What is Family Passwords in iOS 17? How to share passwords or passkeys safely with family in iOS 17 How to access and edit your shared password group in iOS 17
What is Family Passwords in iOS 17?
Family Sharing receives enhancements with each iOS update, and this time it got the most crucial access – passwords and passkeys. To use the latest feature, you need to create a Family Passwords Group on your iPhone and decide the credentials you wish to share with them. Doing so will enable members of the group to access and edit your shared password. There are some other notable advantages:
The group members can also add their passwords. All changes and modifications will be visible to each member, maintaining transparency. You can create different groups to share specific iCloud Keychain passwords with family and friends. Also, you can add new contacts to existing groups depending on the shared passwords or passkeys. If you don’t want to share the password anymore, you may erase the password, delete the whole group, or remove any particular contact. And don’t worry; everything will be end-to-end encrypted and stored on iCloud Keychain.
Overall, Family Passwords bring so much convenience to daily life. I am going to use it to share credentials for streaming services, online bill-paying sites, different subscriptions, and other accounts that my family and I use.
Requirements to create Family Passwords group on iPhone
You and your group members should have iPhones running iOS 17 or later. The participating Apple IDs or contacts must have iCloud Keychain enabled. To add someone to a Family Password group you create, you must save the person’s number in your contacts beforehand. The group member must accept the invitation to join the group and see your shared passwords.
As of writing the article, this feature is only available on iOS 17 Developer Beta 1.
How to share passwords or passkeys safely with family in iOS 17
That’s it! Your Family Password group is ready to share iCloud Keychain passwords with family and friends. You may now edit your shared password group and add or remove passwords.
How to access and edit your shared password group in iOS 17
No more password sharing headache! There was previously no easy, free, or safe method to exchange passwords across Apple device users. Thus, letting users share passwords in iOS 17 using Family Password feature moves Apple’s free built-in Password capability closer to third-party password managers. What do you think about this new feature? Let me know in the comments below. Explore more…
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