Apple is reportedly working to improve iCloud Keychain in iOS 14 with several features seen on prominent password managers.
According to an early build of iOS 14 obtained by 9to5Mac, iCloud Keychain will warn users about reused passwords and support two-factor authentication (2FA).
For those unfamiliar with iCloud Keychain, the service allows macOS and iOS users to backup passwords and credit cards to make logging into sites more secure. However, in recent years Keychain has fallen behind competitors like 1Password, LastPass and Dashlane.
Those other password managers offer several extra features, including warnings for reused passwords, secure password generation and support for 2FA logins so users don’t have to rely on other apps, SMS or email codes.
9to5 says that Keychain in iOS 14 warns users about passwords used multiple times. This is a critical part of online security. People who use the same password multiple times risk losing access to all their online accounts if hackers compromise one of them. By using different passwords for each website, people can increase their online security.
Further, 9to5 reports that iOS 14 will have a new method for saving 2FA authentication passwords. This should mean users will be able to sign into compatible sites using only the iCloud Keychain. If that’s the case, people can rely less on SMS and email codes, both of which can be insecure methods of 2FA.
With the exception of LastPass, most other password managers offer similar services but behind a paywall. iCloud Keychain could prove popular with these improvements since it’s available for free for iOS and macOS users.
While the improvements to Keychain would be welcome, there’s no guarantee the changes will make their way into the final build of iOS 14. However, here’s hoping the improvements do.
Source: 9to5Mac
