iCloud Keychain coming to Google Chrome on Windows for the first time

AppleInsider

Apple has updated the iCloud for Windows app with a new feature that will soon let users access their iCloud Keychain passwords in Google Chrome.

iCloud for Windows now supports keychain syncing

According to release notes for the latest update, the app now offers "support for iCloud Passwords Chrome extension." Upon updating the app, users will see a new "passwords" section within the app. Users will be prompted to download the new Chrome extension required to take advantage of the feature.

When enabled, the iCloud Keychain will store your passwords as you use Safari or apps on iOS or across the system on macOS. The update to the iCloud for Windows app marks the first time users can use their synced passwords on the platform.

The feature's introduction on Windows marks the first time that iCloud Keychain support has been expanded beyond Apple's operating systems, The 8-Bit notes. It's unknown if the extension will be made available for Chrome on Mac.

The update is live for the app, but as The 8-Bit notes, the extension is not yet available. When users click on the "Download" button they are taken to a 404 page in Chrome. The extension is likely going to become available soon.

The iCloud for Windows app enables iPhone users to access their documents and photos from a Windows PC. The app released on the Windows store in June 2019.

coolfactor

This is a LONG time coming! Glad to see it. I'm surprised that Apple hasn't pushed this earlier. Maybe they were trying to keep it as a selling advantage for Safari, and I'm glad to see them do a course correction on that item.

agilealtitude

Love the idea, and I’m sure Apple has their t’s crossed and i’s dotted when it comes to password security and encryption...but marrying this with any Google product is just too much of a risk I’m willing to take—IMHO. 

chasm

This is surprising and wonderful news.

It has been sheer idiocy in the Windows world not to have a central, easily accessible, CROSS-BROWSER password manager the way Apple Hardware does. I see people all the time who make the switch from or to Chrome, from or to another browser, and feel like they have to start over on figuring out their passwords (or just resetting them all) because the ability to import/export passwords stores in Browser A to Browser B is either too hidden, unknown to the user, or too annoying.

Thankfully, the millions of Windows users who were at least smart enough to get an iOS device will finally have accessible password management and easy-to-use strong-password generation (and warnings about hacked or reused passwords they should change) that every Apple user presently enjoys.

Microsoft, you have nobody to blame but yourself that you didn’t implement something like this throughout Windows 10 and instead tried to insist everyone just use Edge and again let the browser manage passwords.

Flytrap

coolfactor said:

This is a LONG time coming! Glad to see it. I'm surprised that Apple hasn't pushed this earlier. Maybe they were trying to keep it as a selling advantage for Safari, and I'm glad to see them do a course correction on that item.

I am not sure how delaying making iCloud Keychain available on Windows through the iCloud app could possibly be a selling advantage for Safari (which is not available on Windows). If anything, All my devices are Apple devices, but my work notebook is a Windows machine. I have had to adopt a cross platform password management solution because of this.