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 you trust.

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

How to turn on iCloud Keychain

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

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

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

  2. Under Saved to iCloud, tap Passwords. In iOS 17 or earlier, tap Passwords and Keychain.

  3. Tap Sync this [Device] to turn on iCloud Passwords & Keychain. You may be asked for your passcode or Apple Account password.

    Tap Sync This [Device] to turn on iCloud Passwords & Keychain on your iPhone, iPad or Apple Vision Pro.

Find your saved passwords and passkeys on your iPhone or iPad

Turn on iCloud Keychain on your Mac

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings.

  2. Click your name, then click iCloud.

  3. Click Passwords. In macOS Sonoma or earlier, click Passwords & Keychain.

  4. Click Sync this Mac, then click Done.

    Click Sync This Mac to turn on iCloud Passwords & Keychain on your Mac.

  5. If you choose to “Approve Later” when signing in to your Apple Account, you’ll 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

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

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’ll be asked to keep or delete your Keychain information.

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

    • If you don’t keep the information, your passwords and passkeys won’t be available on your device. An encrypted copy of your Keychain data will be kept on iCloud servers. If you turn iCloud Keychain back on, your passwords and passkeys will be synced 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 you’ve 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.

Find out more about how iCloud protects your information

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