Set up iCloud Keychain

With iCloud Keychain, you can keep your passwords (and other secure information) updated across your devices and shared with the people that you trust.

iCloud Keychain remembers things, so that you don't have to. It autofills your information — like your Safari and app usernames, passwords and passkeys, credit card information and security codes, and Wi-Fi passwords on any device that you approve. iCloud Keychain can also help you share passwords and passkeys with people that you trust.

How to turn on iCloud Keychain

Before you turn on iCloud Keychain, update your device to the latest iOS or iPadOS, or the latest version of macOS, and make sure that two-factor authentication is turned on for your Apple ID.

Turn on iCloud Keychain on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro

  1. Tap Settings, tap your name, then choose iCloud.

  2. Tap Passwords and Keychain.

  3. Turn on iCloud Keychain. You might be asked for your passcode or Apple ID password.

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Find your saved passwords and passkeys on your iPhone or iPad

Turn on iCloud Keychain on your Mac

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings (or System Preferences).

  2. Click your name, then click iCloud. In earlier versions of macOS, click Apple ID, then click iCloud in the sidebar.

  3. Turn on Passwords & Keychain.

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  4. If you choose to "Approve Later" when signing in to your Apple ID, you need to approve with an old passcode or from another device when prompted. If you're unable to approve, reset your end-to-end encrypted data when prompted.

Find your saved passwords and passkeys on Mac

Set up a shared password group

Starting in iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, shared password groups offer an easy, secure way to share passwords and passkeys with your family and other trusted contacts.

If you turn off iCloud Keychain

  • When you turn off iCloud Keychain, password, passkey, and credit card information is stored locally on your device.

  • When you sign out of iCloud on your device while iCloud Keychain is turned on, you're asked to keep or delete your Keychain information.

    • If you choose to keep the information, your passwords and passkeys are stored locally on your device, but aren't deleted or updated when you make changes on other devices.

    • If you don't keep the information, your passwords and passkeys aren't available on your device. An encrypted copy of your Keychain data is kept on iCloud servers. If you turn iCloud Keychain back on, your passwords and passkeys will sync to your device again.

  • When you turn off iCloud Keychain or sign out of iCloud on your device, you won't have access to any of your shared password groups. Other members of those groups will still have access to the passwords and passkeys that you shared.

How iCloud Keychain protects your information

iCloud protects your information with end-to-end encryption, which provides the highest level of data security. Your data is protected with a key that's made from information unique to your device, and combined with your device passcode, which only you know. No one else can access or read this data, either in transit or storage.

Learn more about how iCloud protects your information

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