How to use Sign In With Apple and manage your log in information

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2020
Sign In With Apple is here, and great for convenience and your privacy. Here's how to use the feature, and how you can manage the login information.

Craig Federighi introduces Sign In With Apple at WWDC 2019
Craig Federighi introduces Sign In With Apple at WWDC 2019


The first thing you have to do to make use of Sign In With Apple, is to find any apps or sites that use it. It's fair to say that Apple's replacement for signing in with Google or Facebook has yet to catch on across the web, but when you do get to use it, it's very good.

Apple has just updated its support documentation to detail how you manage the sites and apps that you've used this service on. If you don't have any now, you will later, though, because it's sufficiently good that you'll use Apple rather than Google or Facebook any time you can.

That's because the process is as quick as those, and we all click through signing up via Facebook because it's less of a hassle than creating a new login based on our email address. And it's easier than thinking of a new password.

Aside from the speed, though, Apple's sign in function is better than the existing alternatives because it gives you control over what happens next.

Rather than blindly giving your Facebook ID over to a third-party website, you can choose whether they get any real ID at all. While you can go right ahead and sign in with your regular Apple ID email, you can as easily hide this real email address.

With one click you can choose to use your genuine email address or have Apple create one for you
With one click you can choose to use your genuine email address or have Apple create one for you


If you do that, Apple creates a fake address for you to give to the site -- and by default, makes that fake address automatically forward to your real one.

How to use Sign In With Apple

To do this, you go through some steps that are vastly faster to click through than to describe. On the Mac, the process for signing up is this:

  • Click on "Continue with Apple" or "Sign In With Apple"

  • Apple displays a popup window explaining the process. Click Continue

  • If you have multiple Apple IDs, choose the one you want to use now

  • Select either Share my Email or Hide my Email

  • Click Continue with Password

  • Your Mac asks for your Apple ID password to confirm it's you making this sign up request

That's it, you're done. On iOS, it's even faster.

  • Tap "Sign Up" or similar in an app

  • Your iOS device pops up a window asking if you want to Sign In With Apple or us a previous ID

  • Tap on the Apple ID listed

  • Click Apple ID

  • Face ID verifies it's you

With this done, the site can send you the normal "confirm your account" email. And it can send you any news or marketing email just as it ever could through other sign-ups. But if you decide you don't want those emails, you can switch them off. The site will keep emailing you, but you'll never again have to see any of it.

Sign In With Apple works inside iOS apps too
Sign In With Apple works inside iOS apps too


To do that, though, you need to know how to manage your Sign In With Apple settings.

Managing settings

Hand on heart, you would have to think about just where to go to switch off a Google or Facebook sign in. And you know you'd end up having to go to each site or app and separately logging out there.

With Sign In With Apple, you go to settings and turn off any or all you want.

On the Mac, go to System Preferences, click on Apple ID and then on Password & Security.

The first screen gives you a summary of ID, two-factor authentication and so on. If you have used Sign In With Apple anywhere at all, there will be a section called Apps which are using your Apple ID and an Edit button.

Managing your Sign In settings on the Mac
Managing your Sign In settings on the Mac


Click to go through to see the details and you'll have all the sites and apps listed.

From here you can edit these as you need, or just switch them off.

On iOS, you go to Settings, and tap on your name. Then tap Password & Security to get the same site by site options.

You have to commend Apple for making it as straightforward and simple as it is. But for whatever reason, Sign In With Apple is a long way from being everywhere you want to sign in at.

If you're just curious to see it in action, try creating an account on the travel site Kayak.com. Oddly, you won't see the phrase "Sign In With Apple," though. You'll just see "Continue with Apple," right alongside "Continue with Google," "Facebook," and "Booking.com."



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    Wasn't this mandatory for app developers (leaving non-iOS devices aside)? Also folks at @appleinsider I just had to sign up to post this comment and no sign of "Continue with Apple"! It'd be a nice addition to the site!
    edited November 2019 caladanianwookie99lostkiwichasmMacProsarthosCarnagewatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 28
    andermatc said:
    Wasn't this mandatory for app developers (leaving non-iOS devices aside)? Also folks at @appleinsider I just had to sign up to post this comment and no sign of "Continue with Apple"! It'd be a nice addition to the site!
    I, too, thought it was going to be mandatory for iOS apps that already offer signing in with Google or Facebook. I have one app that I have never signed into, I just checked it and it still does not offer “Sign in with Apple”.

    Is there a future date when this is going to be mandatory on iOS?

