How to share passwords on iOS 17

Password sharing can often be a risky affair and a hassle, but iOS 17 helps make this a simple and secure process. Thanks to the Family Passwords feature in iOS 17 and above, you can easily create a group of trusted contacts and share passwords and passkeys for your shared accounts.

Passkeys are as secure as Face ID or Touch ID and only those people that are added to your group can view, add, and update shared passwords. Here’s how you can easily and quickly share passwords on iOS 17.

Sharing passwords with friends on iOS 17: A step-by-step guide

To share passwords on iOS 17 or later, you’ll first need to turn on the iCloud Keychain feature. You can enable it by going to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Passwords and Keychain, and finally tap on Sync this iPhone to toggle it on. Once iCloud Keychain is set up, follow the steps below to create your Family Passwords group and share your passwords with friends or family. 

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Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. 

Step 2: Scroll down and tap Passwords. 

Step 3: Hit the get started option on the “Share Passwords with Family” card. If you don’t see it, simply tap the + icon at the top right and choose “New Shared Group”. Then, tap Continue.

Step 4: Give your group a name, then tap “Add People” to pick contacts you trust. Make sure the contacts are in your Contacts and have devices updated to iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or macOS Sonoma. Contacts will show up in blue when you search; if they’re grey, their devices aren’t ready for shared passwords. Then, hit Create. 

Step 5: Scroll through your saved passwords and select the ones you want to share. Use the search bar if you’re looking for something specific. Once you’ve picked the passwords, tap “Move” at the top-right. 

Step 6: Choose the passwords and passkeys you want to add to your new group, then tap Move.

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Step 7: You can tap “Notify via Messages” to send a heads-up to your group, or “Not Now” if you want to skip it. If you don’t send a message now, members can still accept the invite by going to Settings > Passwords > Group Invitation. 

After you’ve moved passwords to the group, you can access them anytime by going to Settings > Passwords > Family Passwords. From here, you can manage your shared passwords, add or remove people, or even delete the group if you don’t need it anymore.