Home Forums Mac Software Mac Operating Systems Passwords in Sonoma & iOS 17 Settings

Over the years, I have used several different Password Manager, but IMHO the Password Pane in System Settings of Sonoma, iOS 17, and IPadOS 17 may make the third party Password Managers superfluous to the needs of the vast majority of users. Not only does it create/suggest, store, and retrieve passwords, it will…

1. setup verification codes
2. detect compromised passwords
3. flag reused passwords
4. will change the password on a website
5. share passwords with 'family member accounts
6. integrate with third party Password managers
7. synchronizes seamlessly with any other Apple device on the same Apple ID via iCloud

It doesn't…

1. Store password/license files or [i]tokens
2. offer the style, length, languqe options for suggested passwords found in some third party password managers
3. cost anything

Passwords....Password files. What's the difference?

There are some third party applications that certify their license by installing an encrypted file or token on the host computer. That file must be in place before the application will open. In the event of a disaster that file or token must be reinstalled as well as the application itself. Rather than being face with the rigamarole of going bock to the developer, establishing my [i]bona-fides, and downloading a new token file, I store a copy of it in a safe and secure location. Typically the password database. You may think of the token as a password, but it might be an encoded paragraph with hundreds of characters, an actual snipit of compiled code, even a unique graphic image in a variety of formats, or a unique format. I also use the password database to store things like bank account numbers, credit card numbers, dates, CVVs — anything I want to provide a little extra protection for.

In turn that database is automaticlly, securely, and transparently synchronized to all of my devices iso in turn to the addition to the original, I have a working copy on each of my other devices, plus iCloud and Time Machine backups of each of the copies. That might sound to you like overkill, but It would take me months of dedicated effort to recreate the 650+ entries in that database. At my age, I don't have that much time to waste.

650??? Egads!!!

Please give us an example or two of such apps that we, as non-power users, may have installed on our Macs.

634 at the moment, I have been doing some housekeeping concurrent with setting up a new iPhone.


An example of what If you mean apps with registration key files how about Tinkertool System 8, DriveDX, and BetterTouchTool, but I have more.

Yes, you got it right. I wanted to see what those key files are, and I see that I've got them safely backed up on two externals.