It can be annoying to have the dual platform life of macOS and Windows – or even just “Apple and all that is not Apple.” But If you save your passwords to Keychain and then upload them to iCloud to sync with on your Apple devices, you can now extend the features to Windows systems. (Sort of.)
Apple has launched a new browser extension that allows you to enter your keyword passwords into Chrome (and with a little customization, Edge Chromium). You’ll also be able to sync any new passwords you create in these browsers back to iCloud Keychain, and can then use it on your connected Apple devices.
Yes, that means Firefox users are getting hit for this one, aIt also means that you still only have access to your passwords via your browser; Keychain is still not built into good ol ‘icloud-dot-com, nor is there an Apple app that you can use on Windows, as you may a 1Password or a LastPass.
To get started in Chrome, launch the browser and go to the Chrome Web Store to seize the iCloud passwords expansion. Install it and then go install it iCloud for Windows if you have not already done so. You need version 12 of the app to do the extension. It looks like Apple is currently downloading the update from the Microsoft Store, but you may have updated it last week (or will be able to update soon).
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I do not have it, but I know you need to check the small password box so that your browser extension can sync passwords back and forth with iCloud. So if you already have version 12.0 of iCloud from Windows – or if it does – make sure you check the option, otherwise your extension can do nothing. Other than that, working with the iCloud Passwords extension is just as easy as any other password manager; you do not have to have problems there.
However, you may experience a problem if you try to sync the extension iCloud for Windows when using Edge Chromium. The extension installs just fine, but you should indicate that you are syncing with Internet Explorer, not Chrome, which you may need to configure to set your “Bookmarks” options. I will test it as soon as I get the updated version of the app, but this is the instant fix I read and it seems to have worked for others. Pretend that Edge is Chromium Internet Explorer, not Chrome, though it has much more in common with the latter.