    Thanks for pointing out kayak.com. I’ll probably try it just to...um...try it. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 28
    It would be useful to have a list of well-known sites where this is possible to do (with advice on how easy it is to switch from the existing sign-in to the AppleID-based sign-in).
    pujones1caladanianpeterhartequality72521wookie99lostkiwillamadewmegilly33Carnage
  • Reply 4 of 28
    To manage settings, your instructions say: "On the Mac, go to System Preferences, click on Apple ID..." uhhhh, sorry, but there is no "Apple ID" selection in System Preferences on my Mac. I'm running Mojave -- is this perhaps something new in Catalina?
  • Reply 5 of 28
    profdraperprofdraper Posts: 1unconfirmed, member
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
  • Reply 6 of 28
    Oh, and I can't believe you have an article talking about how to use this feature, when your very own site doesn't even support it ???
    toysandmellamawatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 7 of 28
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,418member
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
    Because Google and Facebook are in the business of selling ads. Apple isn’t. 

    I guess you could say this is all lies, but some of not wearing tinfoil hats would give them some credit here:
    https://www.apple.com/privacy/
    edited November 2019 mwhiteStrangeDaysMacProtabakszinkdifferentwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 28
    TikTok iOS app is able to use this. This is the first and only app I have come across for now.
  • Reply 9 of 28
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,251member
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
    Nice comment to start with. I lied just like Facebook and a Google. Apple is a hardware and now a service company. They don’t sell information. Your account information isn’t shared with the site you’re logging onto. Do some research before defaming Apple. 
    mwhiteStrangeDaystoysandmebonobobMacProtabaksapplesnorangeszinkdifferentwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 10 of 28
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
    Wow — what a stunningly ignorant comment. 

    But let’s look at the bright side: you’ve got a lot to learn, and I am sure you will. 
    mwhiteStrangeDaysMacProzinkdifferentwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 11 of 28
    Can anyone shed some light on what happens if you sign in through Apple on a site that you’ve had a long time? Will you essentially be creating a new account or will it connect you with your previous one? Thx. 
    llamawatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 28
    Can anyone shed some light on what happens if you sign in through Apple on a site that you’ve had a long time? Will you essentially be creating a new account or will it connect you with your previous one? Thx. 
    I actually had this very issue with the app Pocket. It was one of the first to launch this "sign in with apple" feature so I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately it didn't pull all the stuff I had saved on my original account (which I still can log in to using my email). Long story short: signing in with apple = creating a new account.
    dewme
  • Reply 13 of 28
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,879member
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
    What drugs are you on, son? Apple is a million times more trustworthy with customer data because we’re their, you know, customers. With the ad companies you mentioned you’re just the product for their real customers, advertisers. Dur. 
    fastasleepMacProgilly33watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 28
    bonobobbonobob Posts: 382member
    I wonder if there is a way to log in to one of these accounts on Mojave if it was created on iOS.

    Edit:  The answer is yes, at least for kayak.com.  I haven't tried anything else.  Safari 13.0.3, Mojave 10.14.6.
    edited November 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 28
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.

    Bet you thought your opening performance would be original, thought-provoking and memorable.

    Guess again.
    gilly33fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 28
    There's a flaw in the UI logic on iOS. It's not possible to copy the relay email address from Settings so I can use it, when I need to (like customizing the Traveler in Kayak). I hope Apple fixes this glaring omission.
  • Reply 17 of 28
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
    Well, aren't you a bundle of joy! So, let's see if I get your logic. And so why should I believe you are a real concerned person and not just Google, Facebook or Samsung drone posting here to spread disinformation? By the way, check out the Pixel face recognition, clearly a trustworthy device, no reason to think Apple is better, right...only the whole history of Apple devices and services.
    ricmacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 28
    Oh, and I can't believe you have an article talking about how to use this feature, when your very own site doesn't even support it ???
    Wow, you showed him! Ach, if I were only your friend, sky'd be the limit!
  • Reply 19 of 28
    gilly33gilly33 Posts: 434member
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
    And while your at it. Why don’t you mention that the stupid Apple Park is one big circular monstrosity and why is Tim Cook the CEO he’s a douche and why didn’t Apple make another phone besides iPhone like Samsung and sell them really cheap? Why stop there with your crazy rant? Huh huh? Come on! Hmm what’s for lunch? Oh an apple. Yum. 
    edited November 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 28
    And so why exactly should we believe that Apple is any more ethical here than others like Google +, Facebook and the rest? Just because Apple says so? Please .... All are American, money-fascinated & tarred with exactly the same shareholder priorities; these days, user data is the most valuable commodity on earth. BTW, also check out the awful roll out of Apple TV+ (user login errors, error 404, wants credit card, not debit card, buggy and I very much doubt the security here as well.
    There are plenty of third parties that check these claims and I have seen no evidence of what you're claiming.  Apple does not sell ads other than letting app developers use them to fund free apps.  Apple makes it's money on hardware and lately services.  It supports and promotes personal privacy as a way to distinguish itself from its competitors.  It would be foolish of them to jeopardize the amount of good will this generates.
    gilly33watto_cobra
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