 30-40 entries in the iCloud Keychain (much more in 1Password) and to search for them is a joke. Trying to scroll through which password I need isn't fun.

Yeah, sounds like I'll just stick with LastPass. No need to "dumb down" my password strategy if it means loss of functionality and cross-platform friendliness. Thanks everyone!

 

[whsbuss]

To each his own. In addition to keychains I do have the Keeper app which has all my entires and other passwords not related to websites.

 

[sfgiants320]

To each his own. In addition to keychains I do have the Keeper app which has all my entires and other passwords not related to websites.

Just out of curiosity, why would you bother with two separate solutions instead of one simpler one (e.g., LastPass or 1Password)?

 

[whsbuss]

Just out of curiosity, why would you bother with two separate solutions instead of one simpler one (e.g., LastPass or 1Password)?

Well I use mobile Safari which uses keychains for logins. Other solutions use their builtin browsers which don't sync back to my mac.

 

[Primejimbo]

Just out of curiosity, why would you bother with two separate solutions instead of one simpler one (e.g., LastPass or 1Password)?

I use both also, and I'll make a password using 1Password, copy it and put it in safari and have iCloud Keychain remember it across my devises since I use safari as my browser. The iCloud Keychain is just so I don't always have to type in the password again.

The few issues with I could Keychain is I can't add other passwords and log ins unless I go on a website and safari prompts me to save it. I have log ins for work that I don't use a website, so 1 can manually add them to 1Password, but I can't add them to iCloud Keychain. 1Password (and others) save other important stuff like software licenses, membership info, reward cards, router info (not sure the password to get in), and other.

The search is far better too. In iCloud Keychain, you have to scroll through all you logins and they aren't in any order (that I know of) and just show the URL. In 1password I just type in the search "macrumors" and it pops up. Now I'm not sure how iCloud Keychain is on a Mac and the search, I just use iOS devises.

So that is why I use both, just use 1Password as my main password manager.

 

[whsbuss]

Totally agree with Primejimbo. Although 1Password is a bit expensive. OneSafe works just as well to manage all my passwords and syncs to my devices & mac.

 

[Primejimbo]

Totally agree with Primejimbo. Although 1Password is a bit expensive. OneSafe works just as well to manage all my passwords and syncs to my devices & mac.

I think that's just it, iCloud Keychain is just that, a Keychain. OneSafe and 1Password are passwords manager... to manage all of your passwords.

 

[impaler]

I use iCloud keychain to keep passwords synched between my Macs, iPad, and iPhone. I also downloaded PassMaker, a free app from the Mac App Store, to generate much stronger passwords than iCloud keychain does (up to 64 characters). I use the strongest passwords each site will allow, and let iCloud remember them across the web browsers. Where it's a pain is that usually I prefer apps over web - so I have to occasionally copy/paste them from Safari on my iOS devices, and plug into apps. But once set up, it's great.

 

[igormaka]

I was considering abandoning LastPass for my password keeping/generation needs and instead going with iCloud Keychain, since I have a Mac and an iPhone (and will soon buy an iPad.)

I have a question, though — how does iCloud Keychain work if I need to access my logins on a non-Apple device? For example, if I'm in the library and need to login to my Gmail or Dropbox to print something from a Windows PC, how would I access my Gmail or Dropbox login info if I have it stored in iCloud Keychain? Would I just look it up on my phone? What happens if for some reason my iPhone's battery is dead or I don't have my phone with me — how would I access my passwords then?

Any advice would be much appreciated thank you!

Wow, this is an old post! iCloud Keychain got way, way better in iOS 11 and 12.

I've been using it an only it since iOS 11 was released.

The only sticking point was not having it on Windows as I have an old PC at home. To solve this, I've made a Chrome extension that connects to iCloud Keychain and I was looking for people that might be interested in using it when I came across your post.

I think you can use it with iCloud Keychain and not pay for a full cross-platform password manager subscription.

Let me know what you think.

 

[reggierob2]

How do you pull them up on iOS? I know how to do it on a Mac.

EDIT: Oh, yeah, now I see. I don't know. It's still not as nice as having an app.

On the iPhone, go to Settings -> Passwords and Accounts -> Website and App Passwords