Apple Passwords is here, offering a seamless and secure way to manage your login credentials across your Apple devices. If you’ve been using another password manager, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to import your saved passwords into Apple’s Passwords app and take full advantage of its features.
The catch: macOS is required for importing
Though Apple Passwords is available across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, there’s a simple limitation: importing your passwords can only be done through the macOS version of the app. If you don’t have access to a Mac, the import process is unfortunately not possible at this time.
Step-by-step guide to importing passwords into Apple Passwords
If you’re using a Mac, here’s how to import your credentials into Apple Passwords.
- Download your password list: The first step is to export your saved passwords from the password manager you’ve been using. Be sure to download the list as a comma-separated values (CSV) file, which is a format that Apple Passwords can read.
- Open Apple Passwords on your Mac: Once you’ve downloaded the CSV file, open the Apple Passwords app on your Mac. This is where the import process will take place.
- Import your passwords: In the Menu Bar of Apple Passwords, click File > Import Passwords. When prompted to select a file to upload, choose the CSV file you previously exported from your old password manager.
- Finalize the import: Apple Passwords will read the file to import your passwords. The process may take a few seconds or minutes, depending on the size of your file. Once the import is complete, you may review any passwords that have not been imported successfully.
What to do if some passwords don’t import correctly
Some of your passwords might not be imported perfectly into Apple Passwords, and the tool may not explain why certain logins failed to transfer. In such cases, you’ll need to open your old password manager, find the affected entry, and copy it over manually into Apple Passwords. This can be a bit tedious, but it’s important to double-check that everything is transferred properly.
Additionally, some passwords might be missing crucial details such as an email address or username. Hold onto your old password manager for a few months for easy access to any information you might still need.
Once everything is successfully imported, don’t forget to delete the CSV file from your system. It contains plain text passwords, and keeping it could put your information at risk.
Moving everything over to Apple Passwords may be time-consuming, but the peace of mind knowing your passwords are securely stored with Apple’s built-in solutions is worth the effort. And as a bonus, it will make future logins much more seamless across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS.
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